Looking over the statistics of page views for the this blog, I realised that there are still plenty of people stopping by this blog, either because I've told people about it, or they are being directed here via google. Regardless of how you ended up here, thank you for your interest in the Ashley Haven project! Lately, I have been mostly sending out emailed updates to sponsors and supporters of the project, but I am going to resurrect this blog because the project is still going strong and people outside of my immediate network of supporters should know about it!
So the project in a nutshell, is called the Ashley Haven Project. We work in Lalibela, Ethiopia and our main project is a children's refuge which has been home to 11 kids since November 2009. I sometimes call it an orphanage, but in reality it is more a refuge because not all of the children are 'true orphans' in that some do have a living parent, but they are unable to care for their son/daughter for different reasons, mostly mental health problems. This project provides employment currently to a full-time guard, 2 live-in caregivers, a full-time cook and a tutor. We have recently started a partnership with the Hamlin Fistula Foundation in Ethiopia, where we are hiring ex fistula patients who have no family or community to return to post operation, as caregivers at our refuge. We hired our first carer through the foundations recommendation several months ago and it has been a huge success. Our new caregiver Sindu came to us with her 3 year old son and he has been a great playmate for our youngest girl at the refuge. Sindu has embraced the opportunity to create a new future for herself and her son by immediately enrolling them both in night school and kindergarten. We are thrilled to be able to help her create this positive future.
We are also in the process of opening a crèche at the refuge and are presently converting one of our school rooms for this purpose. We plan to offer a day time crèche service, where single mothers/ parents who need to work to survive and have no family backup, can drop their babies or toddlers off for the day and pick them up after work. There is no service of this kind in the area and we hope that it will be received positively. The local Kebele is very supportive of the idea, so fingers crossed! If there is enough demand, we will look at hiring a day time carer for the crèche.
As for the kids themselves, they are all absolutely thriving! It's hard to believe they are the same kids that we took in only a few short years ago. The physical transformation has been huge. More than that, the personal changes have been just as monumental! They gave us a fair amount of trouble to begin with (to be expected) but these days are just the most kind, generous and respectful kids you could ask for! They are all towards the top of their classes in school and all work and take their education very seriously.
We are still located in a rented compound, but are hoping someday soon to find a block of land on which to build our dream permanent home with more space! Using eco-friendly techniques and create some lovely permaculture gardens where we can have gardens again and keep animals.
Anyway, must go.. will update again with pics soon!
So the project in a nutshell, is called the Ashley Haven Project. We work in Lalibela, Ethiopia and our main project is a children's refuge which has been home to 11 kids since November 2009. I sometimes call it an orphanage, but in reality it is more a refuge because not all of the children are 'true orphans' in that some do have a living parent, but they are unable to care for their son/daughter for different reasons, mostly mental health problems. This project provides employment currently to a full-time guard, 2 live-in caregivers, a full-time cook and a tutor. We have recently started a partnership with the Hamlin Fistula Foundation in Ethiopia, where we are hiring ex fistula patients who have no family or community to return to post operation, as caregivers at our refuge. We hired our first carer through the foundations recommendation several months ago and it has been a huge success. Our new caregiver Sindu came to us with her 3 year old son and he has been a great playmate for our youngest girl at the refuge. Sindu has embraced the opportunity to create a new future for herself and her son by immediately enrolling them both in night school and kindergarten. We are thrilled to be able to help her create this positive future.
We are also in the process of opening a crèche at the refuge and are presently converting one of our school rooms for this purpose. We plan to offer a day time crèche service, where single mothers/ parents who need to work to survive and have no family backup, can drop their babies or toddlers off for the day and pick them up after work. There is no service of this kind in the area and we hope that it will be received positively. The local Kebele is very supportive of the idea, so fingers crossed! If there is enough demand, we will look at hiring a day time carer for the crèche.
As for the kids themselves, they are all absolutely thriving! It's hard to believe they are the same kids that we took in only a few short years ago. The physical transformation has been huge. More than that, the personal changes have been just as monumental! They gave us a fair amount of trouble to begin with (to be expected) but these days are just the most kind, generous and respectful kids you could ask for! They are all towards the top of their classes in school and all work and take their education very seriously.
We are still located in a rented compound, but are hoping someday soon to find a block of land on which to build our dream permanent home with more space! Using eco-friendly techniques and create some lovely permaculture gardens where we can have gardens again and keep animals.
Anyway, must go.. will update again with pics soon!
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