Why so many orphans?

There are more orphans in Ethiopia than people in Norway.

Some people ask me, "Why are there so many orphans in Ethiopia?"

Well, there are many reasons.

HIV and AIDS - Ethiopia has one of the world's largest populations infected with H.I.V. and AIDS. The number of AIDS orphans in Ethiopia is estimated at a million, most of whom end up living on the streets.*1

Disease and Life Expectancy - Malaria, yellow fever and TB are fatal illnesses in Ethiopia. Life expectancy is only about 50 years old. Can you imagine that? How close are you to 50?

Poverty - Out of a population of around 80 million (2009) people, 50 million people are living in abject poverty. *2 The average Ethiopian makes about $300 a year. That is less than a dollar a day to live on. With many mouths to feed, some families are forced to relinquish their children for economic reasons. They simply cannot feed them.

Childbirth is hard - and dangerous. In Ethiopia, there are 59 OB/GYNs and 1,000 midwives for a population of 77 million. One woman dies from pregnancy-related complications every minute worldwide; 95% of them live in Africa and Asia.*3

Many more reasons exist, but these are some big factors. They are sad realities. We know that our choice to adopt does not solve these issues. The truth is that big things need to change in Ethiopia. Reality is that there are millions of orphans and street kids.


*1 http://www.melissafaygreene.com/pages/afraidsorph.html
*2 http://finance.mapsofworld.com/economy/ethiopia/poverty.html
*3 http://www.walktobeautiful.com/