Educate yourself

As an educator, I feel it is my duty to pass on some fabulous items that you can use to learn more about the current situation in Ethiopia and Africa as a whole. Now I know that some of you may not be readers, my own husband included, so I have one book and one movie for you. The movie, God Grew Tired of Us, is the story of Sudanese refugees who raise themselves inthe desert with thousands of other parentless "lost boys". The movie follows three of the boys as they come to the US and their experiences with electricity, running water, grocery stores and life in general in the US.

For you readers in the group, I highly recommend There Is No Me Without You, by Melissa Fay Greene. This book tells the story of Haregewoin Teferra, a middle-class Ethiopian woman who agrees to take in two AIDS orphans in Addis Abbaba and soon finds children of all ages arriving at her home. Teferra transforms her house into an orphanage and begins facilitating international adoptions. When you feel that your life is tough, pick up one of these stories and you'll realize how fortunate we are to have what we do!