
Dear M.O.R.E. Family,
We come to you with the hope that you and your family are staying safe and healthy during these challenging times. This international crisis has left many of us feeling anxious, fearful, and uncertain about the future, yet we still wish to connect with and help others who are much less fortunate than we are.
COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc in every part of the world, however the people in Ethiopia are facing significant challenges because of the hardships of the virus mixed with extreme poverty. Without access to food, clean water, and other necessary supplies including medicine, the Medhen Orphan Relief Effort (M.O.R.E.) community of orphaned and vulnerable children, their caregivers, and the support staff at our Medhen Social Center (MSC) in Addis Ababa are suffering. Sheltering-at-home is a hardship considering the size, conditions and number of people living in the small homes and very densely populated neighborhoods.
Further, the impact of COVID-19 has almost doubled the demand for services that M.O.R.E. provides because many previously successful and independent program graduates, who are now simply struggling to survive due to loss of employment and other unimaginable hardships, are returning for assistance – all without any government support or special funding. They are out of jobs, they cannot find food, and they feel trapped in a world of distress. Remembering a source of comfort and past support, they are asking MSC for help.
While we cannot entirely fix this unfortunate situation, with your help, we can give the people of MSC a glimmer of hope during an unpredictable time. This is truly an emergency with life or death consequences. We kindly ask you, our M.O.R.E supporters, to extend your generosity to help us create an emergency fund for the vulnerable people being helped through MSC. We have pledged initial support of $27,000; anything raised in excess of this amount will be used to create an ongoing emergency fund to be distributed based on future needs.
While we all may be feeling a little stir-crazy in our homes, it is important for us to find balance and celebrate the “tiny wins” in our everyday life. With your donation we can create a “big win” as we support this fragile community together during this turbulent time.
Please donate today!