Megaladi

                                               There is a village.

                                                   With a mission.

Fathers want to see their children educated. Mothers want to have healthy children. I know that because today I asked them.  Although my question went through two translators it was clear that these mothers and fathers value the same things I do.

I choose to give my children healthy foods and encourage them to drink water. I show them how to wash their hands and cough into their elbows.

This young mother wants to educate her children on basic cleanliness. She wants to prevent the spreading of transmittable diseases.

We do that through hand washing.

This father wants to educate his daughter.

He wants all the children to have energy and time to attend classes in their modest school room.
My children do not have day jobs and are not too tired to learn.

Their water source is making them sick. They spend their time keeping their goats from dying of malnutrition so they can sell them to have enough to buy food.
We met with the committee leaders in each of the five areas of TCD (Transformational Community Development).

This is the water committee.

We made sure to the explain the mission of GHNI. We wanted them to understand we are here to walk beside them and teach them to offer encouragement and support if  they are willing to accept.

They told us they are weary of experiencing trying times. Their bodies are weak but their minds are sharp. They told us they wanted to accept a help up from a friend. They recognize the perpetuating problems of organizations who come in and throw money at them or  give them diesel generators that pump undrinkable water.  They told us they are ready to work hard if shown the way. They do not wish to sleep and sit all day any longer.

We celebrated the union by breaking this very special bread. Bread decorated with the names of GHNE (Global Hope Network Ethiopia) and Megaladi.

We shared coffee and bananas.

With a hearty handshake

and a warm hug

it was official. We are now the hopeful reaching out to gently lead our weary friends. The power of that kind of friendship is not lost on me.

It is not lost on this father either.

He gave an analogy that the water of a pond can not be moved unless a flood comes. Megaladi is the pond. We my friends,have the potential to be the flood. The villagers know that the process is slow, like the sun rising but are ready to commit to the TCD program.

TCD is designed to take 3-5 years. With just 24 committed sponsors (like me) donating $12.00 a month Megaladi has the potential to transform from a dusty dry thirsty undernourished group of people into a lush green well quenched income generating TCD graduate.

Visit Megaladi's blog.

Click join Megaladi and

let's work together and do something amazing.

It will take a commitment

a kind heart

 a giving spirit

 but most definitely

it takes a village....