ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – It's early morning and a dozen westerners, mostly Seattleites, were getting ready to leave the capital for a three-day visit to water development projects in Oromia, one of this country's largest, rural states.
As they set out – a caravan of five land rovers moving through the dense traffic – many of them were still quietly coming to terms with the parting words of Adane Kassa, Executive Director of Water Action, the Ethiopian NGO that coordinates the projects they'll be visiting.
"As you know, the coming third world war is anticipated to be fought over water," Kassa said.
To those from water-rich regions like the Pacific Northwest, Kassa's words may have seemed hard to understand. But for the estimated seven million people worldwide who die annually from waterborne diseases or for the parents of the child under five that dies every fourteen seconds due to lack of water access and sanitation, no issue is more critical. Like Kassa, many who study this fundamental resource predict water could become the next precious liquid to destabilize the world.
Audio slideshow produced by Sarah Stuteville, Alex Stonehill, and Jessica Partnow of CLPMag.org with support from the Pulitzer Center On Crisis Reporting for Seattlepi.com.ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – It's early morning and a dozen westerners, mostly... more
Report: Ethiopian airliner believed crashed off Lebanon
January 24, 2010 10:18 p.m. EST
(CNN) -- An Ethiopian airliner with 92 people on board disappeared from radar and is believed to have crashed shortly after takeoff from Beirut, Lebanon, early Monday, Lebanon's National News Agency reported.
The Boeing aircraft was en route to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, when it disappeared from radar 30 minutes after takeoff from Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, NNA reported. The plane is believed to have been over water at the time of its disappearance, the news agency said.
Artists for Charity operates a children's home in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for HIV positive orphans. The Home provides all the basic necessities for caring for these children, such as food, shelter, medical attention, and school fees and supplies. In addition to the bare minimum, however, the Home focuses on creating a small, family-like environment that resembles a typical home.
A PARTY WITH A PURPOSE
An Artists For Charity Benefit
September 17th, 2009
111 Minna, San Francisco
5pm–2am
$10 suggested donation, no one turned away for lack of funds
111 Minna has a full bar
Artists for Charity and Party with a Purpose SF invite the Bay Area community to the 2nd annual Party With a Purpose benefit to support the work of the Artists for Charity Children’s Home. Last year’s event raised over $12,000 for the home and we hope to make this year’s even more successful We will be hosting a silent auction with gift certificates to San Francisco’s favorite restaurants, salons, museums, and stores. In addition, we will be auctioning one of a kind art created by the children of the Artists for Charity Children’s Home.
Artists for Charity has willingly accepted the responsibility of raising HIV positive orphans under the following criteria: HIV positive children between the ages of 4 and 15 that have lost both parents (double orphans). HIV positive children in extenuating circumstances, such as extreme impoverishment or abuse (physical, sexual, or mental), regardless of age.
The AFC Children’s Home is currently comprised of a single house located in Addis Ababa which serves as a home for 16 children and the AFC administrators. The house includes a dormitory bedroom, kitchen pantry, dining room, medicine room, and study room. In order to ensure proper medical care, a nurse oversees the medicine dosing regimen and attends to minor illnesses and non-emergency first aid details. Because of the immune-suppressed status of the children, a sterile environment is maintained as much as possible. AFC ensures that all living arrangements are provided, including supplying clothing, toiletries, personal items, beds, bedclothes, transportation costs, school costs and supplies, medical appointments, and medicines.
In the year 2005, 800,000 children in Ethiopia were orphaned by AIDS. By the year 2014, however, there will be an estimated 2.5 million. Currently, organizations designed to care for orphans have reached maximum capacity, and the pace of their expansion does not match the increasing demand. In addition, only a small number of these agencies accept HIV positive children, and even these few have numerous restrictions (such as age, disability, etc) that limit the children accepted. Younger children have a much better chance of being placed in a residence than older ones, and those above the age of 8 have virtually no chance of being accepted.
While these children have the potential to become functional, effective members of society, they require additional help in developing this prospect. With prompt and continuous medical treatment, proper nutrition, and a sanitary living space, the lifespan of a child may increase by decades. Lacking the appropriate treatments, however, many will not even live 3 years after contracting the virus.
Artists for Charity is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization devoted to raising awareness and securing funds for humanitarian causes. We are made up of artists and individuals from all over the world who not only volunteer time, but also donate their precious artwork for the sake of change.
Artists for Charity operates a children's home in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for HIV positive orphans. The Home provides all the basic necessitites for caring for these children, such as food, shelter, medical attention, and school fees and supplies. In addition to the bare minimum, however, the Home focuses on creating a small, family-like environment that resembles a typical home.
Meet Mekdes and the kids at AFC. Art, Art therapy & visual arts has made a huge impact on the daily lives of these children...allowing them to have a childhood. You can see that these children have a great foundation so they live life to the fullest.
The success of AFC has come from charity events "Party with a Purpose" hosted at
major cities all over the US. Artists donate their work to be auctioned or sold.
AFC also accepts donations at these events, through our website, and on facebook.
Artists for Charity is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization devoted to raising awareness and securing funds for humanitarian causes. We are made up of artists and individuals from all over the world who not only volunteer time, but also donate their precious artwork for the sake of change.
Artists for Charity operates a children's home in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for HIV positive orphans. The Home provides all the basic necessitites for caring for these children, such as food, shelter, medical attention, and school fees and supplies. In addition to the bare minimum, however, the Home focuses on creating a small, family-like environment that resembles a typical home.
Meet the kids at AFC, see their daily life and how art has transformed their lives.
You can see that these children have a great foundation so they live life to the fullest.
The success of AFC has come from charity events "Party with a Purpose" hosted at
major cities all over the US. Artists donate their work to be auctioned or sold.
AFC also accepts donations at these events, through our website, and on facebook.
This September 17th, 2009 we have "Party with a Purpose" at the Minna Gallery.
Come join us!
Children living on the rough streets of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capitol, describe their days and nights of struggle. To better understand the mentality that keeps the children from seeking help, we speak with Dr. Minas Hiruy, the director of a local charity organization. He believes that, given a chance, the children can one day succeed.Children living on the rough streets of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capitol, describe... more
