So we've moved back the "Give So They Can Live" Benefit Yard Sale to February 6th (Sunday) so that my sister could be here to help us out! It's also the day after the Krispy Kreme Challenge - wooo!

We will be taking material donations up until the day before, so feel free to donate your unwanted materials!

Fun Fact - Did you know 12 million people depend on the coffee exports from Ethiopia? Did you know that the Kaffa Region of Ethiopia is the birthplace of the coffee plant, coffee arabica. Mmmmm...coffee.

"to welcome the opportunity of contriubting to the WORLDS work in the community in which I am placed because of the joy of service thereby bestowed, and the talent of leadership multiplied."

click here to donate to orphans of Ethiopia. every dollar helps.

Dharmasala, India 2009

Hope everyone is having a Marvelous Monday!

*thanks to Lauren Bell for my nifty title :)

It has been a deep passion of mine to become an OB/GYN physician, but to concentrate in reproductive medicine (specifically infertility and preimplantation genetic diagnosis).  With those interests in mind, I am passionate about the youth of the world, and this includes orphans.  I have volunteered in the NICU of a hospital in Delhi, India, Mother Theresa’s orphanage in Agra, India, and a daycare in Dharamsala, India.  I have also volunteered at Victory Junction Camp for disabled children in Randleman, NC.  I love helping children!

82.8 million people populate Ethiopia.  5.4 million of those count as orphans.  This means that 1.2% of the total population does not have a family.  Out of the 5.4 million orphans, 650,000 children were orphaned by AIDS.  Contraceptive prevalence is only 15% throughout the country, and only 5% of deliveries have their costs covered. Extended family would take the love to take the orphan into their own home but simply can not afford it (data from UNICEF).

So, what can you do to help these orphans? Donate…. Donate time, money, or materials.  Donate time to raising awareness, Donate money to the non-profit organization I am going through, Donate materials to my “Give So They Can Live” yard sale.

Think about it: if you could donate just $25, that’s 5 cups of fancy coffee from starbucks.

If you would like to donate things to my yard sale being held at the NC State Fair grounds from Jan 29-30 (we may have cupcakes!) – send me an email at chcoppola@gmail.com.  We already have tons of stuff and it’s going to be tons of fun!

You may also donate to my PayPal account for Projects Abroad…. Click the donate tab above.

If you want more information on Projects Abroad… click any link on my blog.

Daycare in Dharamsala, India - Summer 2009

Payal and I in a daycare in Dharamsala, India. She taught me how to play the recorder.

Hi everyone,

I have set up a Paypal donations website to make it easier for you to make a monetary donation.  The donations go straight to the non-profit organization I am volunteering with, Projects Abroad.

If you aren't able to donate materials for the yard sale (see blog below), this is the easiest method to contribute. Every dollar helps the orphanage and children, and it is tax deductable!

Thanks!!!

I will be having the benefit yard sale at the NC Flea Market (or also known as NC State Fair Grounds) this January 29-30.  We will be there from 9AM - 6PM both Saturday and Sunday.  When I get the booth location, I will post it here.

Please come and bring awareness to this cause! Also, if you would like to make a monetary or material donation, let me know.  I have several individuals who are donating "yard sale things" from their houses, and I will be collecting it up until the day of the sale.  Use this time to get a jump start on spring cleaning, and donate any unused or unwanted clothes, kitchen items, or things that have been stored in the garage or attic for years!  Your contributions are much appreciated!

If you would like me to come pick up things to donate to the yard sale, contact me at chcoppola@gmail.com

See the signs that my sister and I have made for this event.

Many of you know that I am planning on volunteering in Ethiopia.  I will be leaving for Ethiopia mid-May and I will spend between 4-6 weeks in the Addis Ababa Orphanage which is located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  Ethiopia is located on the Eastern side of Africa, is a land locked country, and contains the “blue Nile” (a reservoir for the infamous Nile that travels from South to North throughout the wonderful country of Egypt.  Sudan is to the West and Kenya is to the south.  The national language is Amharic, and like most international cities, English is widely spoken as well.  The predominate religion is Christianity.  Ethiopia is also the site of the excavation of “Lucy” (genus Australopithecus).

Addis Ababa is the capital of Ethiopia, and is also known as the political capital of Africa because of its significant historical and political contributions to the continent.  In Ethiopian languages, Addis Ababa means “new flower”.  Addis Ababa is over 7,000 feet above sea level which means a cooler climate (unlike the hot-sweaty conditions of my past travels to Egypt and India) and no mosquitos (AKA – I do not have to take those dreadful anti-malarials!).  I am very excited to experience the cultural in this urban city of Ethiopia, and especially because there is only ONE physician for every 100,000 people!

Enough about the background on Addis Ababa and Ethiopia – now, what will I be doing? Both urban and rural poverty is still a HUGE issue in Ethiopia, and political issues, the 2008 drought, and the non-oil dependence of the country have all played a part in the countries large poverty.  What happens when there is a large amount of poverty stricken families? Well, there are more street children and orphans.  Kids are left abandoned if they are unable to provide work for their family; children aren’t able to be provided for by their families so they are left on the streets.  I experienced the wonders of an orphanage set up by Mother Theresa in Agra, India during my summer 2008 volunteership.  There, I colored with the kids, took care of the disabled orphans, fed them, helped bathe them, and assisted the attending physician when he came in to check for hepatitis and tuberculosis.  In Ethiopia, I am so very excited to spend a solid month in an orphanage in a country where they need someone to donate time and love to this orphans.  I will play games with them, teach them, love them, and plan activities for the street children.  I will bathe them, teach them hygiene, and make them feel cared for that they might not other wise feel.  During summer 2009 when I volunteered in Anganwadi Ther Daycare in Dharamsala, India, the children began to call me “Didi” which means sister in Hindi.  I will be more than blessed and honored to be a “Didi” to these kids in Ethiopia.

Thank you for reading my blog, and I hope you read it from time-to-time as I will keep up with before, during and after my journey.