Life in Ethiopia is hard for everyone.   From birth to old age, just making it from day to day is a challenge.   But no matter how difficult, home is where the heart thrives.   And Ethiopia is home to over 70 million people.   According to recent World Bank statistics, around 80% of the country lives in rural areas in an agrarian society and an Ethiopian's average life expectancy is 42 years.   Less than 40% of the adults over the age of 15 are literate.  

Acknowledging these facts makes one better understand the sacrifices that immediate and extended family members in Ethiopia make to provide for their children.   And these children do not take the few opportunities they have for granted.   Everyone works hard, as shown in the pictures below, from the 4 year old carrying fire wood to the elderly blind woman weaving traditional cloth outside her home.   

And while there are distinct differences in the environment that children in Ethiopia grow up in compared to children in western countries, they participate in many of the same activities, be it playing with siblings and friends or going to the market with mom or dad. There have been many changes in Ethiopia over the past couple of generations, some for the better and some for the worse, but the hope in these children's eyes is the same as the generation before.   These kids, with the help of their families, are doing their best to find a way to make their dreams come true.

Here's a true story so typical of the children growing up in Ethiopia.   Yohannes is 17 years old and in 9 th grade this year at the only high school within hours of his home.   As kids from all over the region travel to this high school, it is understandably over-crowded.   Students must register early to get in or miss the academic year totally.   Registration requires only a parent's approval and a picture of the sponsoring parent and child for the file.   Families only need to pay for their own school books and supplies.   But like many parents, Yohannes' father has little hope that his son will be anything other than a farmer.   And he often needs Yohannes' help around the farm.   So like most children in Ethiopia, school hasn't been the first priority.   But that hasn't stopped Yohannes.   Instead, he's done everything a boy in a small town can do to raise his own money for school books and supplies.  

Yohannes spent the past year selling soft drinks to people traveling on the mini buses that pass thru town, carried their baggage, shined shoes, and any other job he could find.   Now he is enrolled in the 9 th grade and studying in hopes of being an engineer.   Yohannes is slowly working his way through high school, and it will take more than a few challenges to stop him.   This type of determination can be found all across the country and reminds us that change really can happen when the desire is so strong.