In my last post, I wrote all about AHOPE, how I got involved with them and how I became committed to HIV+ children in Ethiopia.

Now I am going to write about how you can help the children of AHOPE.

I am the volunteer supplies coordinator for AHOPE. As you can likely imagine, housing and caring for 80 or so HIV+ children requires a lot of supplies. AHOPE relies heavily on donations for items such as clothing, baby care items, school supplies and basic medical supplies. And because it is very costly to ship things to Ethiopia and AHOPE would have to pay fees to receive the packages, they rely on traveling adoptive parents and volunteers to get the supplies and donations to AHOPE.

As the supplies coordinator, I maintain current lists of what supplies are needed most. I put out pleas to email groups and forums related to adoption from Ethiopia. I keep lists of parents and volunteers who will be traveling and are willing to carry over donations, and I keep track of who is not traveling but has items to donate. I arrange the shipping of donations to travelers and give travelers info on visiting AHOPE and delivering their donations.

So there are two ways that you can help with supplies. You can look over the list of needed supplies at the bottom of this post, and gather some. Whether you can gather enough supplies to fill a ziplock bag, a suitcase or many suitcases, it is much needed and much appreciated.

If you are adopting a child from Ethiopia and would be willing to carry over some donations, that is another wonderful way to help. You can visit AHOPE yourself to bring the donations, or they can pick them up from wherever you are staying. Whether you can fit a small amount of donations or a large amount in your luggage, it is a big help.

If you are willing and able to help with donations and supplies in any way, you can email me at ahopesupplies @ gmail. com (no spaces).

Another great way to support AHOPE is to sponsor a child. For $30 a month you can sponsor one of AHOPE’s children. You will receive pictures and the child’s history, along with regular updates. The handmade Christmas card we got last December from one of the kids we sponsor was my favorite card I have ever received. AHOPE asks that you commit for at least six months of sponsorship.

The number of sponsors directly impacts AHOPE’s funding and the number of children they are able to care for. If you are interested in sponsoring a child, email Kathy Olsen at kpolsen @ aol. com (no spaces).

AHOPE will also soon have a sponsorship program for the children in the community who are not living at AHOPE. AHOPE was finding that families were abandoning children and placing them at AHOPE just because it was their only hope of getting their children the medical treatment that they needed. AHOPE’s Commuity Outreach Program will help keep as many children as possible home with their families, and will help to ensure that only the neediest of orphans are living at AHOPE.

The goal is to have 100 children enrolled in the outreach program by the end of the year.

As is often the case, one of the AHOPE’s biggest needs is money. They are currently working to raise $1.5 million, which will allow them to build AHOPE’s Children Village. The plans for the village include 16 cottages where children will live family style with house parents instead of in the traditional orphanage setting. It also includes six transitional homes designed for older teens and young adults who are being prepared to enter adult society, administrative buildings, a library, a clinic with isolation rooms, classrooms and an auditorium.

If you would like to donate to the Building Fund Campaign, you can do so through the Network for Good here on the AHOPE website.

The final way that you can help the children of AHOPE is to consider adopting one. While adopting a child that is HIV+ was a completely foreign concept not very long ago, it is becoming more and more common. Over 20 HIV+ children have now been adopted from Ethiopia alone.

Children with HIV are now expected to live long and full lives (well into adulthood). The medications allow them to live in good health, with little to no affects of the HIV. They can live indefinitely without developing AIDS. On a daily basis, they can be treated like any other child beyond giving them medication twice a day and handling blood with care.

Most group insurance plans add adopted children without any stipulations for pre-existing conditions, and each state has it’s own program for helping with expenses for HIV+ kids.

There are HIV+ children of every age and gender, and there are single children and sibling groups all waiting and hoping for a family.

To find out more about adopting an HIV+ child you can visit:

Chances By Choice

Project HOPEFUL Blog

Yahoo group for parents adopting or considering adopting an HIV+ Child


Current list of needs for AHOPE:

Eye drops
Anti fungal for oral thrush
Benadryl for allergic reaction
De-worming agents taken orally
Oral Suspension Ibuprofen
Antiseptic and Pain reliever
Savlon Antiseptic
Benzalkonium Chloride towelette Antiseptic
Instant Hand sanitizer
Burn cream
Poison Ivy Cleanser
Povidone Iodine USP Prep Pad
Plasil drop
Infants Mylicon
Gloves
Digital thermometer
Bandage (roll)
Sterile dressing gauze (packed)
Cold compress (Hot compress)…. Pack which is reusable
Cough syrups

Hyopan (Hyosine Syrup)
Hyosine tablets
Cloxacillin 125 mg/5ml syrup
Cloxacillin 250 mg/5ml syrup

Disposable Diapers
Cotton diapers
new/gently used kids shoes
kids' underwear and pj's (sizes 6mos. to 12/14)
antibacterial lotion
rubber gloves
simple English books for the new library
balls, simple games/puzzles (that don't require language knowledge)
arts and crafts supplies