Mission to Support KMCH Orphanage in Ethiopia

My name is Sara, and I was born in Ethiopia, a developing nation located in the horn of Africa. At the age of 10, I got adopted and moved to the United States. Growing up in Ethiopia, nothing came easy. The struggles began when my mother was outcasted by her family for having my sister and I out of wedlock and at such a young age at that. Not being able to live with the family, my mom picked up my sister and I and fled to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, hoping for a better opportunity. Most of the time, I was left home alone to care for my little sister while my mom worked odd jobs to provide. However, my mother had a difficult time making ends meet and so my sister and I moved from house to house with anyone who could temporarily take us in.

About a year in, my mother met a lady named Aberash Berhane. She owned a group home for orphaned and abandoned children who lost their parents to the HIVAIDS epidemic rampaging through the country. This place served as a home to those children and created a lane for the possibility of adoption as different agencies would come to visit the group home. My mom had contracted HIV which qualified us to have a placement in the home. Soon after, I learned that my sister had also contracted the virus and became terminally ill. I was devastated knowing that I was going to lose the most important people in my life. With that reality, I was forced to grown-up quickly, leave the group home, and took on the role of a mother as I became the caregiver to both my mother and sister. Unfortunately, my mother lost her battle to the virus and quickly passed away.

A few weeks after my mother’s passing, most of us from the group home were transferred to an orphanage called Kidane Mehret, for an even better opportunity at adoption as this was a bigger institution with even more agencies visiting worldwide. About a year later, on February 5th, 2005, I came to America and received a second chance at life. Sadly, I had to leave my little sister behind with our grandmother as she was not allowed to come to the U.S. have already contracted the virus and I soon learned that she had passed away too.

Going to Ethiopia this upcoming spring is not solely a personal trip; it is also an opportunity to do some humanitarian work by volunteering at my childhood home, Kidane Mehret Children’s Home.

This orphanage has been around for 60 years and is home to thousands of kids who have lost their caregivers and needed a sacred space to grow and flourish. This place, besides being a safe haven, has allowed countless orphans to have a second chance at life and my life is a testament to how that place can really change one’s life, for the better. I would not be where I am today have I not been placed in Kidane Mehret which provided me with my new family, through the means of adoption.

For many years the orphanage has relied on outside missionaries, sponsors, and volunteers to operate. Due to Covid-19 and the ongoing civil war, the orphanage has lost many of its sponsors and missionaries. They are struggling to not only feed the kids but also the staff. Regardless of all the obstacles, Kidane Mehret still opens its doors to orphans and welcomes them in, and vows to care for underprivileged kids and the surrounding community.

My goal is to raise money from different outlets and organizations that are willing to contribute to causes such as this. The donations will allow me to purchase the food needed for the orphanage and give back to a place that once gave so much to me.