Pictorials > Ethiopia
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Relics of War
Ethiopia and Eritrea have historically been countries at war. Ethiopia is land locked. Most of the fighting has revolved around disputed access to ocean ports through Eritrea.
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The Whirlwind
It was not uncommon for whirlwinds to destroy villages homes in the western regions of Ethiopia. We shaken by this wind. Within an hour we watched a thatched home disintegrate with 3 children emerging unscathed.
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Relocated
Thousands of muslim families were relocated from eastern Ethiopia to the western region. With the promise of land, tools and a cow, they left what was familiar to come to this place.
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A Green Famine
When the rains come late in the south, hundreds of thousands will not have enough food to eat. The land appears lush but crops have failed to produce.
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Ameresch Before
We heard of a famine in the south. It was a green famine - the rains had come, but too late. Over the course of two days we identified 6000 children under the age of 4 who had weeks to live without immediate intervention. I sent an urgent message back to many in Canada and they responded. 2000 of the 6000 were able to receive the needed food aid that saved their lives. Ameresch was one of those children.
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Ameresch After
Three weeks after I had returned to Canada, I received an email with Ameresch's picture attached. She was running on her own and looked like a very healthy young child. I will never forget how quickly these children responded to supplemental food aid. Ameresch is a sweet memory for me. I still have unanswered soul questions regarding the thousands of children who are not helped each day.
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Ben
Ben Hoogendoorn is a tender man who lives for the survival of children. He is a good friend and is currently the the President and CEO of Food for the Hungry Canada. You can learn more about the work he leads at www.fhcanada.org .
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