I do apologise for not updating the blog more regularly, but things as always, have been hectic! I guess that's just life when you work, study and open an Orphanage on the other side of the world :)
I have lots of news though! Last month I held my first fundraiser for the orphanage- a charity screening of the film 'Up in the Air'. I was very fortunate to have had so many people turn up to support the orphanage and came close to selling out! Even better was that quite a few people who came, were motivated to make donations to me afterwards and as a result, I was able to make a last minute trip back to Lalibela (before university started). Boy was I glad I did! Everything was running nicely in my absence, but the hardworking staff were really starting to reach the end of their tether, so they were very grateful when I was able to hire 2 new staff members to assist them. Poor Habtum the cook was ready to tear her hair out as she was spending all day every second day in a hot little hut slaving over a wood fire, cooking 30 or so giant pieces of injera (the local sour pancake that is the main staple) for 11 very hungry kids as well staff. This was in addition to making and seving breakfast, lunch and dinner for them. Once I saw just how much work she was doing, I was able to order an electric injera machine for the orphanage so that she can make the injera at the orphanage itself, without slaving over a wood fire. This also means that the huge injera basket doesnt need to be carried from Habtum's house up to the orphanage every day, saving alot of work. I was also able to hire a second caregiver who can assist Habtum with some of the meal duties.
Sabi the caregiver was also well and truly overworked, so hiring a second caregiver who primarily looks after the older kids, allows Sabi to concentrate on the two toddlers and all their washing and cooking etc.
Fortunately, the new caregiver, Zidal is also a grade 12 student who speaks excellent english, so she can help the older kids with their school work.
the second employee is Marag- a lovely young man who for the past 3 months has been carrying the heavy injera basket twice a day for Habtum, unpaid! He has joined staff as a part-time guard to assist the guard, Ayalsew(I've been spelling it Ayatil, but thatis incorrect). He is also tutoring the older children of an afternoon with Zidal.

While I was there, I also took in a 5 year old girl who was previously raised by her grandmother who passed away recently. S's elderly grandmother found her way to the town this girl was living in, picked her up and brought her back to live with her (I think in the hopes that I would take pity on her and take the girl in). Her plan worked, so 5 year old Mekedes has joined the gang! Mekedes is quite malnourished like Bereket was, so hopefully I will see her healthy and happy like the others, next time I return! It was too late to enrol mekedes in grade 1, so we enrolled her in Kindergarten, and although she is older than the other kids, she loves it & very seriously sits down to practice her letters with the other kids in the afternoon.

I also sorted out licensing issues once and for all, I went to Addis to apply for the license and was told by the gov. department responsible that Ethiopia is no longer granting orphanage icenses and is in fact in the process of shutting down some of the larger ones as a recent inquiry brought to light some unsavoury practices at some of the larger orphanages. We were told that in the future, licenses will only be issues for centres that offer temporary accommodation for kids in crisis, until a local foster family can be found for them. As for our orphanage, we were told that the fact that it is small and a family-like setting, means that we don't have to have any kind of license and can continue to operate as we are, however if we grow any bigger, it would be a different story. So as it is, Ashley Haven will continue for the forseeable future as it is, 11 kids living together as a family, going to school together etc and they will continue to do so until they graduate from High School and if they wish to study further, then I will make sure they have that opportunity by creating some kind of education fund for them.
But Ashley Haven will not stop there, it is very possible that in the future I will create a separate crisis centre that offers short term care and finds/trains local foster carers... but one thing at a time! Right now, I am primarily concerned with securing the future of the 11 kids Ashley Haven cares for. I have more to say about this, but will make a separate post on that.

Hope everyone reading this is well!