Hawassa Hope will help families with multiple kinds of care, including training to prevent infectious diseases.
A Staunton nonprofit is gearing up for a trip to take aid to Ethiopia.
By Kayla Brown
Published: Jun. 26, 2024 at 12:06 PM EDT
STAUNTON, Va. (WHSV) – Hawassa Hope, an organization dedicated to helping vulnerable children and families in Ethiopia, is preparing to make its next trip to the country on July 11. With three to four trips a year, the organization is constantly preparing for its next visit.
Ahead of the 10-day trip, sponsors prepare care packages for their “child,” stuffing as many goodies as they can into a gallon-sized bag. Hawassa takes these packages directly to the children. Sponsors can pay $35 a month to go toward the organization’s aid in Ethiopia, as well as share personal letters and pictures.
Part of Hawassa Hope’s mission is to provide maternal care and access to education for mothers and their babies. They provide vocational training and initial financial support to families, helping them stay together and achieve financial independence.
Nearly half of Ethiopian households are run by women. Forty-eight percent of women in Ethiopia have no education, 35% attended primary school and only 18% had access to secondary education or higher, according to a 2016 study by the country’s government.
“It’s different in other countries because a lot of times, there’s not the resources we have here,” Executive Director Charia Knight said. “There’s not any food pantries, there’s no program like WIC [the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children],” Executive Director Charisa Knight said.
On the next trip, Hawassa will be offering training to avoid mossy foot, an infectious disease that causes severe swelling and pain in feet and legs. It’s caused by small shards of silica from volcanic rock getting into the skin. It can be avoided by wearing closed-toe shoes, but Knight said many in the area lack the resources to prevent and treat it.
Knight said she’s been to the country over 35 times.
“I end up learning from them,” Knight said. “I learn about strength, resilience and faith.”
Hawassa Hope maintains a staff in the Sidama region of the country. Knight said the organization is dedicated to making sure it is establishing infrastructure that will last long-term. Recently, the organization opened a new preschool to increase education access.
Those interested in sponsoring a child or learning more about Hawassa Hope’s mission can visit its website here.
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