Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia sees huge success at new fundraising event
A brand new fundraiser for Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia raised $30,210 on Saturday, almost tripling the local charity’s $12,000 goal.
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The first year for A Walk in Their Shoes, which raises money for women and children in Ethiopia, was an enormous success, the organization’s founder said.
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“We are so thrilled by this incredible result. We had modest goals for A Walk in Their Shoes during its first year, but our wonderful walkers, team captains and donors far exceeded our expectations,” Shelley Green said.
“It is inspiring to see how many people in our local community – and beyond – put their hearts into fundraising for A Walk in Their Shoes and came out to learn more about the lives of women and children in Ethiopia and show their compassion and care. ”
The total raised will make a huge difference in Ethiopia by providing funds for prolapsed uterus surgeries, hot nutritious lunches for girls in the Girls Gotta Run Program, WRAPS (washable, reuseable, affordable pads) for girls living in rural Ethiopia who have no menstrual products , and care for children living at Tesfa’s Shelter through the organization’s innovative Team Tesfa program.
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In addition to a short walk where participants were guided past picture boards with corresponding life stories of Ethiopian women and girls, the event also included an Ethiopian merkato – the Amharic word for marketplace, a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, a game and contest to share interesting facts about Ethiopia, refreshments and an inspiring closing ceremony.
“The walk today was very impressive and so well organized! It felt like a family event which was really great,” one participant said after A Walk in Their Shoes.
Hosted at the South Gate Centre, with the walk portion moved indoors due to the rainy weather, the event brought 86 people out to learn about the realities in Ethiopia and the work of Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia, to show love and to help change lives of women and children living in extreme poverty in Ethiopia.
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The non-profit organization supports six projects in Ethiopia to empower women and support education:
- Busajo, which houses, educates, provides food, clothing, medical and psychological support, rehabilitates children who have lived on the street and reunites them with their families;
- The Girls Gotta Run Foundation uses the sport of running to help build confidence as well, the program provides a good education, life skills training, school supplies, a uniform, hot lunches and sanitary supplies;
- A group home which provides education, shelter, love and all other needs for three boys;
- Surgeries to correct uterine prolapse;
- Tesfa’s Shelter, which serves 94 vulnerable children who either have no family or whose family needs support to care for their children; and
- WRAPS (washable, reusable, affordable pads) which provides girls living in rural Ethiopia with reuseable menstrual pads to help girls in school and to reduce the chance of early marriage.
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Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia is well-known in Oxford County after being founded more than 12 years, especially for its annual Gems & Java fundraiser in the spring. The organization has sent more than $1 million over the past 12 years to support women, children and education in Ethiopia. The organization does not pay for staff or an office, so keeps costs to a minimum so donations can be directed to where people want to make a difference.
The organization is always seeking new volunteers and is preparing to launch two holiday fundraisers, including an online auction and a Christmas gift bag with local treats and products.
More information and updates on Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia, as well as its fundraising campaigns and projects in which it invests, can be found at www.motherswithaheartforethiopia.com and on social media (simply search @Moms4Ethiopia on Facebook, Instagram or X, formerly Twitter).
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