the story of Eyob.

I posted earlier this month about my time at the dump.

And talked about my friend Eyob.

I shared a few weeks ago at my Perspectives class about the dump & I really think that itbrings it all into perspective when it's about a certain person. a story.

So I talked about Eyob.

Since I have returned home from Korah, I have found out more of his story through my precious friend Denae! I asked him if I could share some of his story with you.

Eyob was born in Korah and has a mother and a 7 year old sister, Titne. When he was a child hisfather left their family, leaving his mother as the sole provider for Eyob. Because she was very poor, his mother began going to the dump to get food for both her and Eyob. Eventually his mother married again and gave birth to Eyob's younger sister. Soon after Titne was born, however, his mother's second husband also left. Again, Eyob's mother was left to care for Eyob and Titne on her own. Because it was too difficult for her to provide for the both of them, Eyob began to also go to the dump to get food and whatever small items he could sell to make money. This led to him spending more and more time at the dump, which is called "koshi" in Ethiopia, until eventually he stopped going to school and began spending all his time at the dump. He began sleeping at the dump with his friends.

One day, Sammy, one of the staff at Great Hope Church came to the dump and explained to the children that there was an opportunity to attend a boarding school in Shashamene and get a good education and leave their lives at the dump behind. Eyob and his friends registered and last year he and 250 other children from the dump were loaded in buses and given new hope and a new life thanks to so many sponsors.

Today Eyob has hope and is ALWAYS smiling. He's happy to be at Shashamene again this year and said he is thankful to have 3 meals a day and a good place to sleep. He says he stillworries about his mom, like many of the children, who, by going to school, are no longer able to help provide for their families. He says he thinks about her a lot and hopes she is doing well andhe is thankful that she supports him going to school even though it makes it harder on her. (Its a sacrifice many of the children had to make as many of the kids, especially the older boys were providing for their families from the food they found at the dump and the things they would sell and then when they went to shashamene, they are no longer home to help with this - it shows how good of a woman his mother is and how she wants a better life for her son, even if the reward seems to be a long way off for her) He knows that school is good for him and he says he is trying his best to get good grades so he can achieve his dream of one day being apilot.

and a dad. He has told Denae he wants to get married & have 3 children. The poverty cycle broken.

I knew that week that God had linked us together for a purpose and it's only gotten stronger since I got home.

The above video is one my good friend Jenn took in Korah. Her team got there the night we left. I left her a note to please find Eyob and give him a hug & she was videoing and he just said "hi Wynne". Unplanned. She wasn't making it for me. But he knew we were friends & probably knew that she would show it to me. It melts my heart. I watch it often.

Since we've been home, I've communicated with Eyob on facebook and through letters. We facebook a few times a week & he always tells me he loves me and misses me. and thathe's praying for me. My good friend Sara just went to Ethiopia & sent along letters/pictures/bracelets to my boys and I found this pic of Eyob on facebook wearing the bracelet I made him :) They also sent LETTERS back to me!!! When I got them it absolutely made my day.

If you don't have a sponsor kid, you should seriously get one. It's so much fun to communicate with them and start a relationship. Project 61 is about to add 25 students to their Bright Hope School, if you are interested in sponsoring one of them email Erin Allen at erin@p61.org

for a short documentary about Project 61 & Korah - watch this!

Project 61: Spreading Hope - A short documentary from Session 7 Media on Vimeo.