I’m excited to officially announce that I will be traveling to Ethiopia this summer along with Food for the Hungry, an incredible aid organization that serves at-risk children all over the world. Food for the Hungry was founded in 1971, and they take a holistic approach to working with children within their communities. In fact, one of my favorite books on working with the poor, called When Helping Hurts, was written by a former Food for the Hungry employee. Partnering with them felt like a natural fit for me. In Ethiopia, I will have the chance to visit the The Zeway Orphan and Vulnerable Children Development Program, to see all that they are doing first-hand. This is a Child Development Program working to develop orphans and vulnerable children intellectually (education support), physically (health support and nutritional support), socially (psychological/emotional), and spiritually. In addition, on a macro level, attention is being paid to equipping families, churches, and local leaders to sustain long-term freedom from poverty. The hope is that establishing local leaders will allow them to capably address their children’s basic needs in the future. I love this model. Food for the Hungry describes their partnerships with each community as “the walk”: “The beauty of the walk is that it is different in each community we work. Problems vary. Resources vary. But as we walk with churches, leaders and families, community members begin to respond to their own unique challenges.” In order to meet those challenges, Food for the Hungry takes a holistic approach, attending to:
- Food and Agriculture
- Water and Sanitation
- Health and Nutrition
- Child Sponsorship
- HIV/AIDS
- Economic Development
- Church Development
- Emergency Response
I am really excited to see how this plays out on the ground. My role on this trip will be two-fold. First, to help bring exposure to what Food for the Hungry is doing, and second, to encourage others to sponsor a child. Now, if you are reading this and not yet sponsoring a child, I’m going to say this . . . YOU SHOULD BE SPONSORING A CHILD. It is such a blessing. To the child, and to you. And if you have kids, it is an incredible experience for them as well. Each of my kids have a child that they sponsor and I love the connection they feel to each other. Sponsoring a child with Food for the Hungry costs about $1 a day. I know this may be cost prohibitive for some, but I believe that it is well within reach for most budgets. By sponsoring a child you’ll make sure he or she has food, clean water, sanitation, medical care and a chance to go to school . . . all without fostering dependence. To see children who are waiting for a sponsor, click here. I’m thrilled to be partnering with Food for the Hungry and I am really looking forward to getting a first-hand look at the amazing work they are doing.
