Mei Le and La La

La La is Mei Le's doll. Took me a while to find a doll of a colour appropriate to Little Sister ("She's not black, Mommy, she's BROWN!"). Good ol' Walmart eventually paid off.

Mei Le is a good little mother to La La, giving her bottles, tucking her in, and asking me to watch her when she's busy!

Margaret & Sophie in Ethiopia

I watched this last weekend ... it felt more like a campaign video for Justin Trudeau than the in-depth, educational documentary I had hoped for. Nonetheless, I hope it had a broad, awareness-building effect on the Canadian public's awareness of African poverty, water, and mental health issues. Only 16 psychiatrists for the WHOLE country! Amazing.

WaterCan's website:

www.watercan.org

Map of Ethiopia

CARE in Ethiopia

The humanitarian organization, CARE, has an active program in Ethiopia. Their web site has a great country profile:

http://www.care.org/careswork/countryprofiles/56.asp?

Some terrifying statistics:

Avg life expectancy: 41 yr
Neonatal mortality: 10.3%
Under 5 yr mortality: 17.2%
Maternal mortality: 0.87%
GNP per capita: $100
People with access to safe drinking water: 24%

Check out the web site for more info.

Adoption Update - Waiting

So, I *think* I've requested all the documents we need - now I just have to wait for them all to come in!

You'll all be relieved to know that we have been cleared by the RCMP & Interpol.

Now, I have to amass some photo pages that reflect our life and the home we are offering this child ... Harder than is sounds!

Will keep you posted!

Heartbreaking Song - PEARLS

I actually heard this song on Angelique Kidjo's album, Djin Djin, where she recorded it with Josh Groban - spectacularly beautiful & moving. (Turns out it was first recorded by Sade, on her album Love Deluxe.) It made me cry for these African women, their children, and my daughter-to-be. Check it out.

Pearls

There is a woman in Somalia

Scraping for pearls on the roadside

There's a force stronger than nature

Keeps her will alive

This is how she's dying

She's dying to survive

Don't know what she's made of

I would like to be that brave.

She cries to the heaven above

There is a stone in my heart

She lives a life she didn't choose

And it hurts like brand-new shoes

Hurts like brand-new shoes.

There is a woman in Somalia

The sun gives her no mercy

The same sky we lay under

Burns her to the bone

Long as afternoon shadows

It's gonna take her to get home

Each grain carefully wrapped up

Pearls for her little girl.

Hallelujah Hallelujah

She cries to the heaven above

There is a stone in my heart

She lives in a world she didn't choose

And it hurts like brand-new shoes