Meeting Ethiopia's Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali

What a memorable day! Yesterday we met the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali!

His office invited six of our women, along with Sosena, our country director and Jake our Deputy Director to an Easter program at the palace. It was an amazing day for everyone as he personally greeted each of our mothers sitting in the front row. He then spoke to the 200 guests in attendance and they all received gifts of groceries to bring home to their families, along with an extended tour of the palace grounds. In addition, we had brought our mothers shopping earlier in the morning and purchased them all new dresses to wear for this special occasion. They were beaming and felt so good about themselves. It was all a very unexpected surprise, that wasn't revealed until after they were dressed and heading to the event!

Sosena and several of our women were later interviewed and below is the EBS News reel. Watch beginning at 0:28 to see all of our women in their green dresses, sitting in the front row and the Prime Minister's entrance.

The interview is in Amharic. Sosena was featured twice: The first is at 2:02 where she shares who she is, about HFK and that we serve in the area by the trash dump. She is followed by Zenebich one of our mothers, who is thanking the Prime Minister and sharing how happy she is to be there, and blessing Ethiopia, "May God give us peace".

Sosena's second piece begins at 3:34. She is responding to the question "How do you think your families felt today?" She answers, "This was not only encouraging for them, but also for me, because having served in a non governmental humanitarian sector for 15 years, I have observed that the poor are not always considered in decision making. They are vulnerable in many ways. When I see this initiative from the Prime Minister, it is encouraging and I hope this will be like a symbol for the community to consider the poor."

EBS NEWS REEL:

UPDATE:  Two days later, we received a second invitation to the palace and 20 of our families and elders attended an Easter Luncheon, served by the Prime Minister himself.  To read more and watch the lovely video of the luncheon go to our later Blog Post: Easter Luncheon with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia.