For those of you who have followed my blog you will remember the orphanage story I wrote at the start of my trip. This orphanage is in terrible shape. The living conditions are below the extreme poverty level. Growing up without a family is a hard enough task on its own but growing up without family and living below the extreme poverty line is pretty devastating. I was pretty emotionally effected by what I experienced but apparently I was not alone. I have an awesome little cousin named Ethan who read about the orphans and their terrible conditions and he took it upon him self to do something about it. He is ten years old and has been a good little saver up too this point. After reading the blog he went into his room and gathered every last dime that he has ever saved and put it in a large bag. When I arrived in the United States a few months back for my sisters wedding he brought me the bag and told me he wanted me to use his money to help the kids that were suffering in the orphanage here.
Today I was able to use the money. The biggest problem that has brought so many deaths in the orphanage is Malaria. It has taken the lives of so many children but it is preventable at times if you use a mosquito net at night time. Do to the lack in finances the orphanage has very few nets and the few that it has have many holes so the malaria rates are very high. The first thing we did with Ethan's money is we bought Mosquito nets for every child in the orphanage. Then we bought blankets. It is very hot here but gets very cold during the night. These kids freeze almost every night because they don't have anything to cover them. We used the rest of the money to buy every kid in the orphanage their first blanket.
You have no idea how big of a party it was today just over mosquito nets and blankets. For many of these kids this was the best gift they have ever received in their life. It was so fun to watch the smiles on their faces and there was even several kids that cried receiving their first blankets in their life. It was such a special and amazing day for me and these kids.
Ethan is only ten years old but he found a way to save and change the lives of many african children. The kids were SO thankful. It is amazing to see a kid as young as Ethan make such a difference in the world!
