Esubalew, Karla, her two Ethiopian daughters and I leave today for Ethiopia. We'll arrive in Addis Abeba Tuesday at 8:30 in the morning, no doubt exhausted already by the flight. We each carry the maximum allowed luggage, 115 lbs of luggage per person, filled to the hilt with humanitarian aid supplies. We'll be buying more things when we get there, like walking canes for the blind, etc. I got my camera and batteries ready, a tent to pitch, sleeping bag, mat and everything else I'll need for a rugged backwoods experience. Ethiopia, BRING YOUR WORST!
The existence of the internet permitting, I'll keep you updated as we go along this incredible journey.
Thanks for tuning in!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
'Slumdog' youth gets home - Los Angeles Times
'Slumdog' youth gets home - Los Angeles Times
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I found this article in today's LA Times, and found it to be interesting and of interest to you, as the departure date for our "slumdog millionaire" to reunite with his mother approaches.
Posted using ShareThis
I found this article in today's LA Times, and found it to be interesting and of interest to you, as the departure date for our "slumdog millionaire" to reunite with his mother approaches.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Two weeks away!
Well, Esubalew (Ethan), Karla (Esubalew's friend and organizer of this trip) and I are less than two weeks away from Ethiopia, and we couldn't be more excited. I have some news regarding our itinerary to share. So far, it's like this:
View Ethiopia Trip - Blind Promises in a larger map
View Ethiopia Trip - Blind Promises in a larger map
We leave for Ethiopia on June 14. After a LONG plane trip, we arrive June 16th in Addis Abeba. We'll stay here in the largest and capitol city. While here, we plan on visiting the couple that runs the school for the blind that played tug-o-war with Esubalew 13 or 14 years ago to rescue him from the clutches of his slave masters. The first of many reunions that we will experience on this trip, we'll meet the wonderful couple who had enough insight into Esubalew's situation to realize he was being taken advantage of, and created the first of many opportunities that blessed his life.
From Addis Abeba, we'll fly to the ancient capitol of Ethiopia, Gondar, the fifth largest city located in the northern part of the country. The purpose of our stop here is to drop off supplies at Karla's non-profit organization, World of Good Ethiopia, which seeks “to improve the health, education and quality of life of impoverished individuals around the world – most specifically, but not limited to children and seniors, as well as individuals with disabilities.” They establish sponsorships for poor children who would have no oportunity otherwise for healthy meals and an education. While we are here, we will meet some of the children whom Karla works to aid, one of which is a blind boy who doesn't yet know that Karla has found someone to sponsor him, but will find out!
After Gondar, we continue our journey, piling all the things we'll need for the road that lies ahead in a (hopefully reliable and stout off-road) vehicle. We will go from the heavily populated city of Gondar (~200,000 people) to increasingly more rural cities. We drive south along the coast of Ethiopia's largest lake, Lake Tana, down to the coastal city of Bahir Dar (pop. ~180,000). Further south we come to Mota (pop. ~25,000), the largest city near where Esubalew grew up. Mota is the intended location of the school for the blind that we hope to establish, in part trough proceeds from this documentary. After Mota, we embark for the small town of Mertule Maryam, supposedly comparable to an "town with one stop sign," and the last town before we head to Esubalew's mother's village that has navicable roads.
Leaving the comfort of our vehicle, we'll be heading out on foot towards Inesa, the small village near the beautiful Blue Nile River where Esubalew grew up, where he played games with his younger sister, Etagegnehu, and where he saw his mother, Yitashu, for the last time, 16 years ago. This part of our journey promises to be one of the most memorable events of our lives: the reunification of mother and son, in the midst friends and family who live in this grass hut village.
At this point, Karla plans to leave Esubalew and I at his mother's village. She will return to Gondar to attend business she has with World of Good, and we will stay in Inesa for a few days, with an interpreter, we hope. Esubalew no longer speaks Amharic, the native language of his home, so we will be quite lost without one.
After what we hope is an enjoyable time in Inesa, we will depart for Debra Markos, where we will visit another school for the blind, where 97 vision impaired students live and study. The Denver-based non-profit organization Door of Hope Eto Ministry for the Blind works to fund this school, supplying them with food, clothing, and educational materials for the students there. This is the same organization that Esubalew is working with to build a school for the blind in the town of Mota, the largest city nearest to Inesa where he grew up. We hope to deliver some needed supplies to the school, as well as visit with the faculty and students there.
Esubalew and I will conclude our journey together by traveling back north to Bahir Dar and then Gondar to meet back up with Karla. Perhaps we will do some sightseeing in these two historic cities. I would love to see the Simian National Park where some endemic species of animals exist. I will return alone to Addis Abeba with a day all to myself to explore, and then I come back home. Esubalew will stay in Ethiopia for a few more weeks to visit with his mother some more and enjoy the culture of his people.
From Addis Abeba, we'll fly to the ancient capitol of Ethiopia, Gondar, the fifth largest city located in the northern part of the country. The purpose of our stop here is to drop off supplies at Karla's non-profit organization, World of Good Ethiopia, which seeks “to improve the health, education and quality of life of impoverished individuals around the world – most specifically, but not limited to children and seniors, as well as individuals with disabilities.” They establish sponsorships for poor children who would have no oportunity otherwise for healthy meals and an education. While we are here, we will meet some of the children whom Karla works to aid, one of which is a blind boy who doesn't yet know that Karla has found someone to sponsor him, but will find out!
After Gondar, we continue our journey, piling all the things we'll need for the road that lies ahead in a (hopefully reliable and stout off-road) vehicle. We will go from the heavily populated city of Gondar (~200,000 people) to increasingly more rural cities. We drive south along the coast of Ethiopia's largest lake, Lake Tana, down to the coastal city of Bahir Dar (pop. ~180,000). Further south we come to Mota (pop. ~25,000), the largest city near where Esubalew grew up. Mota is the intended location of the school for the blind that we hope to establish, in part trough proceeds from this documentary. After Mota, we embark for the small town of Mertule Maryam, supposedly comparable to an "town with one stop sign," and the last town before we head to Esubalew's mother's village that has navicable roads.
Leaving the comfort of our vehicle, we'll be heading out on foot towards Inesa, the small village near the beautiful Blue Nile River where Esubalew grew up, where he played games with his younger sister, Etagegnehu, and where he saw his mother, Yitashu, for the last time, 16 years ago. This part of our journey promises to be one of the most memorable events of our lives: the reunification of mother and son, in the midst friends and family who live in this grass hut village.At this point, Karla plans to leave Esubalew and I at his mother's village. She will return to Gondar to attend business she has with World of Good, and we will stay in Inesa for a few days, with an interpreter, we hope. Esubalew no longer speaks Amharic, the native language of his home, so we will be quite lost without one.
After what we hope is an enjoyable time in Inesa, we will depart for Debra Markos, where we will visit another school for the blind, where 97 vision impaired students live and study. The Denver-based non-profit organization Door of Hope Eto Ministry for the Blind works to fund this school, supplying them with food, clothing, and educational materials for the students there. This is the same organization that Esubalew is working with to build a school for the blind in the town of Mota, the largest city nearest to Inesa where he grew up. We hope to deliver some needed supplies to the school, as well as visit with the faculty and students there.Esubalew and I will conclude our journey together by traveling back north to Bahir Dar and then Gondar to meet back up with Karla. Perhaps we will do some sightseeing in these two historic cities. I would love to see the Simian National Park where some endemic species of animals exist. I will return alone to Addis Abeba with a day all to myself to explore, and then I come back home. Esubalew will stay in Ethiopia for a few more weeks to visit with his mother some more and enjoy the culture of his people.
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