Giving a Helping Hand to Ethiopia by Hana S. Hubert

       Have you ever heard of Ethiopia? It is a country in the Horn of Africa,  with a population of 91.73 million. The capital city is Addis Ababa. It's main language is Amharic, although there are over 200 others. The most common, after Amharic, are Tigrinya, Orominga, Guaraginga , Somali, and Arabic. There are also many religions including Islam, Ethiopian Orthodox, and Animist. The currency that is used in Ethiopia called Birr and is found in the form of paper and coin. One dollar equals 19.75 birr, which makes Ethiopian items cheap to buy. For example, a fancy Ethiopian Pen Cup Holder that is 100 birr, would be 5 dollars and seven cents, while similar item in America might range from 5 to 10 dollars. The average life expectancy in Ethiopia is 54.

        Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries. Droughts and famine are common, and civil wars and conflict have taken it's toll. Almost half of the county's population don't receive enough food to support them and their families. 

        People in rural Ethiopia live in extreme poverty. The living conditions are horrendous. There are only 3 medical doctors per 100,000 people.  Only one out of three Ethiopians have running water. Because droughts are common, millions of people are on the brink of starvation, and food is limited. By Purchasing livestock for needy families, we will provide means for a family. If we purchase a dairy cow for them, it will provide enough milk for a family to feed the young, and what is left they can sell to earn money. If you buy a pair of sheep or goat, the family will pass on any offspring that the two animals have, to a neighbor or relative. The goal is to help the families escape poverty so that they can educate their children. Ethiopia is one of the countries that will benefit from our efforts. Get informed, get involved, and help to make a difference.  We the rescue Rangers are doing our part. Join us in this effort. 

Hana S. Hubert

A Gift That Keeps on Giving- by Hana S. Hubert

         Children's Hospitals project, our previous project, is ongoing. We hope to do more with the children hospitals. We are collecting cans to help Ronald McDonald house, so if any of you can collect tabs from soda cans and drop them off at the Zakat Foundation, it will be greatly appreciated. This will help a family that doesn't have funds to afford to stay In a hotel while their kids, who have rare diseases, get the treatment they need.

         Our current project is about helping families purchase a cow, a pair of sheep or goat, or just a single animal in poor countries in Africa such as Ethiopia.. If the pair of sheep or goats have offspring, they must pass on the child to another family. We are helping families purchase these animals to use, not for consumption, but for their daily life. It is $450 for a cow, a pair of goats or sheep is $200, and a single sheep or goat is $100. The $200 dollar deal appears to be the best, at least to me, because the family that receives them will receive two animals, twice the wool or milk, and another family will also benefit when the two animals have offspring. It is a gift that keeps on giving. However, the $100 deal is also appealing to me, since we can assist more families by buying one animal for each family, instead of multiple animals for one family, therefore helping far more families for a cheaper price. 

         This can change the life of a family, after all, our motto is to make a difference in another person's life. It's amazing what we can accomplish when we work together.

Adam Hubert and Sarah Ali Khan at the George Wilson Center,
Thursday, July 10th.