Hawassa Hope: In the Beginning…

Ajuuja Children’s Home - this is where Hawassa Hope got its start. Charisa & Greg Knight, founders of Hawassa Hope, share that after adopting their second child they felt convicted to try and help the remaining kids there. That led to connecting with some other adoptive parents with a goal to provide formula for the babies at the home. From there sprung the very modest goal of getting all of the kids at the home sponsored. 

I use the word modest lightly, it was only 15 or so kids. How hard could it be to get 15 or so people to agree to give $360 a year for a kid they’ve never met in a place they’ve never heard of? Not to mention with all the other places to give, why trust something new? I bring these questions to light to make the point that while Greg and Charisa certainly did their research and worked tirelessly to get this organization going, the fact that they got these first kids sponsored is no small thing! But with enough hard work and a little luck someone could pull that off on their own. What happened next can only be contributed to the work of God.

Once these kids were sponsored, the founders and directors of Ajuuja (Askale and Eyasu - an amazing couple who love God and truly live out Matthew 25:35-40), presented Charissa & Greg with a challenge. I’m not sure how the conversation went, but I imagine something like, “Oh this is wonderful, thank you, thank you, thank you! This is great!….But, in our culture it is expected that the orphanage would go into the community and help those in need. Can you help us?” Picture it this way. You walk into a room with 20 cribs with babies and you want to help. “I’ve got this,” you say. After a while you return to this room and report, “I did it!” Then someone opens a curtain and you can see the whole world and they say, “Can you help us?”

That’s what I love about Hawassa Hope and the Ajuuja Children’s Home. Both had humble beginnings, grounded in trying to be obedient to God and meet a need in front of them. Their trust and obedience has been rewarded by God doing an amazing work. Like Hawassa Hope the children’s home has a board with proven members of the community to ensure that it continues to function at a high level. On one of our earlier trips, we met one such board member - a highly distinguished educated gentleman. I must confess that in my humanness I couldn’t really see how he could relate to these folks in poverty, much less serve them. I must have been like a Pharisee questioning Jesus in their thoughts, while sitting with Him at the dinner table. Jesus knowing what the Pharisee was thinking would call him out and share a humbling truth with them. The Pharisees tended to miss these moments - I pray I don’t.

On our closing night this board member addressed us to thank us for coming and share a message from the Scriptures. He went on for a while and I don’t readily remember what he was preaching about, but he certainly knew the Scriptures. Then he shared a personal testimony with us. On one of Greg Knight’s previous trips they had been having a conversation about the staff at the children’s home when he mentioned he didn’t know how to serve the nanny’s there so they would realize their value. Greg suggested washing their feet like Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. Now in Ethiopian culture the women serve the men. The staff don’t even expect a Christmas bonus, paid holidays, or even a thank you. So, to hear this gentleman share his story of reading back through the scriptures again and then preceding to wash the servants’ feet…WOW! I was blown away! This is truly a man after God’s heart (and I should know better than judging a book by its cover).

I share all of this about the folks running these organizations and their commitment to God, to say I’m totally convinced that God is at work through Hawassa Hope and Ajuuja Children’s Home, I have complete confidence not only in the honesty and integrity of the people running these organizations, but I also am certain that they are competent to lead these organizations. That’s why sponsorship works. It’s not because people are throwing $35 a month at some kid’s feet to help them out. It’s not just a story of good organizational skills and a good business plan. No, it’s a story of love, of commitment, of sacrifice and of trusting God.

Standing in front of the gate into Ajuuja Children’s Home: Greg and Elizabeth Evans with the founders and directors of Ajuuja (Askale & Eyasu), Rob Spenser (Child Sponsor and Supporter), Greg Knight (Co-Director in the US) and Teshe (Director in Hawassa, Ethiopia).

Sponsorship is more about entering into community and building relationships than just giving someone a handout. Every month the in-country staff visit all of the sponsored kids (around 400). Individual contact is crucial in the success of the program. While we were there this past July, we met with close to 200 sponsored kids. We helped update photos for sponsors, interview each child and parent, and we fellowshipped (religious word for eating, playing, laughing and loving together). It was like a monthly family reunion with kids being called by name and it was obvious that relationships had already been formed.

We met a young man who is now in university; unlike America, college is not something many kids from Ethiopia will ever experience. This young man has been in the program for many years and he has taken advantage of the opportunities given to him. His particular story stands out because when he came into the program, not only were he and his family fighting extreme poverty, he wasn’t attending primary school because he was born HIV positive and was ostracized by the community; however, with the help of Hawassa Hope holding trainings and educating the community about HIV, he was able to go to school. Now, as he shared stories of college with us (speaking better English than I do), he had friends greeting him with hugs. His smile and confidence spoke louder than his words.

In just a couple years, he will graduate from university and be able to find a decent job. He will be able to support not only himself but help those still at home. At that time, he will graduate from the sponsorship program. That is the ultimate goal of child sponsorship - self-sufficiency. Most will not attend or graduate from college; however, with a little help they will graduate out of the program - well established and able to take care of themselves and help their family. Thus enabling another child/family to be sponsored and become independent.

We might not be able to save the world, but we really don’t have to give up much to sponsor a child and change a life. Hawassa Hope has some kids up for sponsorship as we speak. We have met some of these kids. We have heard their stories. We have fellowshipped with them (eating, playing, laughing and loving together). And we will never be the same.

Check out the website and sponsor a kid. Write them letters, send photos and plan a trip to see them. Don’t worry about saving the world - that’s God job. Just worry about changing the life put in front of you. Who knows? It might even change your life.