On the way, Solomon got some sugar cane. Owen got addicted!
Ian decided his “American jaw” wasn’t strong enough.
On Wednesday, we were supposed to go to the Drop-In Center
first thing. However, Fasika called and we had a couple of papers we needed to
sign at the Gladney office, so we had to do that first. Once we got there, the
kids were out on the field playing soccer, but were about to come in. Ryan was
disappointed about missing it. Once the boys came in, they had art time. It was
amazing to watch my kids watch these kids scramble and fight over the nubs of
crayons and pencils. Very few of the pencils had erasers, which was what they
were looking for. Once they finished, they gave them to us. I got 2, Owen got
1, and Ian got 1. Alexa got about 12. After art time, they had a coffee
ceremony (because we were visiting). Up to this point, I had let Alexa and Ian
out of the ceremony, but I knew in this setting they could not refuse. Let’s
just say Owen had 5 cups of coffee. Alexa was very slick at switching cups.
This coffee was brewed in a clay pot vs. the glass pot the guesthouse uses. I’m
not sure if strong is a strong enough word to describe the difference! After
that, the boys divided into groups. Half went for small group/prayer time and
half stayed and played games. Some played magnetic darts, some played Uno, and
some played at the “foosball” table. Ryan and Owen went to the small group time
and shared their testimonies. Ian played darts, I played Uno, and Alexa sort of
bounced. After being mauled a bit the day before, Alexa and Ian were a bit
skeptical about going. However, by the end of our time there, they were sad we weren’t
going to have time to go back.
This is some of the artwork we received. Onesimus, also
called The Forsaken Children, is a ministry to the 100,000 children living on
the streets in Addis Ababa. The way the program works is that “scouts” (social
workers) are roaming the streets looking for good “candidates” for the program.
The invited kids get the opportunity to visit the center – see what it’s all
about. If they decide they want to commit to the program, they are given a
contract of basic rules. The rules are very simple – come every day. The kids
are not allowed to miss more than 3 days or they are cut from the program.
Basically, they are looking for kids who want a better life. In Addis, time,
resources, and opportunities are hard to come by. The drop-in center is the
first step in the program. The kids come everyday and when they get there, they
are given a shower, breakfast, and a uniform. They stay there from 9-3 and are
fed breakfast and lunch. At 3, they change back into their freshly washed street
clothes and head back to the streets. After so much time, the social workers
(who lead the activities) look for readiness of wanting more. The next step is
school. Once they are having success in school, ideally they are moved into a
halfway house, a dorm, to live permanently. The drop-in center can service 25
kids at a time. It is Onesimus’ vision to have drop-in centers all over the
city, several dormitories set up, and every child that wants one – a place in
school. I asked what the pull of the street was and Nega, the director, said it
was the lure of freedom. The ability to do whatever you wanted, whenever you
wanted. We met a 10 year old boy who had been on the street for 8 years. He’s
still at the drop-in center stage, not willing to commit to the next step. The
reality is this “freedom” will most likely cost them their lives.
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