Sponsor a child affected by AIDS

Abraham Yefru

DOB: 11-24-2003

Child #06065

Abraham is a healthy- 4 year-old whose favorite colors are red, yellow, and green (the colors of the Ethiopian flag) and who loves to learn. His father, Yefru, no longer lives with him because his parents are divorced. His mother, Enana Tsegaw, struggles to support him and his 2-year-old sister by doing laundry and embroidery work. The monthly rent for their house, the equivalent of $11, is a major strain on the family. However, the family faces additional stress because both Enana and Abraham’s little sister are infected with HIV. Though medications for HIV are available nearby, getting transportation to the clinic, paying for lab tests, and finding energy every day to keep working constitute serious challenges to Enana. She worries about what will happen to her children if she should die. All of them attend services at Addis Kidan Baptist Church, which has been a major source of emotional and spiritual support for them.

Sufe Berhanu

Age 7

Birthday Dec. 10, 2000

Child #06015

Sufe is in kindergarten and likes to spell the Amharic alphabet. She also enjoys jumping rope and playing soccer. Sufe lives with her mother in a one room mud house. Her mother, Tsehay, is HIV positive. Her mother doesn’t have a job most of the time, but when she is taking her anti-viral medicines and feeling well, she works day labor. They eat inconsistently. When the mother isn’t working they get grain from the “Good Samaritan” project at Addis Kidan Baptist Church. However, the project only provides grain when there is enough in supply. When Tsehay does work she tries to pay for schooling, food, and rent. The rent for their house is seventy birr ($8) per month. Tsehay worries that Sufe may not be able to attend school if she cannot pay the fees. She also fears that they may get kicked out of their home if they can’t pay the rent. Tsehay has a personal relationship with Jesus and tries to trust God to help her child.

Bantayehu Gashau

Age 6

Child #06091

When entering Bantayehu’s home, one might notice that it is slightly bigger than most. However, there are 5 people living in their home and there is only one king-sized bed that they all share. They have one bench and 2 cabinets. They have one light and a small 2X1 table. The home is made of mud and cow dung. They live in a rented home, but an organization pays the rent. Bantayehu is 6 years old and attends kindergarten. He lives with his paralyzed mother Yerom and him two sisters and his other relative. Bantayehu lost his father to AIDS. Bantayehu is HIV positive.

Berhanu Solomon

Age 5

Child #06020

Despite his pink sweater, Berhanu is very much a little boy. He is proud to be learning the Amharic alphabet in kindergarten. His mother, Radiya, is HIV positive and suffers from slight mental retardation. She is not on anti-viral medicines yet. Berhanu’s father is dead. Because of Radiya’s illness it is hard for her to bring in an income to support herself and Berhanu. When she does feel well enough to work she either begs or works day labor building houses. With the money that she manages to make, she pays fifty birr ($6) for their 12’x13’ one room home that they share with another family of two where they sleep on the floor. She does receive grain every month from Addis Kidan Baptist Church. Berhanu’s mother is Orthodox but seemed open to hearing the Gospel.

Meseret Gulema

Age 3

Birth date: March 7, 2004

Child # 06068

A sweet and artistic little girl named Meseret lives with her two older sisters, 13 and 11, and her parents. Both her mother Zemzem and her father Gulema are infected with HIV, though Meseret is negative. She loves to draw and play hide and seek. Her favorite color is yellow. Her father is the only person in the family who works. He makes $25-30 a month as a day laborer. They live in a one-room house with a closet. Because relatives own the house, they do not have to pay rent. However, they do have to pay for health care. The family is Muslim, though the mother attends the Friday support group for people living with HIV at the Mekanisa Addis Kidan Baptist Church. She brings Meseret with her, who then also hears the gospel. Meseret’s father does not like them to go to church. Her mother’s dreams are to have good health, to have her children get a good education, and to live a long life.

Ermias Getachaw

Age 5

Birth date: May 13, 2002

Child number 06069

A shy 5 year old boy, Ermias lives in a 50 square foot single room house with his mother Genet Misganaw. A kindergartener, he loves playing soccer and hide and seek. He enjoys drawing, especially in his favorite colors, green and red. Ermias and his mother are supported by his mother’s embroidery work, which provides them enough money to cover the rent (50 birr, $7 USD). To buy food and extra things, Genet will wash clothing once or twice a week, but money is still tight and food scarce. Genet’s husband left the family several years ago, leaving Genet all alone to take care of Ermias. Genet suffers from HIV; however, her immune system is still strong enough that she does not have to take the anti retroviral medication. She has not had the money to have Ermias tested for HIV. While she has not been able to provide her son with everything he needs because of their financial situation, she still greatly desires that her son will grow up to be well educated. Child sponsorship will help her make some of her dreams for her son’s future a reality.

Yabsera Kasahun

Age 2

Birthday: September 3, 2005

Child #06017

Etenesh, Yabsera’s mother, is HIV positive and isn’t on any anti-viral medicines yet. She hopes to get some soon. Yabsera’s father, Kasahun, is HIV positive as well, but takes anti-viral medicine. Etenesh doesn’t have a job, but her husband sews. When he feels well, which isn’t very often, he brings in about three hundred birr ($33) per month. The three of them live in a concrete home that they rent for one hundred twenty birr ($13). Paying rent is their family’s greatest need. Etenesh’s dream for Yabsera is that she will be able to attend school when she gets older and that she will be there to see her grow up. Yabsera’s father is Coptic Orthodox. He will not allow for Yabsera or her mother to attend church anywhere; however, her mother sneaks out frequently attending a nearby evangelical church. When Yabsera was young she had fallen and hurt her back very bad. Many people had come to encourage her to pray about it. She then slipped out of her home to take Yabsera to the evangelical church and the pastors prayed over the child and rubbed oil on her back and Yabsera was healed! If Yabsera gets sponsored then her father must allow her to attend Sunday school.

Wasihun Girma

Age 2

Child #06086

Wasihun is two years old. His mother is HIV positive. His father is rarely around and doesn’t have a job. Wasihun’s mother is taking embroidery classes to enable her to create an income. Depending on the cloth embroidered, the prices range from five to six birr ($.60) per each article of clothing—which usually take two days of work. Monthly income is around 160 birr ($18). Not many other job opportunities are available. When Wasihun’s father is around there is usually no peace. While Wasihun’s mother is at class, he is being taken care of by a neighbor. Wasihun’s half-sibling, mother, and sometimes father all live in a rented room 10’x12’ made of mud and sleep in a single bed.

Eyob A’mare

Age :7

Birth date: Aug. 10, 1999

Child number 06067

The open-minded seven year old young man, Eyob, lives with his brother, who is 12, his sister, who is 10, and his mother, Esther Kepede. One of his dreams is to become a doctor. His mother has tested positive for HIV, while the boys are negative and their sister has not been tested yet. His mother embroiders clothing and makes $10-$15 USD per month and sometimes washes people’s clothing for about $4.00 a month. They pay $5.00 a month rent for lodging that has a leaky roof and a muddy floor. If the owners were to fix it, they would raise her rent. If the children were to get sick, Eyob's mother would have to pay for medical costs. They receive new clothing 1-2 times per year and free food from the church once every three months. Eyob's mother is afraid that someone will find out that she is going to church and they will shun her, raise her rent or evict her. Her biggest dream is to have a nicer life for her children than the one she had, and for their dreams to come true.

Sentayehu Maru

Child # 06071

Sentayehu is an energetic one year-old girl who lives with her mother, Adam Ejigu. Her father abandoned them, leaving them with nothing. Both of Sentayehu’s parents are HIV positive. Her mother contracted it from her father. She did not know her husband was HIV Positive. Little Sentayehu has not yet been tested. Sentayehu and her mother share their home with a friend and her child. Adam takes Sentayehu with her from house to house where she washes clothes for a living. She earns about $6 a month. Her rent is $9 a month. Her friend helps out with the rent. But if that is not enough, Sentayehu’s mother will beg to try to make up the remainder of the rent money. She can usually gets between 25 to 50 cents for begging. Adam doesn’t breastfeed so she will not transmit the HIV virus to Sentayehu. Because of this, she can barely feed her. Adam is Orthodox, but attends Friday service at the Baptist church. Her only hope is that her child will remain HIV negative and that when she is old enough, Sentayehu will be able to take care of her mother.