Showers of blessing through sponsoring underprivileged children

Merla Jordan and Don Jordan are an American couple, who have sponsored 20 children from Ethiopia. Meseret Bedaso, a 19-year-old girl and a college student is the first to be sponsored by the Jordan’s 14 years ago while Agere Teshome a 3-year-old boy is the last pick.

“My sponsors are everything for me. They have never been hesitated to do whatever thing that benefits me and my family. They encourage me first and for most to get educated properly and I am doing well in my education,” said Meseret from Wolenchity town, 120kms away from Addis to the east.  “Since they started sponsoring me they have been sending various gifts in kinds, educational materials and money. They have bought us 2 oxen, 1 cow [now has a calf and gives milk], 2 sheep [now 2 other new ones], and now laptop and clothes,” explained Meseret adding her family’s and her life has been improving progressively and abundantly.

The other sponsored child, Agere, lives with his family in Arsi town, around 200 kms away from Addis to the east. He was born with some life threatening medical problem, an abnormal outgrowth of appendix, that his parents fate become roving elsewhere in search of health institutions and traditional medicine houses to save his life leaving no stone untouched. “I lost all my properties and energies wandering from place to place in search of medication for my child, but his condition was getting from bad to worse. There seemed no hope of sparing him from death. He was in the condition of between life and death,” said Agere’s father Teshome Abera.   

At last Agere was taken to a hospital [100 km from where he lives] and underwent surgery which gave him a relief for a while. Despite a short lived relief, Agere’s health condition began to deteriorate once again and his family got exhausted of travelling to several medical institutions. In the midst of this condition, World Vision accepted Agere as a Registered Child, being sponsored by the Jordan’s.  Lastly, he underwent further surgery whereby he got rid of the complication once and for all.

“After a month’s stay in the Hospital Agere discharged, but we have to travel back and forth every week from Arsi to Addis Ababa for the first 2 months, then every 15 days, then every month and now every four months,” said Teshome. This would be the toughest scenario for a subsistence farmer who solely relies on farm activity and 6 other children are expecting everything from the same father and mother.  But, “World Vision covered all costs of transportation, meal and medical cost covered (over 20,000 birr or 1,000 USD). Also, World Vision bought 2 goats for my child and now they become 6,” Teshome witnessed how he overcame the situation.  “Thanks to God, World Vision and the Jordan’s, my child has been survived,” Teshome acknowledges.

“The good works of World Vision and the Jordan’s will remain in my heart forever. My children’s life is thriving and hope is sprouting in my family as a whole,” said Teshome with hope in his face.   

Finally, Don Jordan said, “For us, sponsoring 20 children is not a burden but a huge blessing.”

Currently there are over 240,000 Ethiopian children sponsored by World Vision across the country. These children, their families and communities benefit from a variety of development program activities of World Vision including clean water, nutritious food, health care and education.