Mission 10:10…
is a nonprofit organization that works through Christ, centered practices, equipping poor communities in Ethiopia to love the orphan, widow, disabled, and poor. By working alongside the local churches in these impoverished communities, Mission 10:10 can educate, empower, feed, and equip the community to lead with love. Orphans can be placed into loving foster homes rather than age out of orphanages, marriages can be strengthened rather than families being destroyed, widows can be equipped with job skills rather than be seen as worthless, and mouths can be fed. Please consider partnering with Mission 10:10 and make a difference.
Changing The Focus:
Mission 10:10 was started by people greatly impacted by God, Ethiopia, and the call to be a family to those who have none. We believe…
– Jesus came to offer all“… real life, an abundant life.” John 10:10
– “True religion before God is shown in this: to care for the orphans and widows in their afflication…” James 1:27
– That we are called to be a testimony of Jesus, “… to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
Fekadu Shenkute, the international director at Mission 10:10, has nearly 20 years of experience both within the Christian church and with orphan care. In recent years, Fekadu felt God leading him to go beyond orphan care and expand into community reform that involves orphan care. He has taken the pro’s and con’s of the typical orphan care model and developed a “community caring for community” approach for Mission 10:10.
Mission 10:10 uses a family home approach. Each facility has a Dad and Mom that cares for 4-8 children as their own. Partnered with the local, community church, this family approach supports children as they grow and learn what it means to be a family.. The home is a place where children are brought in off the street. They will be fed here and given the spiritual, social, and emotional skills to adjust to living in a family unit again. Here they will not be forgotten. They will not be removed for bad behavior, but lovingly cared for, disciplined, and instructed by loving parents.. Our home staff will also provide food and after school tutoring, as well as Bible study for both community children and parents. We also are teaching adult mothers to read and empowering community homes so they can provide a stable living environment for their children. The loving home staff, that God uses to rescue kids from the street, support families, and reunited kids and parents, will remain in their lives. The children will also learn to serve others by volunteering to help the elderly, widows, and poor within the community. The children will lead younger children in Bible studies and worship, and will visit local orphanages, giving of themselves and sharing their testimonies as a part of their own healing process and to encourage others.
Mission 10:10 will operate initially in “sub cities” of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, because it is the heart of the poverty and orphan epidemic. Mission 10:10 will also help strengthen the church body by providing spiritual, educational, and tangible support to the church members. Stronger marriages are better equipped to care for each other and a growing family. A stronger church means a stronger community. And within this stronger church we will be training up and equipping parents to take in street orphans.
Why Ethiopia?
Ethiopia is in Eastern Africa. It is a country located near the equator so it has a tropical climate in most of its regions. The country is deeply rooted in history and even resisted Italy’s invasion during World War II despite the lack of modern munitions. Ethiopia is famous for its rich, delicious coffee as well as for the cultural diversity which has so many tribes that there are over 80 different languages spoken in Ethiopia. Though Ethiopia is rich in heritage, it is ranked one of the poorest countries in the world. Currently 101 million people live in this tiny country of Ethiopia. Of these people, 4.5 million of them are double orphans. This means that 5%, or 1 out of every 20 people, is an orphan. (Huffpost 3/7/2014) Of people able to seek medical help, 59% of all deaths in Ethiopia were due to either a communicable disease or nutritional deficiency. (EthiopianReview.com Nov, 2013) This means that nearly 2 out of every 3 people dying in Ethiopia could have prevented their death with proper medical care, thus eliminating the orphan crisis. It is for these same reasons that in Ethiopia, 1 out of every 6 children dies before their 5th birthday. The crisis is real. The crisis is now.
As people are sick and dying, there is a serious crisis with widows as well. Women are left with no income earner in their home and children to care for. Many women are illiterate and incapable of earning a wage that will provide for herself, let alone her children. Families are moved onto the street and the homeless population continues to rise. Many women will tie up a small tarp to protect their family from the rain and sun. They beg for money or work as a cook for less than $1 a day.
Water is also a huge concern in Ethiopia. Most of the streams are heavily polluted with feces and debris. Unfortunately, this is the only source of water for many families both in the city and in the countryside. Running water is not standard in homes. 42% if the population has access to a clean water supply and only 11% of that number has access to adequate sanitation services. (Water.org) It is easy to see that if clean water were readily available, as well as toilets and sinks, the quality of life would increase as the risk of disease would decrease.
For people that can afford medical care, it is sometimes available. There are approximately 0.03 doctors per every 1,000 people in Ethiopia (Nation Master), ranking it 194 tying with 6 other countries for the 2nd lowest ranking. These doctors have limited diagnostic equipment, nearly no ongoing education, and few medications to distribute. It all comes at a price that is too much for most families to bare in the second poorest country in the world (Nazarat 6/2014) with one of the largest orphan populations!
None of these statistics describe an abundant life. And that is exactly why God has called Mission 10:10 and YOU to help the beautiful people of Ethiopia.
Support Us:
God’s work cannot happen without the financial support, volunteer work, and prayer of many people. We need YOU! Monetary donations are being taken to help fund the transition home as well as staff.