Faces

Some photos from the past few days at the project . . .

This little girl is SO shy and afraid of us "foreigners"! She always hides behind her mom's skirt and starts crying if we come close. Her mom's been living a rough life; one day I was walking to the project office on the weekend. The women here who clean the streets are so ashamed of their occupation that they cover their faces with scarves so you can't see who they are. I was walking along at my normal brisk pace, enjoying the sunny day and the rush of the city. Suddenly one of the street cleaners stepped up to me and said, "Sara". I turned and realized it was Haymanot, this little girl's mom. I hope we get the opportunity to really reach out to them.

This is Mesfin--I love this photo because it shows how much he's improved in the past months. He and his mom and little brother joined the project in November. His whole face was covered with an infectious skin disorder that frequently affects those with HIV. We started feeding the family and providing meds and vitamins, and he's like a whole new child! He's in school now, and is very bright.

And this is Abeba and her little girl Sara. Abeba's precious to me--some days I just wish so badly I could do more for her. She's struggling to raise her two girls alone--but she's making it. Sara is precious and gentle and full of hugs and kisses. This day I got jolly rancher-goo in my kiss:) I loved the stickiness, though:)