Helping Ethiopians
A handful of Spokane-area residents is enlisting the Inland Northwest in a drive to bring stability and hope to a part of the world where human rights are violated, famine is all too familiar and children are left without parents.
The activists call themselves the Anuak Baare Hope Ministry, a local extension of the Spokane-based Immanuel Urban Ministries. Members have been working to raise awareness about the needs of villagers of Gambella, Ethiopia, and surrounding areas where running water routinely comes to a halt and civil strife continues to be a threat.
The Spokane group collects funding for well-drilling at refugee camps in Sudan and most recently raised $19,000 for construction of an orphanage in Gambella.
The ABHM includes two natives of the Anuak Tribe who have made Spokane their home.
“The Anuak people are my people,” said Agwa Taka, a 15-year resident of Spokane and organizer of ABHM. “They have struggled and suffered very much. Many people from here are helping my people over there. I am thankful to God for all of the support for this project from Spokane.”
Taka, along with fellow ABHM members Akway (Owar) Omot, Elaine Edwards and Rachel Havercroft traveled to Gambella for three weeks in June and July to participate in construction startup of the orphanage that will accommodate 20 children and two caretakers. They worked with village locals and the Bethel Presbyterian Church there. The orphanage is located on the church compound.
Edwards said the ABHM hopes the orphanage becomes the first of many facilities it funds for the poverty-stricken area that is still grappling with a December 2003 ambush on the Anuak community that left more than 400 men dead.
“This is a start. Everyone was talking about the need and building the orphanage … and we have something on the ground,” said Edwards, who took vacation time as leisure services director at Spokane Valley Good Samaritan Village to be part of the ABHM delegation’s trip.
ABHM collected the funds locally for construction and travel costs, and it continues to raise money for upkeep and future projects and relief efforts.
The generosity among Spokane area residents has come from many age groups. Agwa Taka’s 12-year-old daughter, Abang, enlisted the assistance of her classmates at Jefferson Elementary School who stuffed $625.53 into an oversize pickle jar to help fund well-drilling. The youngster received a Chase Youth Award in citizenship this year for her efforts, and the school received a group Chase Youth America’s Promise Award for the collaboration on this and other humanitarian projects.
“In a very large sense, this is a Spokane project,” said the Rev. Lawrence Hudson of First Covenant Church. He noted donations have come from individuals, area schools, churches, Rotary clubs, retirement communities and several businesses.
Hudson is chairman of Immanuel Urban Ministries, the local agency that helps African refugees with settlement here and provides activities such as children’s literacy programs. Hudson helped ABHM get started and is an ABHM member. In 2005, he was part of a Spokane group, which also included Taka and Havercroft, that traveled to Sudan to help organize the well-drilling at refugee camps.