Yared

Yared is a gorgeous little 9 year old boy Gregg and I sponsor through CHI. He lives outside of Addis Ababa with his mother. His father died of HIV/AIDS last year, and his mother is quite ill with the disease. A case worker from CHI visits the house frequently and brings needed foodstuffs and supplies. Yared is a sweetheart who helps his mum around the house when he isn't in school or playing soccer with friends. He loves to read, and wants to be a history teacher when he grows up. (Gosh, did that just sound like a Sally Strotthers commercial?)

We just got Yared's report card, and he was so proud in the letter he wrote to us "I was promoted to the 4th grade!" He is at the top of his class, and really excells at math & science.
We love this little boy to pieces, and are so excited when his letters, pictures and drawings arrive. We hope, fingers crossed, that we will be able to visit Yared and his mum when we are in ETH to bring Sam home.

Of course, because he is a sponsored orphan, and because we first saw his picture on the web, when his mother dies we will not be permitted to adopt Yared. This breaks my heart. But we will continue to sponsor him, and will visit when we can.

Its my dream that Yared stays healthy, finishes his education through the help of CHI, and when he's 18, either decides to stay in ETH, or alternatively, if he wants to, we can bring him to the US then. I know, crazy talk you say. But that's only 9 years away, and we'd still have little ones, so I don't know, maybe he could come here on a work Visa for childcare and live w/ us until he completed college in the US?

No matter what happens, I have been deeply touch by this precious little boy, and he has only cemented our desire to become more connected with ETH while awaiting Sam.

I'm working on my Amharic now, and really hope I can carry on a conversation w/ Yared while we are there. Let me amend that, I hope I can carry on a conversation w/ Yared that does not result in him laughing uncontrollably due to my mispronouciations and mistranslations!

Open question to anyone who sponsors a child oversees. Can I publish Yared's photograph on the web?