In Ethiopia
Mossy Foot Project
May 8, 2008
Dear Bell Gardens Baptist Church,
Jim and I are back in Ethiopia. We appreciate your interest and prayers for the Mossy Foot Ministry.
The 747 seemed to strain as it took off from LAX fully loaded a week ago Wednesday. On arriving in London our plane was delayed an hour due to mechanical repairs, then we were off to Amman, Jordan on another full flight. Jim and I were happy when most of the passengers disembarked in Amman so we could stretch out and sleep a few hours.
After the 24-hour trip we were glad to get to bed about 4 AM in Addis but were awakened about 5AM by the muslim imman calling the faithful to prayer. This was followed by the chants of the Orthodox priest for a good forty minutes.
At nine o'clock we were up getting ready for our appointment at the Canadian Embassy. There we met with the Development Counsellor, Monique Anger. She was very interested in hearing about the history of the MFP, the scope of the project and our goals to eliminate the disease. Also, Monique informed us that most of the grant proposals they accept are for good governance; however, the reason MF caught their attention was because of the sustainability of the project. Actually, MF received one third of the total annual budget that the Canadian Embassy grants for development projects. (Dr. Gail was instrumental in obtaining this $22,000 grant for vocational training.
Next we went to a shoe factory on the outskirts of Addis that produces plastic shoes. Old plastic jugs, shoes and other items were piled high.
Many women were sitting on the ground in a shed under a corrugated iron roof. They were taking the buckles off shoes, disassembling them, and washing the shoes to prepare them to be recycled. Then the shoes were thrown into a machine that pulverized the items into little pellets. These were put into a furnace that melted the plastic. From there the liquid was poured into rotating molds. A person was seated at each machine opening the molds and removing the shoes. Then someone trimmed the extra plastic from the shoes. Also, there is a huge computerized machine that produces a better quality spongy shoe that is a little more expensive than the one MF is currently giving to the children. I think these shoes would be much more comfortable for the children than the ones we are currently giving them. They cost about $1.60 a pair. The factory owner went to China to learn how to produce these shoes.
Friday evening we enjoyed our time with Dr. Gail at the Italian Club sharing with each other what our visions are for the future of MF. The international community in Addis is quite interesting. In fact, Gail's children speak English at home, are learning Amharic from their friends, and attend a German school. I sat between Gail and a young Ethiopian banker who knows one of my childhood playmates whom I have been trying to find.
Since we were able to accomplish what we needed on Friday, after a quick trip to Bambi's grocery store, Saturday we headed south for Soddo on the new Hosana road. It was shocking to see mile after mile of parched dark brown soil with small tufts of dry grass scattered here and there. The cows were trying to get some food but were terribly thin with all their bones showing through tautly stretched hides.
We were anticipating staying at the Comfort Hotel so we were surprised when Meskele took us to a house next door to the MF office. He has rented it for two months at $200 a month. The staff had the house thoroughly cleaned, decorated with curtains, kitchen equipment from their homes and furnished with furniture made by the MF carpenters. Our many MFP guests this month will stay at the Comfort Hotel but will be able to come to the house for meals, socializing, and meetings.
The drought has been very difficult for the farmers. They had a few light rains a couple months ago, planted their seed, then there was no more rain so they lost their seed. Due to the scarcity of food, prices have escalated. Just this past week the rains have started. Now the farmers are beginning to plant their fields but some of them have lost their cattle so they don't have their oxen to use for plowing. That means they have to break up the soil with hoes. Also, the food shortage will remain until the crops mature. MF has been taking bags of ground maize out to the MF clinics.
Tuesday we visited two clinic sites–Areka and Bombay. A few years ago we saw a pretty young girl at Areka that had one large foot with a huge toe. Dr. Anderson at the Soddo Christian Hospital operated on her so now she has a normal life and is quite happy. Dr. Anderson's wife Jackie has become really interested in the Mossy Foot Project. She has gone to the clinics several times taking food and clothing for the people and sharing with them about Jesus., She will be going with us tomorrow.
Most of our time yesterday and today was occupied with going to various government offices in order to secure land for the MFP center. This afternoon we went to the site with the head government official and surveyors. Jim did a good job of explaining to them that having a MF Research Center would be very beneficial to the prestige of Wollaitta and we really wouldn't like to have to build it elsewhere. Ato Nugga, the government official was quite eager to accomodate MF's needs.
Tomorrow we will be going to visit Meselech,a twenty year old woman who has MF disease. She is the only child of deceased parents who left her a small piece of land. The uncle and cousins are embarrassed that they have someone in their family with MF disease. Also, they want to take Meselech's land. They want her to die. Meskele gave the church some straw so that the church could build a house for Meselech. Her relatives took the straw off her house and fed it to their cattle. Again the church thatched Meselech's dwelling. A second time the relatives stripped the straw off her house and fed it to their animals. The young woman was so depressed that she drank bleach trying to kill herself, but fortunately didn't die. Now the MFP will take corrugated iron roofing to the church leaders so they can build a house for Meselech that the cattle can't eat.
Yesterday and today our time has been occupied with visiting various government offices in order to obtain land for Mossy Foot. The sun is setting and we just returned from the building site with the government surveyors. The electricity has been off for most of the time that we have been here, and most recently for several days. I started writing this email by candlelight but now they repaired the portable generator so we have lights.
There is no running water in the house, but there is a shower pan in the bathroom so we are pretending we are camping out, scooping up water with a pan and pouring it over us. Actually we are living in luxury compared to most of the Ethiopians.
We value your prayers and emails.
Love,
Jim and Sharon Daly
Mossy Foot Project, Soddo, Ethiopia
