Donations Update

Our stash of donations sans the big order of cloth diapers still to come

Hello Friends,

Thanks to some very generous people, I have accumulated a lot of what we were asking for, especially in the clothing and shoe department. In sizing up the packing situation, I have concluded that I can only add smaller items at this point. Based on what I have collected so far, l am still looking for a few items... Mostly over-the-counter creams, vitamins, flashlights, etc.

Additional cash donations received in the next few days will be used to order more cloth diapers and covers (these are expensive items but of lasting, durable value). Last minute cash donations will be used to buy other items on the list that I can get locally. Instead of repeating the list, I updated my original blog post to cross off items I no longer need or have suitcase room to accommodate.

Since we are leaving in a little more than a week, if you still have anything to send our way, I would appreciate receiving any donations by next weekend. Again, thank you to everyone who has been so kind and generous! Your help is really appreciated.

Erika

Calling All Generous People

  

Lily in DC waiting for the flight to Addis Ababa with our bags of goodies in 2008

Dear Friends and Family,

As many of you know, the Prager family is leaving on December 8^th for Ethiopia to meet "K," our (soon-to-be) four-year old son. When we adopted Semira in 2008, we managed to deliver four suitcases full of supplies for the care center that Semira was living at in Addis Ababa. Many of these supplies came to us from our very generous family and friends!  I can’t tell you how grateful the staff was when they opened the bags.

We would very much like to do this again. Ethiopian adoptions have slowed down considerably in the last year, which has greatly decreased the amount of donations that the various orphanages are receiving. They are very much in need of basic stuff! 

Lufthansa allows each of us two free checked bags for the trip. Unfortunately, we will have to pay checked bag fees for the domestic part of our flight. (Thanks USAir!). Steve and I will pay these bag fees for any donations we collect. We are light packers so I think we can take at least 5 -50 lb bags of donations with us. We plan on distributing the donations to K’s orphanage in Addis Ababa and the care center for our adoption agency (which is different).

I am also looking for two suitcases/heavy duty duffel bags to use to transport things. A duffel bag allows me to pack it up on the way home to avoid baggage fees. With regard to suitcases, I am actually looking for an old suitcase that someone doesn't want returned. That way I can just leave it in Ethiopia.

I know there are so many good causes to donate to! I also realize we are entering the holiday season and money can be tight. So let me say in advance that I really appreciate all donations of any sort. These donations are better than any present you could give us! 

Below is a list of things I know are current needs. Generic is fine and gently used is good (especially for clothes, shoes, toys, etc.). This is a great opportunity to get rid of some kid things that your own children might have outgrown.

• Clothes, shoes, and underwear for children aged 5-10 (no infant clothing needed at this time)
• Sippy cups with lids
• Bottles and nipples
• Sheets for cribs & toddler beds
• Toys for toddlers, preschoolers, and older children (no stuffed animals; they are germ spreaders)
• Blocks for stacking
• Stacking cups
• Wooden puzzles
• Baby dolls
• Plastic feeding spoons for toddlers
• Baby powder
• Clotrimazole ointment
• Cloth diapers and diaper covers
• Diaper rash cream (over the counter)
• Disposable masks
• Flashlights with batteries
• Baby blankets
• Bottle/nipple brushes
• Thermometers
• Mosquito nets
• Travel packs of baby wipes (for the nannies to take with them when they travel with the babies)
• Anti-fungal creams (over the counter)
• Vitamins for infants/toddlers/older children
• Educational and instructional items – the staff is setting up classrooms to teach children at each care center.

If you have an item that you think might be appropriate but aren’t sure, please let me know. Also, if you are interested in helping out but aren’t sure what to get, I am happy to take care of the shopping for you. I did this last time and it worked rather well. I was able to purchase some larger items and fill in the gaps. I promise to be a good steward of your money! If you would like to contribute via PayPal, here is the easiest way:

Donations will be routed to our PayPal account and we will access the funds from there!

We appreciate the ongoing support that we have received from everyone. Please don't feel obligated if this isn't something you are interested in. We just wanted to let you know that we don’t personally need anything, but there is something else you can do to help.

Many thanks in advance!

Erika

Court Date...Ethiopia in 32 days!

This last week has been a whirlwind! On Tuesday, we received news of our upcoming court date in Ethiopia – December 16! This is trip #1 where we will meet K and appear at the Ethiopian Courts to testify that we wish to officially become his parents. Our agency informed us that we needed to arrive in Addis Ababa no later than December 14. This set off a panic as airline tickets are very expensive around the holidays. In addition, Steve has some pending deadlines with a couple of grant projects and two papers. Plus, with it being the end of the semester then, it is generally crazy trying to wrap things up before the break.

We had always planned on taking Lily and Semira with us on the first trip to Ethiopia because of the two required trips, the dates for trip #1 were less likely to change and we have a month notice (which is not much, but way more than we will get for trip #2). After a 24 hour marathon with the travel agent, we managed to find some fairly reasonable tickets (if you can call buying four plane tickets to Africa reasonable). The catch is we are leaving on December 8 and coming back on Christmas day. As a result, the kids will miss the last two weeks of school leading up to the winter break. I am optimistic though that the kids’ teachers will work with us so that we can take much of their school work with us. Otherwise, returning in January after not attending for a month would be ugly. 

There is still a lot of planning to do in the next few weeks. We will spend the first nine days in Addis Ababa. Steve has many friends and colleagues in Addis who want to meet us so I think we will be entertained a lot. We also have some business of our own to do (e.g. Steve has some work to follow up on and I am interested in checking out a school for when we are on sabbatical). After we complete the adoption related business, we will travel for a week. Our plan is to fly to Bahir Dar, take a minibus to Gondar, then fly back to Addis from Gondar. Aside from the coming up with a plan, we still need to buy the local plane tickets and find decent places to stay.

We are all very excited to meet K! We wonder what he will be like. We also received an update on K this week with five new pictures. He seems to be doing really well except for a recent bought with tonsillitis. He has adjusted to his new care center in Addis Ababa and really loves his nannies. I have no idea whether he knows that he will have a new family soon. Since we have done this once before, I know that asking any questions now will result in little accurate or meaningful information. So I am saving all my questions for when we get there!

Wow, it is hard to believe that we are leaving for Ethiopia in 32 days!