Newsletter - Spring 2024

neh213@gmail.com (Nancy Holland) — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 00:46:16 GMT

Board Member Visits to Medhen

Dear M.O.R.E. Family,
Happy Spring! As the trees are blooming and flowers are blossoming, we would like to take time to share a little about what has been happening with M.O.R.E.

In the past 18 months, 11 of our 14 board members have traveled to Addis Ababa to visit the Medhen Social Center. We all had similar, yet unique, experiences on our visits - educating the staff, setting up laptops, gaining a better understanding of the reach and impact of the services & programs sponsored / co-sponsored by M.O.R.E, and brainstorming new ideas with Sister and her staff.

Several of us went on outings with a busload of children to share new experiences with them, but a favorite activity for all was helping the children pick out new clothes which were donated by M.O.R.E. The smiles on their faces were priceless. Each child received a new shirt or top, pants, socks, underwear, sweatshirt or fleece, and shoes. Thank you to all of our generous donors that have provided clothes or money towards this effort - with a special thank you to Kathy Snyder for sharing her sewing talents by making clothes for the children.

October 2022: Board members Jen and Jack Baxter, along with Wendy Dewey and Sandy Smith Krantz, visited Medhen.

Highlights of their trip included distributing clothing to the children, accompanying the children on an outing to Unity Park, visiting client homes with Sister Senkenesh and her staff of social workers, spending time at the preschool and after school programs, and observing the efforts at the weaving center that employs special needs young adults, while purchasing some beautiful scarves from them. If you are interested in a scarf, visit www.etsy.com/shop/cardsformore to view and purchase.

Yodit Amaha visited several times during 2022, 2023, and 2024

With Yodit's strength and depth of experience in social work, she facilitated training seminars for the staff on a variety of topics to help them become more proficient in subjects such as effective communication, as well as dealing with severe trauma from the Civil War - a condition faced by many families seeking services at Medhen. Yodit is working hard in helping the staff grow to meet the changing needs of the community.

November 2023: Jim Miller traveled back to Ethiopia after a break of eight years. Accompanying him was his sister, Gwen Zack and Andrea Santos. The week was spent with the children, caregivers, Medhen Social Center (MSC) staff, and Sister Senkenesh.

The first day at the Medhen Social Center (MSC) compound in Addis Ababa, they were welcomed with a party consisting of the very first three children that were left with Sister Senkenesh more than two decades ago! They had suffered the loss of both parents and were orphaned before the age of six. Sister Senkenesh and Jim worked together to place them in a safe home of a couple in the community who were financially impoverished, but rich in love and compassion. This was 1998 when the spirit of M.O.R.E. was born. It was a joyous reunion experience to learn all three are successful adults. They also brought their adopted mother, now in her 80s, and their children who are around the same ages that they were when first dropped off at MSC! Other children that were part of the program early on were also present, and they too brought their adopted parents, and their own children. The time spent together was emotional and unforgettable.

On the second day, they took a group of 5- to 10-year-old children on a bus to a commercial rose flower farm outside of Addis. They enjoyed the children’s singing, laughter, and joyfulness of the day. The week went on with many more awe-inspiring interactions with the beneficiary children, caregivers, events, meetings, songs, and prayers. Most importantly, the experience gave Jim the ability to reflect on memories of past trips. It has provided him renewed inspiration to support the mission and for Gwen and Andrea to understand all the programs provided.

The experiences from recent visits to Medhen provide a snapshot of the scope and reach of the programs that M.O.R.E. supports. Be on the lookout for our next newsletter which will highlight some of the other recent visits of our Board to Medhen.

Currently, M.O.R.E. reaches over 650 children, parents, and caregivers. With a holistic approach, the Center is able to assess and determine which service(s) each child needs, along with their family members. Annual inflation, which has run above or near 30% since 2021, has made it more difficult for our beneficiaries to move beyond dependency on the services and programs provided by Medhen and M.O.R.E. As a result, the number of people applying to join the programs continues to grow faster than those exiting. Sister and her staff are limited to providing help based on current funding constraints, which has created a crisis in meeting the basic human needs of those who are most dependent.

Thank you to all the angel donors who have made these 25 years so effective and successful… one dollar and one child at time. Please join us in keeping the work at Medhen viable, so we can continue helping more of those in dire need.

What better way to recognize your loved ones than through a donation honoring or in memory of them. Father's Day is just around the corner.....please consider a donation in his honor / memory.

Following Through

Sun, 20 Nov 2022 20:31:29 GMT

Despite a global health crisis, rising inflation, and civil war, MSC perseveres.

My first visit to the Medhen Social Center (MSC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was in July of 2016. My then 17-year-old daughter Emma decided to work with the charity M.O.R.E. (based in our hometown of Randolph, NJ) for her Girl Scout Gold Award project. M.O.R.E. is a 501c3 organization that provides financial assistance to the Medhen Social Center in Ethiopia. As part of her Girl Scout project, Emma organized fundraisers in NJ and used the proceeds to purchase technology to benefit the children at Medhen Social Center. Emma was eager to hand-deliver the items that she purchased and observe firsthand the work being done at MSC in Addis. My husband Jack and I enthusiastically agreed to accompany our daughter Emma on this journey. Before we knew what happened we found ourselves making the 7,000-mile journey across the globe!

Unlike traditional institutional orphanages, the structure of the Medhen Social Center is very different. The MSC has created a network of home-based care to support the needs of hundreds of orphaned and vulnerable children annually who need parental/caregiver support–somewhat like a foster care system, except that both the orphaned and vulnerable children are placed in homes. As such, the orphaned and vulnerable children supported by M.O.R.E. live with families who can care for them as their own family members. M.O.R.E.--through the MSC--provides financial support to a large, tight-knit group of the caregivers and the children, thus addressing healing an entire community structure and cycle of poverty that is otherwise overlooked. The neighborhood where these children and their caregivers live on the outskirts of Addis is extremely impoverished.

Our trip to the MSC in Addis in 2016 was life-changing for sure. Sister Sekenesh, the founder and director of MSC, had already become our hero before we embarked on our journey to Addis. We first met her in New Jersey while she was visiting some of the M.O.R.E. board members at a M.O.R.E. fundraiser a few months prior to our trip. We were fascinated by her holistic approach to caring for all aspects of her clients. I was reminded of what the Jesuits who educated me referred to as “cura personalis” or having a concern or care for the entire individual, from the physical to the intellectual to the spiritual.

She starts with the basics like helping to provide safety, shelter, food, clothing and healthcare support. But she goes beyond that, making sure her clients are provided with educational support, psychosocial and emotional support, and finally economic empowerment, with the goal being of helping all her clients to eventually become self-sufficient. She leverages her wide network of different partners and organizations to fill the various needs of the community that she serves.

After seeing Sister Senkenesh in action in Addis in 2016, my family became lifelong disciples of this amazing humanitarian, whom the locals refer to as “The Mother of the Poor.” We became more involved after our trip and eventually my husband Jack and I both joined the board of M.O.R.E. In the words of Sister Joan Chittister, “Once you have seen it and it has come into your consciousness, you can never unsee it. Do something!” We both felt compelled to help in whatever small way we could with the seemingly insurmountable issues that Sister Senkenesh takes on every day. We were inspired by her outside-the-box ingenuity.

Due to the pandemic, six years passed before we were able to return to Addis in October of 2022. Full circle moments are rare in life, and I am forever grateful to Sister Senkenesh for allowing us to witness this one. During our visit in 2016, we accompanied Sister and her staff of social workers on several home visits to check on some of her most desperate clients. On our return trip in 2022, Sister arranged a meeting for us with all the different MSC staff members who had cared for and supported three of these families. This meeting allowed us to see how the MSC staff works in coordination with each other and with the active participation of the families and the surrounding community to bring about change. It was so fulfilling to see the progress that these three families made over the course of six years.

The children that M.O.R.E. supports are either orphaned or vulnerable. Vulnerable children (VC) may have surviving parents, but these parents have either abandoned them, or are unable to care for their children due to incapacitating illness or other catastrophic events. MSC matches orphaned and vulnerable children with caregivers. If the children are not able to be cared for by a relative, MSC will match them with a caregiver from the community. A case manager from MSC will be in continuous contact with these families through home visits and the MSC education department. The education department offers a preschool and kindergarten, and tutoring from grade 1-12 five days per week after school.

FAMILY 1:

2016

The situation was dire when we first met this mother and her six-year-old daughter. The mother was psychologically and physically incapacitated. Bedridden with tuberculosis and HIV, she told the MSC social workers that she wanted to run away. The MSC staff sent her daughter to live with a neighbor because she was unable to care for her. This arrangement also prevented the daughter from being exposed to or infected with TB. This saddened the mother because her daughter started to bond with her neighbor who cared for her, and the mother was afraid that she was being replaced. MSC home care workers had to carry the mother on a stretcher to her medical appointments. She was unable to go to the bathroom unattended, dress and bathe herself, or feed herself. Around-the-clock care was arranged by these home care workers, who networked with neighbors (fostering community) and with the mother’s medical team at the nearby ALERT hospital. The team picked up and administered her medications, brought her rent to her landlord, did her laundry, and picked up and prepared her food. The social workers also provided psychosocial support for both the mother and the daughter.

2022

The mother and her daughter (now 12 years old) were reunited and are now living together and thriving. The daughter had some learning difficulties and was promoted at the public school despite not testing at grade level. Her tutors noticed that she was working with her mother after school instead of studying. The MSC educational support staff made sure that she came to the MSC tutoring center five days per week after school. This helped her to jump three grade levels.

After she recovered physically, the mother participated in MSC’s economic empowerment program, specifically small business training. She now has a successful business selling grasses, potatoes, and incense. This family would be entirely self-sufficient if not for COVID causing inflation. Many MSC families saw their rents increase by 75% this year. The only support the family receives now from MSC is the house rent program which covers 2/3 of their rent. They are well on their way to becoming self-sufficient.

FAMILY 2:

2016

The mother in this family is blind and was unable to care for herself, let alone her six-year-old nephew and 11-year-old daughter who lived with her. The daughter had already taken on many of the household chores like fetching the water for the household, cooking, bringing her mother to her appointments at the hospital, and picking up her medications. The MSC workers took on these tasks so that the daughter could focus on her studies. MSC provided the family with 2/3 of their house rent, grain and school supplies. The MSC home care workers acted as her guide if the mother needed to walk anywhere and brought her to the hospital to socialize with people with similar issues.

2022

Mother, daughter, and nephew are living together in the same house and thriving. The daughter was an excellent student and participated in the MSC tutoring program every day after school. When she graduated high school, she decided to go to a training institution for community workers/social work. Now she is employed at MSC as an assistant to the social workers. She makes her own income, supports her mother and cousin, has a positive attitude, and is a productive member of the staff. This is an excellent manifestation of MSC’s philosophy of developing leadership from within the community. In fact, the majority of the staff members are graduates of the program. Within a year, it is expected that this family will be completely self-sufficient–no longer a client, but an employee!

FAMILY 3:

2016

Due to a vitamin deficiency, a mother of four was paralyzed and was unable to speak clearly. Her husband abandoned her and their children. She left her oldest child with a relative and set off in search of help with her ten-year-old daughter, six-year-old son, and four-month-old son. She had heard of “The Mother of the Poor” (Sister Senkenesh) in Addis. She used her hands to drag herself for days until she reached Addis with her three younger children in tow, the older children carrying the baby. The baby boy was surrendered to an institutional orphanage when they arrived in Addis. Sister Senkenesh went to visit him there and saw that he was angry and failing to thrive. Sister Senekensh returned the baby to his mother and set the family up with support. This family required rent assistance and a food allowance. Homecare workers fed the baby around the clock, took the mother to the bathroom, prepared all meals for the family, and washed all their clothes. The older children required educational and psychosocial support. MSC homecare workers transported the mother on a stretcher to her medical appointments. Within a few weeks, the infant started to thrive.

2022

The oldest daughter returned, and all four children are now living with their mother. The infant was enrolled in daycare at eight months old, and MSC workers transported him to and from daycare each day. After two years of medication and extensive treatments, the mother regained the ability to walk (with a cane) and can now speak and be understood. She is now able to come to the center on her own once a month to pick up her grain allowance. Social workers still check in to make sure all family members contribute to the running of the household. The older son participated in the Memory Book program. This is an innovative MSC program that helps children to process trauma. It’s a 17-week program that meets on Saturdays for three hours with approximately 25 children per cycle. Children write letters to their parents or caregivers in a notebook. They ask questions and start a dialogue. Through this program, social workers became aware of this boy’s interest in art and provided him with art supplies. It turns out he is a talented artist and he went on to win first prize in an art competition.

Seeing the progress that these three families made over the course of six years was incredibly heartwarming. The tireless dedication and innovative programs offered by the staff at MSC really do have the power to transform lives.

BACK TO THE BEGINNING

Sadly, the need now at Medhen is greater than ever. In a true full circle moment, on our recent trip we visited some of the newest, most desperate clients with a team of social workers. Due to the civil war in Ethiopia, there is now a new category of client at MSC – families who have been displaced due to the war. These families are now arriving at the center. They are highly traumatized due to atrocities that they have witnessed as a result of the war. The social workers at MSC are currently undergoing training on how to deal with this trauma and support these families. On top of the war, Ethiopia is experiencing staggeringly high inflation levels (26.8% for 2021). Factors contributing to this inflation are weak domestic supply because of agricultural production constraints and steady devaluation of the birr. Many of MSC’s clients have seen their rents increase by 75% this year. After seeing the progress made over the course of six years, I am hopeful that the staff at MSC will enable these newest arrivals to get back on their feet and not only survive but thrive despite these challenging times. However, they need our financial support more than ever in order to succeed. I have faith that our current and new donors will be generous in helping us to support them.

Getting to Know Lynn Devereux

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 02:22:52 GMT

A conversation with longtime M.O.R.E. supporter, Lynn Devereux

It is with great delight that we ‘sat down’ virtually with Lynn Devereux last week to talk about her journey with the Medhen Orphan Relief Effort (M.O.R.E.) and Medhen Social Center (M.S.C).For nearly two decades, Lynn has been a very important member of our community. Thanks to Lynn and her family, there have been many hundreds of orphaned and vulnerable children whose young lives have been positively impacted by their generous hearts and souls. We think of Lynn as a triple treat: she provides much needed financial support; she travels to Ethiopia to spend valuable time with the children, staff, and caregivers; and, she has nurtured her daughter, Kimberly Poulo, to be another angel on our side as an invaluable member of the M.O.R.E. Board of Trustees. The fruit certainly does not fall far from the tree of love, life, and joy. M.O.R.E. and M.S.C are grateful beyond words that Lynn and her family are walking this road with us!

How did you first come to know about the Medhen Orphan Relief Effort (M.O.R.E.)?

Lynn: Nancy Holland, a longtime Member of the M.O.R.E. Board of Trustees, was having a charity fundraiser for M.O.R.E., selling her beautifully handcrafted greeting cards. The Hollands lived down the street from where I live. I walked to the end of the block, and as they say…. The rest is history! I was in awe of these delicately crafted cards, but while browsing, I learned more & more about M.O.R.E! It was like a match made in heaven. My daughter, Kimberly, dreamt of going to Africa her entire life. The Hollands were planning on visiting Medhen in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in the near future. I loved the philanthropic ideas and meaningful work that M.O.R.E. was doing. I did a bit of detective work, to make sure not only were the Hollands good people, but M.O.R.E was completely legitimate. My findings were so positive. How could I not let Kimberly travel with this lovely family, do charitable work, help children in need and fill her bucket list? Soon after, the planning began, and Kimberly and I began the start of our journey.

Why did you choose to get involved as donor?

Lynn: My dad began a small family foundation, The Page Hill Foundation, in 1997, to teach his children about giving. The mission is simply helping children in need. After meeting the Hollands, Kimberly traveled to Addis Ababa and got to experience first-hand the workSister Senkenesh was doing. After hearing Kimberly’s uplifting stories of Sister Senkenesh and the incredible work the M.S.C. (Medhen Social Center) was doing, Page Hill began granting small amounts to the general fund. Since we have continued donating, I have had the privilege of traveling to Addis as well. Meeting Sister and seeing what she accomplishes is truly special. I have never once doubted continuing to donate.

Can you offer us highlights of your visit to Ethiopia to meet the M.O.R.E. children, staff, and the MSC director, Sister Senkenesh G. Mariam?

Lynn: From the moment we arrived in Ethiopia, Sister Senkenesh and the staff were ready with open arms. They made us feel welcomed, appreciated, and most importantly, Sister put us to work! Kimberly was a special educator and therefore we both had some interest in working with students with special needs. Sister took us to a school where there was a classroom of children with a variety of different needs and our hearts were invested. The way that she listens, acts gracefully, and runs these programs puts her in a category of super humans. The children’s smiles have to be one of my largest highlights. To see how much Sister has assisted these families is tremendous and it all shows within the children's faces. Since visiting, Sister has sent letters to me on what has been accomplished using the Page Hill donations and to say it lightly, it is astounding. She even sends beautiful photos which always give me the largest smile. She uses every cent so wisely and efficiently. I sincerely feel so connected, even being worlds apart! I sincerely look forward to the day I am able to return.

Are there any special stories connected with that experience?

Lynn: There are too many to list, but there is one in particular that sticks out in my mind. When I traveled to Ethiopia, I brought a second suitcase filled with arts and craft supplies donated from a dear friend. Sister allowed me to complete an art project with the kindergarteners at the school and their faces lit up. There were plenty of supplies left over and Sister notified me that they were to save the remainder for special occasions. For Christmas (Genna), that year, she used the supplies to make hats that said Peace, Love, and Hope. She sent me a picture of the children in their hats in an email and to say it was the best Christmas present is an understatement.

How is your family involved in the Page Hill Foundation's wonderful endeavors to support the orphaned and vulnerable children under the care of M.O.R.E.?

Lynn: Since the Page Hill Foundation is family run, the entire family is in awe at the wonderful work that M.O.R.E. accomplishes. Kimberly, in particular, has since become an executive board member for M.O.R.E., and our family could not be prouder. Kimberly’s passion, love, and dedication to M.O.R.E. truly shows how impactful Sister Senkenesh is. I could not be more thrilled that she has the opportunity to learn and grow from such an incredible non-profit.

Are there any M.O.R.E./Medhen Social Center programs that you find most engaging based on your specific donor interests?

Lynn: If you could not tell, our family has an interest in children and in this case, children with special needs. After discussing with both Sister Senkenesh and the board members of M.O.R.E, I am happy to admit that we are able to assist in funding specific elements of the special needs program. In 2020, when the world was hit with the pandemic, I was also able to assist in funding part of the COVID relief fund. This made me feel like I was able to help Medhen even being thousands of miles away.

Do you have any guidance to anyone else who is considering becoming a part of the M.O.R.E. donor family?

Lynn: My best guidance to anyone considering becoming a part of the M.O.R.E donor family is to dive in headfirst. This organization isa grassroots non-profit and every penny makes a huge difference in the lives of many children. The board members’ dedication and love says it all. If you ask any one of them their thoughts, they will go into much detail about the inspiring work that is done within the Medhen Social Center and the incredible impact it makes. My piece of advice is to chat with a board member, attend one of the events to visibly see the passion, and again, dive in headfirst!

Good Day New York Fox 5 - Everyday Hero

Sat, 03 Apr 2021 00:56:36 GMT

Board member, Nancy Holland, is featured on New York Fox 5 as the Everyday Hero for April 2, 2021.

Her work with CardsForMORE , and other contributions to the children of Medhen, are featured.

Rakbe's Story

Sun, 14 Feb 2021 21:28:29 GMT

The emotional account of the loss of Rakbe's parents amid the aftermath of the disastrous dump collapse at Koshe, and how MSC helped Rakbe to pick up the pieces of her life and move on.

Mebratu's Story

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 21:35:39 GMT

The inspiring story of Mebratu's journey to Addis with his mother and grandmother, and the transformative services that they received from the Medhen Social Center upon their arrival.

Mare's Story

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 21:39:43 GMT

The gripping story of Mare and her brother, which details how the Medhen Social Center made their education possible.

Sister Senkenesh

Sat, 14 Nov 2020 21:42:33 GMT

An overview of the Medhen Social Center in Addis Ababa provided by its inspiring founder, Sister Senkenesh Gabremariam.

COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund

Tue, 05 May 2020 01:14:08 GMT

Dear M.O.R.E. Family,

We come to you with the hope that you and your family are staying safe and healthy during these challenging times. This international crisis has left many of us feeling anxious, fearful, and uncertain about the future, yet we still wish to connect with and help others who are much less fortunate than we are.

COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc in every part of the world, however the people in Ethiopia are facing significant challenges because of the hardships of the virus mixed with extreme poverty. Without access to food, clean water, and other necessary supplies including medicine, the Medhen Orphan Relief Effort (M.O.R.E.) community of orphaned and vulnerable children, their caregivers, and the support staff at our Medhen Social Center (MSC) in Addis Ababa are suffering . Sheltering-at-home is a hardship considering the size, conditions and number of people living in the small homes and very densely populated neighborhoods.

Further, the impact of COVID-19 has almost doubled the demand for services that M.O.R.E. provides because many previously successful and independent program graduates, who are now simply struggling to survive due to loss of employment and other unimaginable hardships, are returning for assistance – all without any government support or special funding. They are out of jobs, they cannot find food, and they feel trapped in a world of distress. Remembering a source of comfort and past support, they are asking MSC for help.

While we cannot entirely fix this unfortunate situation, with your help, we can give the people of MSC a glimmer of hope during an unpredictable time. This is truly an emergency with life or death consequences. We kindly ask you, our M.O.R.E supporters, to extend your generosity to help us create an emergency fund for the vulnerable people being helped through MSC. We have pledged initial support of $27,000; anything raised in excess of this amount will be used to create an ongoing emergency fund to be distributed based on future needs.

While we all may be feeling a little stir-crazy in our homes, it is important for us to find balance and celebrate the “tiny wins” in our everyday life. With your donation we can create a “big win” as we support this fragile community together during this turbulent time.

Please donate today!

NYC Fundraising Event

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 01:42:26 GMT

In celebration of the Ethiopian New Year, and to support the orphaned and vulnerable children that M.O.R.E. has sustained for more than a decade, a very special event was held in New York City on September 11.

Over 60 guests attended an evening reception at the famed West Harlem restaurant, Settepane located at 196 Lennox Ave. Settepane’s owner and M.O.R.E. Board of Directors member, Leah Abraham was the host for the evening, along with fellow M.O.R.E. Board members Jennifer Baxter and Yodit Amaha.

This date was selected for the fundraising event to show our gratitude for the many years of successful service by all of our donors and friends… and to welcome the New Year with hope, love and peace for everyone involved in the truly wonderful community of hundreds of kindhearted people who have been so generous in providing life-saving and essential care for over 2,000 orphaned and vulnerable children of the MSC program in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The event’s highlight was the screening of a wonderful New Year’s festivity video message from a group of the children who are supported by M.O.R.E, along with a greeting of appreciation and warm wishes from Sister Mariam Senkenesh, the Founder and Director of the Medhen Social Center (MSC).

New Years (or Enkutatash) marks the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the Spring sunshine with daisies blossoming everywhere. The lyrics of the song welcome the New Year with hope, a wish for a better year to come, and gratitude for the past year. The yellow color of the daisies represents peace, hope and love.

I want to give special thanks to Leah, Jen, and Yodit for their amazing work putting together the delightful event, along with Nino (Leah’s husband and Settepane co-owner). Also my deep appreciation to Executive Committee Members of the M.O.R.E. Board: Nancy Holland, Bob Holland and Dr. Sam Parsia, for their essential support of the event and their deeply heartfelt remarks provided to the crowd. Not able to attend, but providing great support from afar were our other M.O.R.E. Board Members, Dr. Leelie Selassie, Dr. Ashley Meredith, and Dr. Asqual Getaneh.

Also special appreciation goes out the Bekele Mekonnen, the artist and filmmaker, and his students Daniel and Yosef, for shooting and producing the video and to Jack Baxter for all of his technical assistance.

Lastly, I want to thank all of those generous souls who provided contributions - your gifts will help “MORE’s” children welcome the New Year with hope for future opportunities.

My First Trip to Medhen

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Board member Leelie Selassie recently visited Medhen for the first time.

Sister Senkenesh greeted me warmly and invited me into her office to go over the structure of the organization as well as M.O.RE.’s contributions to Medhen. She was, as the videos of her show, upright, smiling, engaging. What the Facetime image of her having tea with my parents did not show me was that she was far more. Over the course of an hour she showed herself to be a smart, forward thinking woman who had created a wonderful organization. Medhen’s strength clearly was that it preserves some of the best things of Ethiopian culture, including maintaining an orphaned/vulnerable child within the community, while at the same time bringing in some of the more liberal practices of Western social services to support these children.

A few days later Sister gave me the chance to do home visits with some of the families supported by M.O.R.E.. In one home a grandmother warmly greeted us. She supported her two orphaned grandsons with the help of donations from M.O.R.E.. These kids came home in uniforms that our donations provided, Sister informed me. While the 10 and 8 year old boys were shy, they appeared to be thriving under challenging circumstances.

On my third and final visit Sister allowed me to see the memory work that M.OR.E. donations supported. Here they have a 17 week class that meets on Saturdays for 3 hours with roughly 25 children. The kids were completing a project as I arrived with my father. When we arrived they each in turn stood up tall, looked us in the eye and introduced themselves.

“Tell them what you’ve learned in this class” their teacher asked them. The kids each took turns relating how they had for the first time learned information, by freely asking their remaining family, about themselves and their deceased parents.

“I learned my birthday” said one.

“I learned how my parents met” said another.

“I learned how my parents met” said a third.

“I learned my baptismal name” beamed another.

In Ethiopian society once a family member passes the children are encouraged to not dwell on the death or the deceased. Children I saw were now filling in important missing pieces of their own life’s story. I’m not sure when but tears started to quietly flow down my cheeks. My whole life I've been blessed to be able to ask my parents anything I wanted to know about and get honest answers. Yes we are Ethiopian but they had both been educated abroad and we lived in the U.S. from the time I was four. As a result I never hungered for those pieces of information. Yet, as I sat in that room, I realized that I had been doing my own memory work. Earlier that week my father and I went and visited a home we lived in when I was a child. It brought back memories that I couldn't distinguish from dreams until I saw the place. It was deeply fulfilling and all I had to do was ask my Dad. Now as we sat in this class, here were these group of kids without parents, sharing with us how they had gained something intangibly powerful. By asking where they had come from, the road to where they were now able to go seemed much clearer. As we headed back into the open field of the grounds that the school sits on the sunshine warmed me and I put my arm around my Dad thanking him for giving me my memories whenever I asked. I thanked Sister as well for creating such a wonderful organization that I feel blessed to support.

Lifetime Achievement Award

ashleyhmeredith@gmail.com (Ashley Meredith) — Thu, 01 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Sister Senkenesh Honored by Ministry of Health

In October 2018, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health recognized the brilliant work of Sister Senkenesh through a Lifetime Achievement Award. Translated here is the recognition of her efforts:

Sister Senkenesh Gebremariam has been known for her comprehensive service over several years by Alert Hospital. Prior to that, 1973 to 1977, she had been providing service at Bicidomo for people affected by leprosy. From 1983 to 2000, at the Alert Hospital, Sr. Senkenesh had been successful in contributing to the reduction of health related stigma and discrimination with the help of social counseling. She is also know for her community-oriented training in collaboration with hospitals, different parts of the country, and universities. Sister Senkenesh has been working with the Ethiopian Catholic Church for the establishment of the Medhen Social Service Center in the establishment and training of patients to join social life and the community in the past 30 years. In addition, she has helped to make sure more than 500 families of leprosy are provided with the opportunity for education.
She is also the Chairwoman of the Alert Research Advisory Committee, and has been serving as a member for more than a decade, where she has been involved in research and development of problem-solving research, and research activities in the management and implementation of various levels of social work. For this, the Damien-Dutton Award, once won by Mother Teresa at the international level, was awarded to the devoted and humble Sr. Senkenesh from the UK in 2010.

The Key to Saving

Sun, 12 Aug 2018 02:10:29 GMT

Messy shares her story of how she developed a regular saving habit

The Livelihood Enhancement Department has been giving Basic Businesses skills training to clients for a number of years. Since 2016, the department has been giving training on saving to clients. On one of the trainings, a single mother called Messy shared her saving experience.

Inspired by the Commercial Bank advertisement on ways of small saving, she got a small box with a hole on top prepared only for saving purpose. She locked the box and threw the key into the dry pit latrine or somewhere she can’t find it. Then, when the box is full, she breaks the pad lock and takes the money out.

Her friends asked her: “Why not give the key to her friends? She answered: “If I am in need of money, I will easily access it”.

The new way of saving that Messy shared attracted a larger number of trainees. They discussed it and suggested some improvements. Finally, eight trainees out of 18 agreed to use the box. They agreed on the following:

It is better to save small cents every day when they get any kind of income.

It is better to put the key in the care of MSC and come with the box on the day of their monthly saving. They can then open their box and deposit all the money in their saving and credit association.

However, a month later, it was observed that only two women kept their intent. These two women were able to save up to 100 Birr. Previously they were complaining that they couldn’t save even 10 Birr per month. Thus, it proved that informing clients creates awareness about new ways of thinking and encourages them to save as they want.

Q & A with Sr. Senkenesh Gebre-Mariam, Seeing Beyond Patients' Labels

Wed, 07 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT

The Medhen Social Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, serves 4,000 people every month. The small outpatient clinic for orphans and people living with HIV/AIDS, leprosy, or intellectual disabilities is usually bursting to the seams as the staff of 50 tries to help people find jobs, get an education, or receive counseling and psychosocial help.

But on Wednesdays this spring, the center was empty, except for the staff. Sr. Senkenesh Gebre-Mariam, a 76-year-old Bethania sister who is the founder and director of the Medhen Social Center, decided to suspend services one day each week during the spring to train her staff to take a completely different approach to treating patients. The goal? See them as people, not labels.

Global Sisters Report visited on a recent training day to hear more about why the center decided to take a new approach to treating patients.

GSR: Tell me a little bit about this center.

Gebre-Mariam: 'Medhen' means 'savior' in Amharic. We don't give any medical assistance here. We do the nonmedical parts for people with HIV/AIDS or leprosy, orphans, vulnerable children, or people with intellectual and physical disabilities. We do social work, development work, psychosocial assistance, income enhancement, and education.

We partner with ALERT Hospital , which is a well-known leprosy hospital nearby. They refer their patients to us. The hospital said, 'We should be doing this work, but we're not equipped.' So they have approved us to do it free of charge, and they help with things like a car and a phone.

This area is called Zenebork, which means 'God rained.' It used to be a separate village a few kilometers from Addis Ababa, but now the city is bursting, and [the neighborhood] has integrated into the city. This neighborhood has a reputation as the poorest part of Addis Ababa, with a lot of tuberculosis, leprosy, HIV/AIDS, and orphans.

When I started here in 1982, there were no NGOs [nongovernmental organizations]. People were afraid to come here. They said people here were too aggressive. Now they come because it has a reputation, so they can get sympathy and donations. When we did a community-mapping exercise, we found 30 NGOs in this neighborhood. Sometimes it happens that NGOs actually pinch people from one charity to another. Really, they should go on to the next village, where they don't have any NGOs.

Why are you retraining your staff?

We've had training every Wednesday for seven weeks. We wanted to balance need-based and asset-based care. Need-based care is what they need. Asset-based care is when you look at people not just as needy and poor. They have tremendous strength and gifts. They are going through challenges, and that by itself is a tremendous display of strength and courage. God has given everyone the strength to live their own life.

We're using St. Francis Xavier University's ABCD : Asset-Based Community Development. We just finished a mapping exercise in our neighborhood. We thought we knew [our neighborhood], but there were many surprises. There are colleges and schools, and it was teeming with businesses. We're looking at what's there for education or business opportunities or development. There are welfare programs for orphans, and we also found many self-help groups. You discover, when you look, that they're doing tremendous work themselves. It is important to map it and know it so you can partner with them. There are also many individuals who are very knowledgeable. When you ask people, 'What do you think you can do?' They often have answers.

Doing a training for all staff one day each week is much more effective so you can change the whole organization; however, it's a lot for a busy center. But when we were working, we were doing it so frantically, without thinking, 'Are we treating people as problems rather than helping them solve the problems?'

How has this training changed your language?

Even without knowing it, we can be labeling people, so the way we speak has changed. We say 'people with leprosy,' and that's one story about that person. Or 'orphans' — that's one aspect of their life. When we call them 'orphans,' we keep perpetuating this idea that they're helpless. Vulnerable children or people with HIV, we have to be aware of these things in order to report to our donors, but administrative labels are for administrators only. We should see people as people, and we shouldn't make these labels an everyday thing. They are damaging.

How are you putting this into action?

We go to people, and we also recognize that people can do it themselves, and we learn from them. For example, we were trying to start a production of tapers [candles for the church]. We were trying to figure out how to do it. One day, a very disabled man came to us for help finding a job. He was very disabled and was walking on his hands. Rather than treat him as a charity case, we asked him what he did before. He said, 'I was in a monastery, and I made tapers.' So we trained him in how to make a business plan, and then five or six people we serve also joined him. Now he has a business, and he also teaches classes for us.

Also, when we did the mapping, we found that there are 30 NGOs, but sometimes there are gaps. Many NGOs serve orphans, but what about children who have a mother but no father? We created a desk for children who need help but are not orphans. The fact that their father left is one aspect of their life. But they still have a mother who cares about the child. So we have to see the child in the light of how the mother is working hard to do the best for her child, not how the child was abandoned by the father.

How did you end up creating this center?

In the 1970s, there was a priest from MISEREOR [the German Catholic bishops' organization for development cooperation] who was evaluating if the church personnel are using their members effectively. He was checking to see if local priests were empowering the sisters or treating them as little sisters to be helped. He wanted to know: Are they given a say in the church? Are they given scope to develop?

The first project that this priest visited was my project in Gondar [in north Central Ethiopia]. He came to the conclusion that the sisters were being treated like children. He went to the bishop and said, 'Make Sister Senkenesh the coordinator of social works.' That was a shocking proposal! The bishop said, 'We have a priest to do that job.'

The next week, the priest from MISEREOR went to Harar [in eastern Ethiopia], and he saw a state-of-the-art hospital run by Germans for leprosy patients, but there was no evidence of them taking care of people with dignity. He said to them, 'Are you interested in the psychosocial aspect?' And they said, 'Yes, definitely, but it should be a local person for language and culture.'

So the priest then asked my superior if she was interested in releasing me for leprosy work. The superior called me and told me about the idea, and she asked if I was afraid to work with lepers. I said, 'I'm not afraid, I'm a nurse.' I went there and in 1972-73, I did a thesis on leprosy work. When I left that center in 1982, I came to work here. We started with just me and a local boy to run messages. Now we're 50 people. This is God's miracle.

The center is run on donors from the U.S., Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Norway, including a U.S.-based charity called " MORE: Medhen Orphans Relief Efforts ."

How does your spirituality assist your work?

I was a Daughter of Charity sister, but I left and formed my own congregation called the Bethania Community along with two other sisters. One works here and one works as a teacher with the Don Bosco Fathers. We had another sister in formation, but it didn't work out. God will provide more if he wants our congregation to continue.

I really liked the story of Bethany, of Martha receiving Jesus with his disciples in her house, listening to Jesus and serving them. I liked the balance of being in close contact with Jesus, to receive him in my own house and then to share him with the world. We want to make this house an oasis of confession and a sign of his loving kindness.

That's also why we're doing the ABCD asset-based training. By focusing on someone's poorness or weakness, it is demeaning to them without even knowing it. It needs to be a systematic change. Now we're examining our mental biases. It makes me think of the approach of Jesus. Yes, people are hungry, but what do you have? He starts with what they have.

[Melanie Lidman is Middle East and Africa correspondent for Global Sisters Report based in Israel.]