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The story of Haregewoin Tefarra

There Is No Me Without You: One Woman’s Odyssey to Rescue Africa’s Children
Author: Melissa Fay Greene
Edition: 1
Format: Bargain Price
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 472

There Is No Me Without You is the story of Haregewoin Tefarra, a middle-aged Ethiopian woman of modest means whose home has become a refuge for hundreds of children orphaned by AIDS. It is a story as much about the power of the bond between children and parents as about the epidemic that every year leaves millions of children, mostly healthy themselves, without family.

Originally a middle-class woman with a happy family life, Haregewoin fell into a deep depression after the death of her recently married daughter. But then a priest brought her two children, AIDS orphans, with nowhere to go. Unexpectedly, the children thrived, and Haregewoin found herself drawn back into daily life. As word got out, an endless stream of children began to arrive at her door, delivered by dying parents and other relatives who begged for her help, and, pushing against the limits of her home and bank account, she took more and more in.

Today, Haregewoin runs a school, a daycare system, and a shelter for sick mothers. Without medication for her charges some HIV-positive, some uninfected, and some infants trying to fight off the virus, but almost all of whom come to her terrified and malnourished forges on, caring for as many as she can handle.

Increasingly, she also places them for adoption with families like that of journalist Melissa Fay Greene, who has two children adopted from Ethiopia.

In Haregewoin Tefarra’s story, Greene gives us an astonishing portrait of a woman fighting a continent-wide epidemic.

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2 thoughts on “The story of Haregewoin Tefarra

  1. In serving the Body of Christ, this Ethiopian icon stands tall than all of us who claim to be the true followers of God put together.

    Amidst unspeakable greed, corruption, pillage and indifference she is holding the last candle, the beacon of hope.

    My prayer and money goes to her and her mission.
    God Bless Haregewoin Tefarra
    God save Ethiopia

  2. Anybody who want to be proud? Be proud of Haregewoin but not be proud of building a church in USA that costs hundreds of thousands of USD. AS Bertu says above my prayer and money will go to Haregewoin Tefarra. Does any body know how to reach her?

    Yes GOD bless Haregewoin

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