Bright Futures Fund Girls--an update

The Bright Futures Girls

Just nine months ago, we learned that all of the girls pictured above were too old to receive US Visas and therefore ineligible for adoption.  Birthdates are not generally recorded in rural Ethiopia and children are often smaller than a typical child that age would be here in the U.S.   Therefore it is always a bit of an art to guess the ages of children who arrive at Layla House.  We rely on both doctor's reports, relatives' recollections and technology like wrist x-rays that can show at what stage of puberty a child is in.  Even though these girls had been at Layla House for some time we had hoped that they would still be eligible but it was not to be and other plans had to be made to assure that they would still have a "bright future."  Thus the Bright Futures Fund was born and the girls were enrolled in a boarding school outside of Addis so that they could continue their education and begin preparation for a life in Ethiopia. 

Recently Merrily and Susan Holmgren were able to see the girls on their trip to Ethiopia because the entire group were on a weekend visit to one of our partner orphanages--Sele Enat.   Merrily returned with photos and a social worker's report about how the girls are doing.   Here is an excerpt from that report:

It has been nine months since the girls have joined the school. At first, though they struggled a lot so that they can adjust themselves to the new environment, gradually they have been becoming acquainted with the school system, surroundings and with the other children whom they learn together. At this time they are also doing better day after day and following their schooling courteously. I have been able to see some of the class exams they have taken in the past nine months and they are all doing acceptable. The last semester of this year is at hand and they are doing their best to prepare themselves so that they are getting good result. They are going to have a final exam that starts from June 13-17/2011.

Many people have met the girls over the years and have have received some donations to help us with this project.  The cost of boarding school, books and necessities comes to about $1300 per girl/per year.  If you would like to help ensure that these girls do indeed have a Bright Future, click here.  Please contact Brooke Cole, AAI Sponsorship coordinator.  Donors to the Bright Futures Fund will receive periodic updates and may send letters to the girls via the AAI office in the U.S.  Let's encourage them to do well and succeed!  

Ethiopian Bright Futures Fund

AAI has recently created the Ethiopian Bright Futures Fund to provide for the children whom we have cared for but have been unable to place for adoption.  Recently seven girls who had lived at Layla House for several years were determined to be above the age eligible for a visa to the United States.  We are committed to ensuring that they have a “bright future” ---a good education and the ability to live independently—in the country of their birth.  The girls are all now attending a good boarding school outside of Addis that will help them re-integrate into Ethiopian society.  We expect to be placing several other children in this or similar situations over the coming year.  This is a group sponsorship program and donors will receive a periodic newsletter about the children's progress.  We welcome one-time as well as recurring donations to this Fund.  Please contact Brooke Cole for more information.  

Read more about these girls in this previous blog post. 

7 Layla Girls off to Boarding School

This is bittersweet news for all of us at AAI.   Some of our children are "aging out" and will be ineligible to receive visas to come to the U.S. with adoptive parents.  The seven girls in the photo above were just enrolled in a nearby boarding school where they will be able to continue their educations and train for a vocation in Ethiopia with the help and support of the AAI family.  Jessica Alderson accompanied them on their journey and sent us the following post and pictures.  We will be sure to update you all as the girls progress.  On school vacations, they will have opportunities to visit Layla House as well as extended family.  We wish them well!

Over the past few years, many parents and volunteers have met these lovely girls.  We will be offering opportunities to help sponsor their educations and to stay in touch with them.  Stay tuned for details.  If you wish to make a donation now, click here and indicate "boarding school students" in the space provided for your donation designation. 

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As we spent quite a few hours gathering supplies, shopping, and finally packing up the 7 girls, the emotions started running high. Reality came in a huge gust and tears were shed as they (and we) contemplated their new journey. Bittersweet to say the least, the 7 beautiful girls we were preparing to send off to L’esperance School in Akaki (about 40 minutes outside of Addis Ababa) had mixed emotions. Excited to have the opportunity to excel and finish school instead of going back to families or relatives with little to no chance of furthering their educations, all 7 of the girls braced themselves for the next chapter of their lives together. In a way, I guess it’s better that there are quite a few of them to support each other. All of them are close and have grown up, so to speak, in the same household as family for a couple of years of their lives.  Three of the girls leave brothers at Layla House still eligible for adoption and that too, added to the sadness of the moment.  As they said their last goodbyes, we packed up the van with entirely too many bags and belongings (they are so spoiled!) and drove them out to their new dorm and school. Within the gated compound, a couple of school buildings sat amidst a sprawling field, the younger kids’ school building gated off separately from the others, and the compound hosted a decent-sized office and a church for the kids to go to at anytime, a cafeteria, as well as a few other buildings. The boys’ and girls’ dormitories are on opposite ends and in the middle sits a guard to direct and dismiss any of the kids who may wander towards the wrong gender area. As we walked into the dorm area, the hall felt a little empty still as that Monday was move-in day for all of the upcoming years’ students. They all picked a room that housed 8 beds and decided that they would like to be together--rightfully so. They have 1 roommate, Bereket, a super sweet girl that was very gracious and accepting of their room pick. As girls their age started to pour in, the 7 Layla house girls clung together in excitement, shock, sadness, but also with a very small light of hope in them. At Layla, these girls were living a great life (friends, staff and kids that become like family, a clean and sanitary living area, and the comforts of so many things that kids their age and situation lack) and at L’esperance they are required to behave a certain way and take care of themselves like the young adults they now are. It’s going to be a huge change for them but I know that there is a lot of faith for their success and many people praying and continuously supporting them. We can’t thank everyone enough. So for now, keep them in your thoughts and wish them luck on their new endeavor.