I laughed and cried when I read this book; it touched me deeply and I knew after I read it that I needed to go to Ethiopia to see this first hand. A year and a half after I read the book, I was re-reading it on the plane to Ethiopia. While I was unfortunately unable to meet Haregewoin, I was able to visit one of the HIV/AIDS orphanages, AHOPE, that Greene writes about in her novel, and since then I feel like I have a much better understanding of the disease and those affected by it. I credit this book to inspiring me to go to Africa, and I know there are many others who feel the same way, as Greene’s novel has inspired countless parents across North America to adopt children from Ethiopia, and simultaneously has played a role in breaking down stereotypes about HIV and AIDS. The author, Melissa Fay Greene, can be contacted at mfgreene1@aol.com. She is pictured below with her family.
A friend of mine whom I began communicating with through blogging, Erin Henderson, is a mom of twelve; 9 of whom were adopted (4 from Ethiopia), and 2 of whom are HIV+ and came from the orphanage, AHOPE, that I visited while in Ethiopia. Erin has the following statement about HIV and AIDS written on her blog that I think everyone should read, as there are so many stereotypes and myths out there about the disease. Erin's blog is Full House, Full Hnads, Full Heart.
- HIV can NOT be spread through casual/household contact. HIV is not spread through hugging, kissing, shaking hands, sharing toys, sneezing, coughing, sharing food, sharing drinks, bathing, swimming or any other casual way. It has been proven that HIV and AIDS can only be spread through sexual contact, birth, breastfeeding and blood to blood contact (such as sharing needles).
- HIV is now considered a chronic but manageable disease. With treatment, people who are HIV+ can live indefinitely without developing AIDS and can live long and full lives.
- People who are HIV+ deserve to be treated with love, respect, support and acceptance as all people do. If anyone wants more info on transmission, there is great info on the Center for Disease Control website
So, be sure to read the book, and then go on to educate yourself a little more on HIV/AIDS. Project Hopeful is a great organization working with families who have adopted HIV+ children. Look at these beautiful, healthy kids- HIV is not a death sentence. And adoption is pretty amazing :) The founders of Project Hopeful are Carolyn Twietmeyer and Leslie Raneri, both of whose blogs I have designed with Blogs for a Cause. Carolyn and her husband have 13 kids, 6 of whom are from Ethiopia. Leslie is a single mom with two girls, both HIV+, one adopted from Ethiopia and one from Haiti. Carolyn is featured in the video below, about HIV+ adoption.
3 comments:
There is No Me Without You...lots of tears shed when I read this book. I read it a couple of years ago when we first started the adoption process and were looking at different countries. It is definitely one that I would like to read again, if I ever find the time. :)
I read your comment posted on the Jonas' blog relative to mission trips versus humanitarian trips.
If you truly want to be inspired, check out what this 20-year old young woman is doing in Uganda (http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/). She is not only a missionary, but a mom to twenty-some kids, and she is supporting 300+ more through her ministry.
I am truly hopeful that you will see that the power of God can multiply your impact. Humanitarian efforts are nice, but missionary efforts are much more effective and rewarding (check out the academic research from development economists like Chris Blattman (Yale), William Easterly (Columbia) and Owen Barder (Oxfam)). The track records for success of missionary efforts are much better than humanitarian efforts. Missionaries tend to establish a permanent presence in areas of need, whereas humanitarian efforts have proven more temporal and less invested in the long-term good of the people.
I would like to implore you to test the hypothesis yourself and seriously explore the Christian faith. And when I mean seriously, I don't mean buying into the hyperbole of how Christians are often portrayed or sometimes act. I mean to seriously delve into the Bible and the great theologians (Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, etc.). I would recommend starting with C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity as a primer.
God bless you and I wish you all the best in your desire to make a difference!
Hi David. yes, I have read Kisses From Katie for a long time and you are right- she is doing amazing work! However, I am not interested at all in exploring Christianity and from my experiences it has been the exact opposite- those missionaries who are doing the work because of their God end up focusing on the wrong things (in my mind) and excluding those who don't believe what they do. I have respect for everyone despite what they believe in and I just wish that everyone else would do the same, and not just focus on converting those around them and acting like they are better than those who have different beliefs. I know that the work I do is making a difference and I don't feel the need to mix religion into that. Thanks for your comment though, but I'm just not interested.
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