A LETTER FROM OUR PRESIDENT
by Fasika Alem, President

Dear Supporters,

2008 has been both an exciting and challenging year for the Awassa Children’s Project and the projects it supports in Ethiopia; the Awassa Children's Center (ACC) and the Awassa Youth Campus (AYC). This newsletter gives you a glimpse into all the happenings. We have welcomed eight more children under the age of six into ACC, raising the number of children cared for at the Center to 75. Despite having been orphaned by HIV/AIDS and coming to the Center weak and malnourished, in the coming months these children will not only get adequate nourishment to strengthen their bodies, but also education, counseling and companionship that will strengthen their psyche. The children are excelling in many ways. For example, about half of the children rank among the top five in their respective grades and maintained this ranking for the entire year!

The Youth Campus is buzzing with excitement. During the summer, One Love HIV/AIDS Awareness Theater collaborated with Zany Umbrella Circus and Fikat Circus for the “One Zany Blossoming Love” Tour, which ended with a performance at the historic Hager Fiker Theater in Addis Ababa. This November, members of the Awassa Youth Campus, completed a six week US Tour to promote the work of AYC and raise funds. How exciting that was! One of our most immediate challenges has been the skyrocketing cost of living in Ethiopia. Over the past year, our projects have struggled to sustain themselves on fixed budgets. For example, our Project Manager for the Awassa Children’s Center, Ato Girma Melesse, reports that while we budgeted 450 birr for 50 kilograms of teff (the staple food of Ethiopia) based on the cost of food at the time, the current cost has escalated to about 1100 birr. That’s almost triple the cost!

Therefore, your support is critical and much appreciated. So enjoy the exciting and inspiring stories in this newsletter and make your donations here online.

Thank you.