The mission of DRAWN FROM WATER is to rescue and provide the best possible future for children who have been deemed “mingi” and sentenced to death by their tribes.
Need
In rural Africa there are three tribes that practice what is called “mingi”, which loosely translates to mean dirty or unclean. There are many ways in which a child may become “mingi”, but once the label has been placed all children suffer the same fate, they must be killed. But now there is another way, in January of 2009 Lale Labuko an educated man from one of the tribes who practices “mingi” and Yabibal Abebaw worked together with a group of visiting missionaries to start Drawn From Water, an orphanage who’s mission is to take in the children who have been deemed “mingi” and to educate the tribes that these children are a blessing and not a curse. In the three tribes, which practice “mingi”, there are a total of roughly 130,000 people living in hundreds of villages spanning an area totaling hundreds of square miles. It is estimated that more than 1000 children are killed each year because they were “mingi”. Drawn From Water is working to save as many of these children as possible. In the first 12 months 21 children were saved. Our hope is that with God’s help we will be able to reach the tribes with the gospel and ultimately help them see that these children are a blessing and not a curse.
The Children’s Homes
Drawn From Water provides two children’s homes exclusively for the care of children deemed “mingi” by their tribes, with a capacity of about 35 children total. Both homes are clean, cheerful and have within their compounds areas for outdoor play. To ensure personal attention for the children there is a high ratio of staff to children. We have staff for cleaning, cooking, and guarding the compounds.
Children of kindergarten age attend a local private school and are taught both the customs of their tribes and the country at large.
Although we see the children’s home as a way to meet an immediate need in these children’s lives, we understand that there needs to be a plan for each individual child’s future. For some of these children we see that its possible that their families may change their belief system in the future and that the family may one day be reunited, for others its clear that the family is not willing to accept the child back into their home and adoption may the only viable way to provide a nurturing home for the child to grow up in. We take extra care with each child to workout a plan that is specific to their situation, and constantly strive to give them the best possible future. Our first priority is always reunification of family and child when possible.
Sources of Funding
Drawn From Water is in the early stages of developing a funding base that includes individual, group, foundation and corporate donors, and sponsors.
Drawn From Water has an ongoing program that seeks grants and donations from individuals and organizations to support the orphanage and tribal outreach efforts. All donations to Drawn From Water are tax deductible as provided through the Rock of Roseville a non-denominational church under section 501(c) 3 of the United States Internal Revenue Code and receipts are provided for tax purposes.
Drawn From Water is also seeking grants and funding partners. The need to grow and accept more children from these tribes is an urgent challenge and all sources of funding are being explored.
Future Plans
Drawn From Water is presently leasing 2 compounds to provide facilities for the program. None of the compounds is designed for its present use, and all improvements necessary to make the buildings and grounds suitable for the children are to the benefit of the landlord. Plans are currently being drawn up for a Drawn From Water Children’s Village and Tribal Training Center, a facility that will provide home-like care for the children and a school where people from the tribes can come and be taught basic life training skills and learn from the bible in hopes that they will go back to their villages and teach about the word of God. Ultimately helping to stop the practice of “mingi” and improve the lives of those who live in these remote tribes. A special building fund is being set up to pay for this project, which may include intermediate and/or incremental steps as we move toward the ultimate goal of creating the village.
"It Began with Bale" from
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