There are so many wonderful things
happening in the Ethiopia program; 16 families have been matched
with a referral since the courts closed and reopened, families
have received court dates and more are preparing to travel. Two
families returned home with heir children in late November. One
of our singles leaves for Ethiopia this Saturday, December 8. We
wish you the best in your travels!
Holiday Closures in Ethiopia:
The U.S Embassy in Ethiopia will be closed December 25 and
January 1 for the American Christmas and New Year?s holiday and
January 7 in celebration of Ethiopia?s Christmas. The courts
will be open for the American holidays, but will also be closed
January 7 in celebration of Ethiopian Christmas.
Wait Time: As more and more
agencies become licensed to work in Ethiopia, time frames for
various processes become longer, and more changes are
implemented. The current wait time from referral acceptance by
the family to the court date is now approximately 37 days; last
month the time frame was 30 days. This time frame may increase.
Court Dates May Be Rescheduled:
At this time, a number of our families? court dates have been
rescheduled, as are the court dates of families in every agency
working in Ethiopia. The Ministry of Women?s Affairs delivers
all documents to court. If the documents are not received by the
date scheduled, the case will be moved to an alternate court
date. There is no notice given to the agencies by the MOWA, as
some documents might actually be delivered while court is in
session. In other instances, the birth relative is not at the
court hearing. It is the responsibility of the orphanage
director of your child?s orphanage to locate the birth relative
and to bring him/her to court. Sometimes the birth relative may
have moved and the director will need additional time to locate
them, or perhaps the relative is still registered at the
original address through the local city administration but they
were not located in time. The court will be rescheduled to await
the birth relative, as well.
Correction ? Children?s Hope
works with 2 orphanages in Addis Ababa for the referral of
children (Hope for Abandoned Children and Finot Lewegon
Orphanage) and one orphanage in the Assela rural area (Numan
Orphanage Center).
Thanks to a young couple's
Bible study in Cleveland, OH, children at Children's Hope
transition home, House of Hope, and orphanages CHI works within
will be receiving handmade Christmas cards on January 7,
Ethiopia?s day of Christmas celebration.
Thank you and melkam genna (Merry
Christmas) to card makers Anna Heinz and friends for making the
children's Christmas a little brighter!
ETHIOPIA PROGRAM UPDATES
2007 Children's Hope International.
All rights reserved.