Friday, January 16, 2015

Two siblings struggle with adult concerns living on their own.



Eighteen year old Gemechu Eyasu, a grade 12 student at the only school for 11-12th graders in Debre Zeyit called preparatory school, while better off than he and his sister had been, is struggling to survive living a hard life in Ethiopia. He and his sister, Merkitu, age 14 and a grade 9 student at Bishoftu Secondary School, live together on their own without any family to help them. The two kids lost their family some time ago and have lived in Debre Zeyit the past seven years. They do have an older sister who is not that involved at 20 years old and who left to marry at 19. Before entering BCI's program, the kids were totally on their own without any sponsorship or missionaries helping them have the place they live at now. Gemechu is partially sponsored and the two kids are in need of more people willing to share their finances.

Gemechu is studying hard preparing for the national exam for entrance to a university of the Ethiopian government's choice. You must get good marks (like all A's in our grading system in the west) in all the core subjects or you don't get to go to university. Habeshas do not get to choose which school they go to like you can in America as the government is different with less freedoms and programs. He thought of studying medicine but now he wants to be an engineer. Merkitu wants to go into medicine. With both students fastly approaching university, current needs aside from adult concerns like monthly rent and food cost include school needs like paper, writing utensils, and a laptop for university classes.



When not in school, Gemechu likes spending time with his friends, reading, and watching movies. Over the last summer break, he spent his time teaching 3-4 kids not in school and is a leader in his church's fellowship program. The kids do their own laundry on the weekends, clean the house, and Merkitu makes injera. Both kids attend church regularly as they are believers in Jesus Christ. When asked their favorite bible verse or a verse that gets them through, Gemechu said his likes 1 and 2 Timothy and Merkitu's favorite is Ecclesiates 9:11: "I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all."



Is God tugging on your heart to sponsor Gemechu or Merkitu Eyasu? To be fully sponsored Gemechu only needs one person to step up with $30 a month. If He's calling you to provide, sign up to make your donation at www.blessingthechildren.org/donate. These great kids thank you in advance and pray God blesses you and that He is with you. They pray for you that you live a happy life.

 
 

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