Ethiopia Lapbook

I came across this link on our AWAA Yahoo board. Thought I would share it with all of you!  Ethiopia Lapbook

At the bottom of the lapbook the author writes: The author of the Globetrotter Lapbook Series is a homeschool mom of four who has been living in Europe and Asia since 2002. Other country lapbooks are available from the Simply Lapbooks Yahoo Group which holds all the files I create and show on my
homeschool blog: http://hebrews110.wordpress.com/.

I believe I'm going to go and join her group! I've done a lapbook with our Little House on the Prairie Class and although it was a LOT of work with twenty-something students it was fun. Enjoy!

Livesay Haiti Blog

My friend Rachel has followed this blog and was kind enough to post the link on her facebook page. They're a large family serving in Haiti.


http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/

One Day Without Shoes

Experiencing Culture

At our last Perspectives class we (I) were challenged with going outside of ourselves and experiencing the culture of others. Now this mainly had to do with going on the mission field. For example when a missionary goes to another country do they live among the people, get to know them, their ways, their language? Or, do they live on the hill with the other missionaries learning the language but really not practicing it because they're talking English or whatever their mother tongue may be and not intermingling too much with the native people. So this got me thinking, which is a dangerous thing in and of itself. :-)

So I took three steps, although small steps, they're steps. I invited an Ethiopian family over for dinner tonight. This man and his wife and their baby son will come join us for a potato soup and cornbread meal. I have only met this man on the phone. He talked to Addis & Abi Mulu in Amharic when they first came from Ethiopia last year. I asked him to ask them if they were happy, did they need anything, and did I need to know anything they couldn't tell me because of the language barrier. He was so kind and found out that they were happy as little clams and didn't need anything. We have kept in touch every season it seems and this time I decided to call him and invite them over for dinner. Step one.

Then I called another lady to help me learn to make injera which is the bread of Ethiopia and their most basic of foods. She works and so had her friend call me who happens to be new to America and offered to help me when she was here for the girl's birthday party in February. We talked and I am to go to her home on Thursday bringing teff and sorghum. I was also told to bring Derartu and Mihret as her sister is there and they would like to do their hair. (Wonderful!!) Addis is actually the one who wants her hair braided and this mama doesn't know how to french braid/cornrow. She also told me I can help her learn "perfect English." So it's a deal, we will help each other in the ways that we need from the other and where we ourselves are lacking. Step two.

Then I wrote an email to Alex from the Addis B&B in Addis and apologized for being such an American ninny when I stayed at his guest house in August 2006. I wish I could do that whole visit over again and have enjoyed my time there instead of being sleep deprived and traumitized by the adoption and culture shock that taking on two babies in another country did to me. Step three.

We went to the Ethiopian church service on Sunday, but unfortunately had to leave to attend our small groups Truth Project viewing. Did you know one song in the ET service can last at least fifteen minutes? We Americans know very little about worship. I love going to their services, I just wish I knew what they saying so I could worship with them. I do sway and clap, but because of the language barrier I have no idea what they're celebrating other than I know they're celebrating Christ. and that is enough. for now. Step four.

Adopting a Child With HIV

This article is on the Rainbow Kids website

Adopting a Child with HIV
Surprising Insights
January 01,2009 / Bethany

Adopting a baby or child with HIV is becoming increasingly popular as potential adoptive parents are gaining more knowledge about the virus, and finding that it is one of the most easily managed of all special needs. Children with HIV are exactly the same as all other children with the addition of daily medication to keep their immune systems operating normally, and quarterly doctors' visits to check their blood which ensures the medications are working properly. In every other way, these kids are normal, healthy, intelligent kids, and they lead regular lifestyles including camps, sleepovers and athletics.

You may be surprised to find out that children with HIV have close to normal life expectancy due to the excellent treatments that are currently available in the developed world. All of the tragic stories that we hear about children dying of AIDS are due to lack of medication in underdeveloped countries, although antiretroviral treatments are thankfully now becoming more widely available to impoverished nations. Treatment is so good now that people who are diligent about their meds are now living to old age without their HIV progressing to AIDS, and they are giving birth to healthy children.

The first question many potential adoptive parents have is often regarding transmission as they are nervous that a child with pediatric HIV might be contagious' to others. The reason these unfounded fears exist, is due to misinformation spread in the 1980s before medical professionals knew the facts about HIV transmission. Fortunately, now we know that HIV is not transmitted in a household or educational setting. The truth is that HIV is a part of our society and we all associate with people who have HIV, even though we may not know it. For example, HIV positive children are in schools and daycares with HIV negative children, and adults with HIV are preparing and serving food in supermarkets and restaurants. If this idea frightens you, it shouldn't, because HIV is not transmitted in any casual way. You cannot get HIV from sharing food and drinks, sharing a bathtub or pool, changing a diaper, hugging and kissing, or sharing a bed or toilet. You can get HIV through unprotected sex and intravenously by sharing needles. The only other way HIV is transmitted is from mother to child, which is how millions of orphans have innocently contracted the virus.

Children with HIV can be adopted from the United States, Ethiopia, Russia, Ukraine, Thailand, Haiti, India, Latvia, China, Ghana, Estonia and other countries. Beautiful, sweet, healthy HIV+ children of all ages are waiting for loving families. Adoption fees are often reduced making this an affordable option. Your existing health insurance covers adopted children regardless of pre-existing conditions, exactly the same as biological children. HIV is no longer considered a terminal illness, but rather a chronic yet manageable condition and health care professionals now consider it easier to maintain than other long term conditions, such as diabetes. The only reason these facts are not widely known is due to the stigma that unfortunately still surrounds HIV. Almost any parent raising a child with HIV will tell you that disclosure is the biggest issue they have not health, not transmission, but disclosing their child's HIV status. Fortunately, there are strict laws protecting people with HIV and disclosure is entirely optional. You are not required to tell the school, church, coaches, neighbors or anyone else.

There are many orphaned children listed with adoption agencies. Others may be found by logging into your account on the RainbowKids.com Waiting Child area. An excellent source of information and waiting children links can be found at PositivelyOrphaned.com www.PositivelyOrphaned.com

Sam and Esther

I was visiting the blog for Grace Giving International http://www.gracegivinginternational.org/369324.ihtml#h_7454 and came across this YouTube video. Wow. If you would like to know more about sponsoring children like Sam and Esther, please contact Patrick at patrick@gracegivinginternational.org

Advent Conspiracy

This is on my friend Sarah's blog and it also sums up how we feel.

I Need Africa More Than Africa Needs Me

I saw this on my friend Jenn's blog and it sums up what we have been feeling this Christmas season.

And ya wonder why we homeschool here in California?

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=78829

Ethiopian Gathering

Saturday we had friends over. One set of friends were adoptive families that have adopted or are adopting from Ethiopia, and the other set of friends were members of Maranatha Evangelical Ethiopian Church. It was wonderful to bring the two communities together and visit for the afternoon. I made spaghetti and the Ethiopian people brought injera and all the fixings to go with it. It was fantastic, splendid, wonderful, awesome, all those words that can describe when things just can't get any better. The Ethiopian men & women loved up on the kids that have been brought here from their homeland by loving families, and the kids in turn felt loved by their people. How great is that?! Addis & Abi Mulu loved showing their home and their bedroom to their friends and loved the idea that they came to THEIR house. It was a great afternoon and I even got some injera instructions out of it. If I go Friday to the church "Momma" is going to give me an injera starter. So far both attempts at making injera have failed. Oh well. That's what stores are for, right?

John & Bethlehem (Betty) She often challenges him to greater things of the Lord.









Joe, Joel, Betty, John & Momma









Minnie & Addis









Abi Mulu























The food line Helping herself to Injera
Pastor Mel
Abi Mulu, Anna Mihret, Addis
Anna Mihret

You Tube-Ethiopia

Faces of Ethiopia

Getting injera ready

I started my sourdough starter yesterday.

Ordered the grill http://www.bethanyhousewares.com/products11.5-735.html and lid http://www.bethanyhousewares.com/products11.5-735.html

Ordered teff http://www.teffco.com/products.html (it was quite the dilemma to decide on the grain or the flour: I decided on the ivory grain.)

Ordered a cookbook: Exotic Ethiopian Cooking : Sociey... Paperback by Daniel J. Mesfin


Between their hair and the food, I'm learning quite a bit here. :)

Pondering Injera

So Mulu wants Injera and it seems to cost about $80+ when we go out for it and bring some home. Time for mama to figure out how to make this mystery bread.

I found great instructions at http://burakaeyae.blogspot.com/2007/02/step-by-step-injera-instructions-real.html

Copying and pasting them to Word and off to hunt for teff and berbere seasoning (for the meats that go on the injera)

There are also videos on how-to make injera for any other ferenjis. :)

Hunger in Ethiopia now spreading to adults

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080609/ap_on_re_af/ethiopia_hunger

"But in Ethiopia, food production is hampered by drought, meaning the country has been hit with a double blow. Drought is especially disastrous in Ethiopia because more than 80 percent of people live off the land. Agriculture drives the economy, accounting for half of all domestic production and 85 percent of exports."

Red Sea Ethiopian Restaurant

Yesterday I took Addis, Mulu, Sarah, Joe, Anna & Adah to the Red Sea Restaurant here in San Diego. Our friend Shad joined us! The girls had no idea that they could have injera here in America. They thought we had to fly back to Ethiopia for it. Don't know if I'm ready for that flight just yet, but driving fifteen or so miles seemed much closer.

The waitress was very nice and was able to talk to the girls in Amharic. She asked them what they wanted off the menu for me. She was also able to ask them how old they were. Six and Eight were the answers on age.

We ended up ordering Tibs, and a stewed beef, and the vegetable combo which featured split peas, collard greens, salad and another thing or two that was unrecognizable. It was quite tasty and the girls loved it.

An older lady came out from the kitchen to give the girls a welcome, a hug and a kiss. We told them we would be back. We have to! It's the closest thing they have here in America of their homeland.

KPBS-Road to Beautiful

Go to your local KPBS station and see what time it comes on in your area. It's airing this week. I have waited about four months for this! I did to set my TV to record it.

This is the description from the KPBS Nova website.

This program, a story of hope and survival in contemporary Ethiopia, presents the stories of five Ethiopian women who have been devastated by obstetric fistula, a common aftermath of neglected childbirth. An obstetric fistula is a hole that forms between the vagina and the bladder (and in some cases the rectum) during prolonged, obstructed labor. Affecting over two million women worldwide, this horrific injury leaves victims incontinent, often suffering nerve damage and in some cases unable to bear children again. Rejected by their husbands and ostracized by their communities, these women are often left to spend the rest of their lives alone, isolated and ashamed --unless they can get help. NOVA follows these women on their journey to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital, where they find health and solace for the first time in years. The dignity of their struggle connects viewers to the plight of countless women in the developing world who face daily challenges from malnutrition, child marriage and lack of obstetric care.

Endurance

After a long day at the beach we were worn out. A video had arrived that I had ordered from Amazon.com. It was rated G so we all went up to mom & dad's room and watched. I loved it!

It was filmed in Ethiopia about an Ethiopian. Haile Gebrselassie won a Gold Medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games. This is his true-life story of how hard he worked and what he overcame to become the fastest Olympic long distance runner in the world. He would run six miles to school and six miles back, go three aways each way to fetch water, and work in the fields for his father.

Some of the characters are played by his real-life family. It gave us a glimpse into what Ethiopia looks like. At one point he moves to Addis Ababa and it showed some city scenes. Steve & I are going to Addis Ababa so we were more than a little interested to catch a peek. We gained insight into the family dynamics, how they live, and how hard they work just to survive. You'll hear them speak in their language as well as their music.

I recommend Endurance. It's from the Walt Disney Co. and the ISBN is 0-7888-1456-7. The running time is 83 minutes.

To learn more about Haile Gebrselassie go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haile_Gebrselassie

Africam

http://www.wavelit.com/popup/playerAfricam.asp

This is a really neat live webcam from a watering hole in Africa. If you visit at different times of the day you can see all sorts of Africa wildlife visiting the watering hole and you can hear all of the noises they make. It is very fascinating!


(thanks Sharra, Homeschoolblogger.com/Indiana)

Mesgana Dancers

This is the description on the Ethiopia Reads website:

About The Mesgana Dancers of Ethiopia

The Mesgana Dancers of Ethiopia are 10 girls, age 7-12, who perform traditional dances and song from across Ethiopia, while wearing traditional costume. The Mesgana Dancers show is a heart-warming celebration of Ethiopian culture with music and moves to get the whole family dancing and clapping. Last year's tour was a huge hit, making The Mesgana Dancers celebrities both in the United States and Ethiopia. They performed to sold-out crowds across the country, entertaining audiences that included thousands of Ethiopian-Americans.
The Mesgana Dancers are ambassadors of hope for all children in Ethiopia. As the world’s attention turns ever more towards finding solutions to the problems in Africa, The Mesgana Dancers bring a message of hope and celebration, as well as a positive and life-affirming glimpse of Ethiopian culture. All of the Mesgana Dancers are sponsored through COEEF’s school tuition program in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia


For more info go here: http://www.mesgana.com/