Education Saves Lives

Irene Apon’s compassion for the poor has been a constant companion ever since she first traveled to Ethiopia with her husband Fred and family in 1987 to help HOPE International Development Agency drill water wells for drought-stricken villages.

Having returned to Ethiopia on a number of occasions, Irene is acutely aware of the important role education plays in ensuring children are well equipped to face and conquer poverty.

“In the time I’ve been privileged to spend in Ethiopia with Frehiwot, the orphaned children and their communities, it’s clear to me that education is of paramount importance,” says Irene.

Children, especially those who have lost their parents and find themselves in Frehiwot’s care, understand the importance of getting an education.

Yet life continues to conspire against them as is so often the case in impoverished communities, making an education the stuff of dreams.

An impromptu visit to the Addis Ababa home of one of her young students remains with Irene even today.
The child’s home was no bigger than an average dinning room here in Canada and had to accommodate the mother and her 5 children. “It was devastating,” recalls Irene. “The tiny home, the children, the living conditions and sadly, a loving mother confined to her bed as she slowly and painfully died of AIDS.

“I thought of my 5 children and her 5 children and as we spoke, the mother told me that what frightened her most was not being able to care for her children and not knowing what the future would hold for them.”

In thinking about the difficult moment in the cramped quarters of the small home in Addis Ababa, Irene recalls a key thought that kept coming to mind then and even today, “This loving mother didn’t choose to be born into poverty nor did she choose to contract HIV/AIDS. Yet my life, despite the choices I had no part in making, has been so blessed. I knew then and still believe today that we, here in Canada, have been blessed so that we can be a blessing to others.

“Caring people like Frehiwot and HOPE International Development Agency donors are offering a ‘hand-up’, not a ‘hand-out’ as they work to ensure that children, especially orphans, receive the care they need,” says Irene. Irene believes, as we do, that education offers children the best hope of alleviating their suffering and leaving a life of poverty.

Irene and Fred Apon, currently living in Alberta, Canada, continue to be passionate supporters of HOPE International Development Agency.