Sad News

On Tuesday Haregewoin Teferra passed away. She was the amazing woman that "There Is No Me Without You" is all about. I've cut and pasted the below from Melissa Fay Greene's blog:


Dear Friends,

By now you may have learned the shocking news that Mrs. Haregewoin Teferra has died suddenly after a short illness. We don't know what caused her death; she felt sick for a couple of days, went to the doctor, came home without a diagnosis, felt sick again, and that was the end.

We are grieving, yet we have no time to spare: 59 children survive her, many of them toddlers and babies, the majority HIV-positive.

Worldwide Orphans--the New York-based organization that has overseen the medical care for Haregewoin's children for many years--has stepped into the breach. They have assumed full custody of the 42 HIV-positive kids and are prepared to take responsibility for the 17 HIV-negative children, as needed. Most of the latter are babies and toddlers; they're still at the foster home; their caregivers have stayed on; and the Atetegeb board is attentive to their health and safety at present.

These heroic measures come at high cost: we estimate $300,000 will be required in the coming year (about $4,600 per child) to cover food, healthcare and medicine, education, clothing, and caregivers. Once their basic needs are met, the children’s paperwork will be sorted out; some may be eligible for adoption, others may have extended families in a position to allow the children to return. But that is for the future. The crisis is now: keeping these children fed and clothed, paying the salaries of loving caregivers to act as stand-ins for their late parents, making sure there is no break in the life-saving healthcare provided by WWO.

Haregewoin lived with these children seven days a week, 24 hours a day, for ten years. She is irreplaceable. The smallest ones, of course, have no idea what has just happened. Please let us work together to act as foster parents in absentia for these little ones and to provide financial sustenance to the adults on the ground in Addis with them. Thank you in advance for any amount you can give.

Online contributions can be made at www.WWO.org.
Specify Campaign for Haregewoin's Children.

Or checks may be sent to:
WWO
511 Valley Street
Maplewood, New Jersey 07040

Sincerely,
Melissa

Please pray for these orphans and their care givers. I'm sure all are grieving and will forever miss this amazing woman.