Hello all,


Sorry, my update is a bit late but hey it's been a rough few weeks so I know you'll all understand.

I'd like to answer some of the questions you all have about the length of time I will be here and how you can make donations if you would like.

I will be in Ethiopia until October 5th or so, give or take a few days. My visa expires on October 10th, so I must be out of the country by that time. I will have to add additional pages to my passport so I can be admitted into the U.S. upon arrival as my passport is now at its stamp and visa limit. :)

I will be returning home to stay, though I hope to visit the country as often as I can as it truly is beautiful as are its children. Upon my arrival home, I'm hoping that life isn't too difficult to acclimate to, though I know I will have my frustrations about the fast pace, the distance from home to work preventing me from walking to work every morning, everyday living, and most importantly I will be a bit distraught about not being able to visit the children at Kechene. So if anyone needs a babysitter, please just let me know because I'll probably be more than happy to oblige the chaos :)

Regarding donations. Right now you are more than welcome to send donations to my dad, yes dad, I've volunteered you :) He can place the money in my bank account and it can be used to help projects at Kechene Children's Home. I wish there were a better way than putting it into my personal bank account, but I don't have another option, I apologize. However, if anyone wants receipts for their donations I can accommodate the request, no problem.

Kechene is disparate for money for:
*diapers (never have enough)
*fruit for the children (it is only brought by me)
*milk (only infants and toddlers have access)
*meat (only received twice per year and the children are in need for it as they do not have fat in their diets)
*walkers (to get the infants out of their cribs)
*mobiles (so the infants have something to look at since they are in their cribs all day except when I'm there)
*shoes for toddlers-10 years of age
and much much much much much much more.


If you would like to know my dad's address, please take the time to just e-mail me at bettinakeppers@hotmail.com and I will forward it to you.

Regarding making donations after my departure, I am working on an option with an agency that works with Kechene to see if they would accept the donations and forward them onto the Home as it is the safest way to secure that the money will get to where it needs to go.

Additionally, there are many many great programs assisting orphaned children in the country that need sponsors for specific children or projects. They are very well respected programs, most of which were created during the 1984 famine. I would be more than happy to meet with anyone who is interested in supporting any program in Ethiopia upon my return. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO BOMBARD ME! I'll take in kind donations, give presentations to organizations or companies for structured funding, and I'll be more than happy to raise awareness in schools and higher learning institutes.

So that's it for now! I would really really appreciate your help in securing a better future for these children. Any help is sincerely appreciated not just by me, but by the director, the 'moms' and of course the children.

Thanks!!!