Learn more about our Selamta Family:
The Selamta Model from Selamta Family Project on Vimeo.
It’s month 9 and our last 3 months of the Race have started out with a BANG! Our Squad-Leader team, now called Team Thru-Hike, arrived in Addis Ababa May 30th. With special permission from our leadership, we had no team to visit, no host to serve with, no place to sleep, and full expectation that God would lead us exactly where He wanted us to go… AND HE DID!
Before leaving for the Race, an ATO alumni brother reached out to share that a past President of the University of Tennessee chapter, Lincoln, had completed the World Race and was now living in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Since Ethiopia was one of the countries on our route I was excited to reach out. Lincoln was very encouraging about the Race and said that we should connect closer to month 9.
As we prepared to travel to Ethiopia, I texted Lincoln and asked if he knew of any organizations that were looking for volunteers. He sent out an email, which led to another email, which led to a phone call from a man named Tamrat. Tamrat is the Ethiopian Director of Selamta Family Project.
I will never forget our initial conversation:
Tamrat said, “I heard you need a place to stay?”
“Yes!”, I responded. “We’d love to be helpful in any way that we can.”
“That’s great”, Tamrat followed up. “For us, relationships are everything. The help is welcome but we are excited to get to know you and for you to get to know us. Relationships – that’s what we care about most.”
Today marks day 10 of living with our Selamta Family and we can’t even begin to process the thought of having to leave.
Selamta Family Project is the most intentional and holistic ministry we have had the honor of serving alongside this year!
Their mission is simple:
WE BELIEVE EVERY CHILD DESERVES TO GROW UP IN A LOVING, STABLE FAMILY.
FAMILY is their life-blood. Their staff is a family, their homes are families, and they invite everyone who partners with their mission to genuinely be a part of their family. We’ve shared meals together, played cards together, sang songs together, studied English together, watched soccer together, and had deep conversations about life, faith, being men, what success means, etc. We are family.
Selamta serves orphaned children but is not an orphanage. There are currently more than 5 million orphaned children in Ethiopia. As you can probably guess, poverty is one the leading contributors to the orphan crisis. The ability to overcome poverty must be rooted in a holistic approach. Meeting only basic needs is not enough.
Selamta (which means “be at peace”) is truly unique. They believe in an in-country, family-based, and community-integrated approach that includes education, health & wellness, psychosocial support, and spiritual & life skills development.
Institutions don’t work. God didn’t create institutions. God created families.
Tamrat was right – we’ve been able to help in many ways but the relationships we’ve developed will be important to us LONG after we leave Ethiopia. Kayla and I have already decided – supporting our Selamta Family will be a part of our hearts forever.
To join Kayla and me in becoming financial partners of Selamta Family Project, check out the numerous ways to support here: Give a Home!
Here is a link to Selamta Family Project 2017 Annual Report: 2017 Annual Report
Powerful video. Passing this along to many who need to see it. Love the intentiality on relationship.
Man, this is one of the best posts I have read yet. You told me about this on the phone but wow I can hear the excitement in your voice over these typed words. Love you brother!
Woody