Why Jewelry for Ethiopia

Some of you know I work for an International Adoption agency facilitating adoptions from Ethiopia. To date I have brought home 65 children from Ethiopia to the U.S. I have done this work for three years and have been wanting to travel to Ethiopia for the last 2 and 1/2. Well now thanks to Lory Howlett and her work with FOVC (Friends of Orphans and Vulnerable Children) I have the opportunity to go. And not just the opportunity to travel to Ethiopia but the chance to actually make a difference in the lives of a group of orphans. 26 actually (see the post Why 26 Orphans). Lory has put together this amazing trip. We leave in December and will spend some time in the capital but the bulk of our time will be in the village of Shanto helping to build an orphanage. You can see the blog Lory Howlett has put together regarding our trip and I will also post more information here.

So why Jewelry for Ethiopia???? Because I am also a jewelry designer and make handmade, one of a kind jewelry. My work is totally unique and every piece is different. Please visit my etsy shop at http://www.somewhereincolorado.etsy.com/ to see what I do. All of my jewelry is for sale and all of the proceeds from my sales will help build an orphanage for these beautiful children. I hope you like my work and I hope you will support me in this endeavor.

If you choose not to purchase jewelry but still wish to support this incredible project you can make a donation . Checks payable to: Rocky Mountain Christian Church; mail to Lory Howlett 2929 Sandpiper Place, Longmont CO 80503. Do not write my name on the check , but include a note that it is for Aneata O'Brien/Ethiopia trip. All donations are tax deductible and you will receive a receipt for your donation. Thanks for visiting my site, viewing my jewelry and donating if you can. 26 orphans appreciate it more than you know!

Why 26 Orphans?

I met Desalegn Daka when he asked me to take over his facebook site 15 minutes for 15 orphans. Desalegn works with Friends of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (FOVC). FOVC is a nonprofit, non governmental organization working in one of the poorest zones in southern Ethiopia with a mission to assure orphans grow up in safe, permanent families and have quality education and the help they need to be successful in life.

Desalegn currently works with 26 orphans (see photo) in a town called Shanto.  Shanto is one of 12 small towns in the Wolaita Zone which is in the Southern Nations Nationalities Peoples Region (SNNPR). Shanto has a population of about 8,000 and is located about 225 miles southwest of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Shanto is an incredibly poor area and the orphans there have very little ~ not even an orphanage to call home.

Recently FOVC was given a large donation from a group called Ethiopian Orphan Relief (EOR). The money is going to be used to build an orphanage for these 26 orphans. In fact construction has already begun on a 4 room bathroom (they do not have an indoor bathroom). In December 2010 I will accompany 12 truly amazing people to Shanto to work with Desalegn and his 26 orphans. We will help with the construction of the orphanage, bring supplies, and spend time with the kids. I am so honored and thrilled to have been invited on this trip. We will change the world for orphans in Ethiopia; 26 at a time!