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Orphans in Africa
I joined an international social network website to meet people from different countries. I thought it would be fun to talk to people from all over the world, and it is! However, something else came out of my desire to make international friends; something that I would have no way of knowing the kind of impact it would have on my life.
I am very active on the international social networking website known as International Penpal Social Club. I love it. It has plenty of opportunities for creative outlets, games, groups, Youtube, forums, and the like. I guess the biggest draw was the ability to communicate with someone clear across the globe. I quickly, made friends with someone from Russia, someone from England, someone from Germany, Malaysia and the Philippines. I also made friends with a few people from Ghana, Mary and Daniel, and then I met a man from Liberia, Edward.
As I got to know the people from Africa, I learned about the poverty and suffering of their countries, but one thing they all mentioned were the orphans, there are vast amounts of impoverished children that have been separated from their families. I was very curious about this. I began to ask more questions. Although, there is a serious amount of abandoned orphaned children in Ghana, due to poverty, it was Edward, from Liberia whom impacted me most. I learned from him about the civil war that had just ended five years ago, in 2003 and that the country had basically, no infrastructure. Things we take for granted, power, water and sewage had been wiped out. Many survivors of the war had lost their homes and now live in mud-daubed huts while they struggle to get their lives back together. Edward also told me that 300,000 civilians lost their lives during the war. Edwards's information only went so far, however, as his English, albeit good, is limited. I began to do research on my own. I found out that a third of the populations fled the country due to the war, and currently 85% of the population is unemployed as well as being illiterate.
During my research, I was disturbed to learn just how bloody the war in Liberia was. Children had been made to become child soldiers, some even forced to kill their own parents in order to survive. Many of the children were given drugs, and taught to slaughter. It is my understanding that if you saw the movie "Blood Diamonds," it depicts the violence that these people suffered, as terrorists from Liberia spilled over into Sierra Leon. When Guerillas charged villages people scattered, children and families were separated.
While some children, today, have been reunited with family members, the country is overflowing with orphans or children that are still separated from living family. I also learned that these children are being exploited in many instances, but there are some wonderful organizations that are really trying to help the orphaned children in Africa, and in many other countries around the world. There has been a lot of talk about the corruption in Liberia, especially with some of the orphanages, so even though Liberian adoptions are on the rise, one should take care when adopting from Liberia that the orphanage they are dealing with is credible.
Some of the credible organizations that are currently aiding orphanages in Liberia are Life International; God's Kids, who fund and sponsor orphanages around the world, and orphanages sponsored by Christ's Victory International Mission.
I suddenly, although the conversations with my Ghanaian, and Liberian friends were never in an attempt to scam me or in anyway attempts at extracting anything from me, was filled with a desire to do something to help the orphans in Africa. My problem is that I really had nothing monetarily to give. I knew in my heart that there must be something that I could do, and I remembered that I have a group that I have formed on the International Penpal Social Club site called "We Love Ethnic Food." I originally thought it would be fun to gather recipes from all over the world to share with members on the site, but then I knew it would be perfect, if I could take all recipes from different countries and put them into a cookbook to sell with proceeds going to aid the orphan children in Africa. Therefore, that is what I have decided to do. I have decided to take submitted recipes and form an international cookbook, for charity.
I am inviting anyone that would like to help the orphan's in Liberia and Ghana to please submit his or her authentic, international recipe to http://www.international-penpal.com/, "We Love Ethnic Foods" Group, or email it to me at
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. All proceeds from the cookbook will be divided between the three aforementioned charities. I think I might call the cookbook "Love Ethnic Food and Save the Children." I will welcome other suggestions for book titles, too. Please, help spread the word, and help give hope to the orphaned children in Africa, by submitting recipes to the cause. The orphaned children really need our help; their current conditions are deplorable. Jeaneane Walrath
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