2017: A Year in Review

It’s pretty amazing what teamwork, hard work and a whole lot of heart can do. What a year it has been for Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia!

Often our team is busy going a mile-a-minute, but December is a great time to step back and reflect on all that we've accomplished and learned over the last 12 months. We've sure packed a lot in!

Here are some of the highlights:

• A whopping $83,000 was raised at our signature event, Gems & Java.
• We hit a huge milestone – 100 prolapse surgeries funded since we began supporting this project! (And now we’re closer to 130!)
• Four of our volunteers spent a whirlwind 2 weeks in Ethiopia.
• Talk about investment – we sponsored 21 new Girls Gotta Run scholars, bringing us to a total of 26 scholarships!
• An incredible $30,000 was invested in the life-changing work of Busajo.
• Washable, reusable, affordable pads (WRAPS) were given to 572 girls, along with essential education on hygiene and women's health.
• We raised money, recruited new volunteers, and hopefully spread the word about an incredible country on the other side of the world!

To kick off 2017, we travelled to see our partners and projects during a two-week trip in February. We brought home tons of stories and were able to spend some time meeting and chatting with the people that give meaning to our work.

We were privileged to sit down with several women who have benefitted from the healing of the prolapsed uterus surgery. These were long and personal interviews. Women shared their vulnerabilities and their dreams for the future. Later in the year, we hit a huge milestone, marking the 100th surgery funded by MWAHFE! Now we are on the verge of 130 surgeries funded.

Alemitu

Alemitu, a member of the Spice Grinder project, taught us the power of grace when she invited us into her home and showed us around a typical rural abode. We were so touched by her pride and hospitality.

Seeing the hope and happiness at Busajo left us all grinning from ear-to-ear (though the soccer players among us were pretty drained!). Our funds are making it possible for children living on the streets to start over in a safe place, and oftentimes even return to their families.

Girls Gotta Run left a mark on our hearts. Seeing this new project up close and personal inspired us and made the decision to invest more seriously an easy one. We now sponsor a whopping TWENTY-SIX athletic scholars, who receive a healthy lunch, school tuition and uniform, running clothes and training, friendship, camaraderie, life skills, and even financial training for their mothers!

We also had the chance to see the very spot where the WRAPS (washable, reusable, affordable pads) are made. It was an honour to chat with the women who are making this life-changing product. Many of the workers have been through incredible trauma and tragedy.

It was so inspiring to meet the women who make the WRAPS. 

But now they are a part of something bigger, crafting a product that can empower girls and women (we hear that the WRAPS are quite a commodity when a young girl brings one home!!) to continue their schooling.

These inspirational women are all at different stages in their education – one is in primary school and another in university, with every stage in between.

Yabi and Val at the group home near Addis. Check out those smiles!

We laughed and celebrated with the boys from our group home, sharing meals and birthdays and long drives on our daily travels. It was incredible to see Meskelu and Shelley’s son Tilahun interact with our project partners and help translate. Those young men were invaluable to our work. Meskelu has graduated high school and is now taking college classes. Tilahun has already graduated from college. This is the difference that the group home can make!

When we arrived at the Spice Grinder project, we felt the earth shake as dozens of women danced, sang and celebrated our arrival – talk about a welcome! This is the perfect example of how your funds can make a tangible difference in Ethiopia. This community co-op might not even exist if it wasn’t for Mothers. Seeing the determination of the women was an inspiration. They haven’t spent any of the money in their group account just yet, wanting to save more dollars for future growth and investment.

There’s so much more we could say about February’s trip – if you’re eager to hear the details, check out our blog and Facebook photo album.

We also turned the spotlight on many of the incredible women we met in Ethiopia for International Women’s Day in March. Our work is powered by strong, dedicated and ambitious women all around the globe! Check out their stories here.

You know what April means – our annual Gems & Java event! We sold more tickets than ever before, close to 650, and we were so pleased to see the number of ladies who wanted to support our cause. We received some very generous donations and we could feel the power and inspiration in the room.

It takes an entire year of work and a massive team to put together this event. But clearly, the proof is in the pudding! This year Gems & Java raised $83,000 over two days. The first Gems & Java event in 2012 had a modest 85 guests and raised close to $8,000. That means we've seen 985% growth since then.

After we all recovered from the herculean effort of Gems & Java, we had another adventure on the calendar! A group of committee members took a trip to Port Huron, Michigan, to meet with Dr. Mark and Allison Karnes on one of their trips home to the United States.

Dr. Mark is the man behind our prolapse uterus project – he’s an OBGYN at Soddo Christian Hospital who takes such patience and care with each woman he sees. And Allison is one of the leaders behind the WRAPS project. Talk about a power couple!

The Karnes have so many interesting stories to share, and we’re in awe of the difference they are making in Ethiopia. Check out this blog post that shares some of the tidbits we picked up over a long, long lunch at Cracker Barrel!

Inspired in part by some of our generous and giving partners, this summer we decided to shine the light on a new focus area. We spend lots of time and energy highlighting the good your money does in Ethiopia – but what about the benefits right here at home? There’s a very special joy that comes when you give - just ask our donors! - and we wanted to share that with others.

We ran a series called “the Joy of Giving” and heard some wonderful motivations from our donors. Check out a few of our Facebook posts and feel free to add your own reason for giving!

At the end of the summer, we marked MWAHFE's 6th birthday with a week full of celebrations. It's been an incredible six years, there's no doubt about that.

Fall is always a good time for a fresh slate, and our committees have been hard at work making plans, raising money, and collecting items for next year’s Gems & Java. We introduced the Spring Bring Campaign this year, which was a hit, and had another successful Closet Clean-Out Challenge thanks to your generous donations of purses, scarves, sunglasses, belts and jewellery.

As we inch closer to the end of the year, we want to say THANK YOU to each and every one of you. Thank you for donating and making our projects a reality. Thanks for being in our work and following along on social media and here on the blog. Thank you for giving from the heart and spreading the word about our journey.

Here’s to a fabulous 2018 and the chance to make a difference in even more lives.

Surgical Success Stories - #126 & #127

Please meet Biranesh Duracho who has been widowed for one year. She has delivered seven children and three of them are living. She has suffered from prolapse for three years and is very grateful to be taken care of at Soddo Christian Hospital. Thank you!

This is Allane Alaro. She has suffered from prolapse for four years. She has delivered six children and only one is still living. Thank you for being a part of relieving her suffering and making an impact on her life!

Surgical Success Stories - #123, #124 and #125!

This is Mengeste Malako, a widow of ten years. She has had a third degree prolapse for two years. She delivered has delivered 8 children and six are living. Thank you to our donors!

This is Eshale Badacho who has had a fourth degree prolapse for three years. She has delivered 6 children and 5 of them are still living. She is a widow of ten years and thanks to your generosity, her life has been changed by this surgery!

Please meet Omboshe Anjale who has been a widow for 33 years. She has delivered 8 children, 7 of which are still living. She has suffered from prolapse for two years. Thanks for making it possible for her to have life-changing surgery. God bless.

Surgical Success Stories - #119 to #122!

Thank you to our donors for sponsoring these surgeries and changing these beautiful women's lives!

This is Azalech Chala who has suffered from 3rd° uterine prolapse for one year. She has delivered eight children and four of them are still alive. She is very grateful for your assistance and for making her feel much better!

Please meet Lantore Langana who underwent prolapse surgery on Friday. She is the mother of four children and has suffered from third-degree prolapse for three years. Lantore is doing very well and is very grateful for your help in restoring her dignity. 

Say hello to Adanech Kampeso who delivered six children, three of whom are alive. She has suffered from pelvic prolapse for two years. She is so happy for your help.

This is Dapase Beyene who has been widowed for 20 years. She has delivered six children and five are still living. She has suffered from pelvic organ prolapse for four years. She is so grateful to be relieved from her lower pelvic pain and discomfort.

Surgical Success Story - #118

Mestawet Medacho underwent surgery earlier this week. She has suffered from 3rd degree prolapse for five years. She is a widow who has delivered five children, two of which are living. Thanks to our donors for helping change her life. Not only did you pay for her surgery but also her transportation to get to the hospital!

Surgical Success Stories - #116 & #117

Say hello to Mezgebu Falta. She is 50 years old and has suffered from 3rd degree prolapse for three years. Her only child died. Thank you so very much for helping this patient.

This is Askale Tema. She is also a widow who has suffered from third degree prolapse for three years. She has been pregnant nine times and has six living children. Both of these patients came to us from Dr. Mary’s clinic in Ajura . Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia also helped pay their transportation to the hospital. Thank you for your support!

Surgical Success Story - #115

This is Galtame Dingato, a 70-year-old woman who has suffered from prolapse for nine years. She has been pregnant 11 times and has delivered 10 children. Thanks to your support, she has been sponsored for her life-changing surgery!

Surgical Success Story - #114

Say hello to Belaynesh Falta, a 40-year-old mother who has two children. She has suffered from prolapse for 10 years and actually had prolapse prior to her last delivery. She underwent surgical correction and is very thankful for your assistance.

We have huge news!

Remember the jaw-dropping $83,000 that we raised at Gems & Java? We have some exciting news to share about where some of those funds are headed.

If you’ve been following our Girls Gotta Run profiles this summer, you know just how powerful an impact that program can have on a young lady in Ethiopia. We began by sponsoring five athletic scholars, and we’ve spoken to those lovely girls about how the program has enriched their day-to-day – helping them get the nutrition, exercise, knowledge and friendship that they need to live whole, happy lives and dream for the future.

But now we are going to touch even more lives. We are so excited to announce that we will now be sponsoring 22 athletic scholars through the Girls Gotta Run Foundation! That’s right – TWENTY TWO!

Check out this post for all the details about the Girls Gotta Run Foundation. An athletic scholarship provides one young lady with everything from running equipment to healthy meals to life skills classes to medical care. The program even includes the girls' mothers, inviting them to learn about financial literacy and form a savings group.

Suffice it to say, this is an organization working hard to create sustainable change in Ethiopia, and we are proud to be a partner.

Back to school in Ethiopia

We can’t celebrate fall without thanking all the wonderful teachers out there who are exposing kids and young adults to the world around them. Many of our volunteers are teachers or educational professionals, and we are grateful for every one. Happy September, teachers!

Whalen, a teacher at Gallo Shanto, told us that the school will not become dependent on aid from overseas.

Now, imagine trying to teach without any desks, pencils or libraries. For many teachers in Ethiopia, that’s the reality. They are doing all the hard work of moulding young minds without many of the resources we depend on in North America. But that doesn’t stop them.

We were particularly inspired by Whalen, a teacher at Gallo Shanto, who spoke with us on our last trip to Ethiopia. You might remember some of her incredible words:

“What you tell us (through your actions) is that people have time for Ethiopia. People, regardless of colour or differences, can become one. You have shown us through the work you do. It is powerful,” she told us.

“You have shown us...that people have time for Ethiopia. People, regardless of colour or differences, can become one.”

— Whalen, Gallo Shanto Teacher

MWAHFE volunteers handed out clothing to the teachers at Gallo Shanto school in 2017.

Whalen received a pair of eyeglasses from Shelley during a previous trip, and this year we handed out T-shirts to the staff.

But Whalen’s speech inspired us more than she could have imagined. She told us that the teachers and students at Gallo Shanto will not become dependent on help from outsiders – she believes that one day, they will defeat poverty.

So as we start another school year, we are thinking of teachers near and far, and we take heart in the amazing example of strength and determination that teachers like Whalen are setting for students in Ethiopia.