Ethiopian American Kids Community

SAVE THE DATE!!!

2012-01-26T04:32:00.000-08:00

The EAKC Heritage Camp will be July 27-29 this year. Put it on your calendar so you don't miss out on all the fun! Registration details will be available as the date approaches.

Ethiopian New Year Bash

2011-08-25T07:52:00.000-07:00

The ECAC invites you to their annual celebration.

Ethiopian New Year Bash
8:00pm-2:00am
Saturday, September 10
Croatian Cultural Center
2845 West Devon Avenue
Chicago, IL

Tickets are $30 (12 and under are FREE) and include food, dancing and live music by Yezena Negash and Esrael Yosseph.

No babysitters needed, everyone brings their children for a rare late night out.

Hope to see you there!

Carol
Please join our yahoo group EAKC

Ethiopian Day Celebration

2011-08-25T07:43:00.000-07:00

The Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago invites us :

Ethiopian Day Celebration
Thursday, September 8th
11:00am-1:00pm
Daley Plaza
50 West Washington
Chicago, IL

-Ethiopian Flag Raising
-live Music from Yezena Negash and Esrael Yosseph
-Children's Dance Troupe

This event is FREE and very child friendly! An event you don't want to miss!

Hope to see you there!

Carol
Join our yahoo group EAKC

Ethiopian Community Association Annual Family BBQ-August 6

2011-07-12T04:57:00.000-07:00

The Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago Annual Family Picnic
Saturday, August 6
Foster Beach, Chicago

Join the ECAC at this annual BBQ bash to celebrate good food, good friends, good music, and a great summer season.

Games and Activities for the whole family including family friendly races, face painting, volleyball.

Questions? M'aza Dowling-Brown 773.508.0303 x118

Want to volunteer? let Carol know.

See you there!!!!

2011 Heritage Camp Schedule

2011-06-15T08:21:00.000-07:00

The schedule for the 2011 Ethiopian Hertiage Camp has been posted!! You can find it along the left side of the page or you can click on the Ethiopian Heritage Camp tab and find the full schedule there as well.

EAKC Heritage Camp 2011 Registration is Still Open! Registration Closes July 15

2011-05-13T14:40:00.000-07:00

Selam:

We are pleased to announce that our registration site for camp is still open for those that do not need accommodations.

http://registration.eakc.org

This year we will have Ethiopian speakers, more Ethiopian programing and crafts
and more Ethiopians in attendance! Our schedule of events has now been posted.

We are pleased to announce our EAKC Heritage Camp Speakers for our most extensive Ethiopian cultural programming yet!

Best-selling author and former Ethiopian refugee, Mawi Asgedom, inspires and equips parents to lead our children on an incredible journey that will help propel them to lifelong success. Mawi will also hold a special session for the EAKC teens.

Ethiopian Culture & Current Events with Ambassador Tesfaye Yilma Sabo, Deputy Chief of Mission, and Head of Public Diplomacy, Washington D.C. Ambassador Yilma will have ample time to answer all questions regarding Ethiopia government, culture, history and adoption policy changes!

"Learning About Culture: Understanding Myself" - Saturday night play led by LaDena Schnapper and performed by the kids of EAKC.

Birthland Tour Panel Discussion will be led by M'aza Dowling-Brown of the ECAC.

We have kept our prices the same as last year.

Note: We are now offering significant large family discounts. After three paying
children, additional children are free. Our registration site and Wesley Woods
mandate children to be classified as ages 3-10. We are offing the discount for
any age children, but our site can not handle this online. If your children are
classified as adults, ages 11 and up, we will credit your credit card after you
register.

Our camp did sell out last year and we take registrations in the order they come
in, don't be disappointed...register soon!

Camp registration has been very strong. Our lodge rooms are nearly sold out, we have a few cabins and tent spaces available. Don't be disappointed-register before space is filled.

As a reminder, we are closing camp registration on July 15 to allow our volunteers enough time to prepare for camp.

We are so pleased with our cultural programming this year and we look forward to another exciting weekend! We are only 5 weeks away from camp.

Volunteers are still needed, please contact Orla if you can help out before or during camp.
Orla Castanien

Thank you to our Chicago-based volunteers who are working so hard to make camp
happen this year-Olivier and Laurie Pasquier, Orla Castanian, Maggie Nass,
Kongit Girma, M'aza Dowling-Brown, Tim & Lisa Lenning.

Carol Deely & Tamara Maple
Camp Directors

Interested in Learning Amharic?

2011-05-04T13:08:00.001-07:00

M'aza Dowling-Brown with the Ethiopian Community Association suggests the following website:

Faith hope & Love Ethiopia

Ethiopian Community Association Announces Summer Camp

2011-05-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

Summer Camp at the ECAC

At: Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago
1730 W. Greenleaf Ave. Chicago, IL 60626

Who: Age 6-13 only. (Not 5 or 5 ½)
When: Monday-Friday 9:30am-4:30pm
July 5th - August 26th (8 weeks)
Cost: $250 per child (lunch is not included) or daily drop in rate of $30/child.
After-School Program Kids are part of the
program from 1:30pm-4:30pm for FREE.

Maximum enrollment is 25 kids & first come first served. Application is Due by June 1st.

For more information, please call
M’aza Dowling-Brown and Zahabu Herd
773-508-0303 ex. # 118

ECAC After School Program

2011-04-20T06:52:00.000-07:00

Looking for cultural opportunities for your Ethiopian born children? The Ethiopian Community Center has an ongoing program, detailed below. There is no fee but donations are appreciated.

After-School program
We serve all youth between the ages of 6-18.
The goals of the program are:
To promote academic achievements
To encourage youth involvement in community activities and issues
To help foster to idea of creating positive social change
To give them cultural education and help them to adopt to the new one

Monday – Thursday: 2:00pm-5:00pm
Homework assistance/tutoring
Friday 1:00pm-3:00pm
Art and craft, and
3:00pm-5:00pm
Amharic Class
Saturday 11:00am-1:00pm
Sports (soccer and others)

www.ecachicago.org

Details on summer camp will be shared soon.

Ethiopian Community Association 26th Anniversary Celebration

2011-04-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

Selam:

The Ethiopian Community Association Cordially Invites you to its 26th Anniversary Celebration Benefit Dinner

when: Saturday, May 7, 2011 starting at 6:30pm
Where: White Eagle Banquets and Restaurant 6839 Milwaukee Avenue, Niles, IL
Program: Dinner, traditional music and dance, cultural performances by ECAC youth, awards and recognition
Cost: $100/person
mail payment to M'aza Dowling-Brown c/o ECAC 1730 West Greenleaf, Chicago IL 60626
Tel: 773-508-0303

All proceeds from this event will benefit the development of the Ethiopian Community Associatin of Chicago's new Community and Cultural Center which will serve as a childcare, workforce development and cultural center for the Ethiopian and larger African communities in Chicago.

We hope you can join others in our EAKC community as we will present a $5000 donation in recognition of their unwavering support to our Ethiopian adoption group!

EAKC Heritage Camp 2011

2011-02-08T18:02:00.001-08:00

SAVE THE DATE!!!!

The dates for this summers EAKC Heritage Camp are:

July 29-31, at Wesley Woods in Wisconsin.

Ethiopian-American Holiday Party for the Adoption Community

2010-11-18T12:16:00.000-08:00

ETHIOPIAN-AMERICAN

HOLIDAY PARTY

FOR THE

ADOPTION COMMUNITY

(Families who have adopted from Ethiopia, Waiting Families, Families who are considering adopting from Ethiopia, and Ethiopians who now live in the Chicago area)

SATURDAY
JANUARY 8th
3:00-5:30PM
AT
ETHIOPIAN DIAMOND RESTAURANT
6120 N. BROADWAY ST, CHICAGO, IL

DINNER:
FIXED MENU OF VEGETARIAN & MEET DISHES &
NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
PRICE AND MENU TBD
(CHILDREN UNDER 10 EAT FREE)
DESSERT:
EACH FAMILY SHOULD BRING A DESSERT TO SHARE
ENTERTAINMENT:

ETHIOPIAN MUSIC AND DANCING

Performances and Guest Participation

CRAFT CORNER:

CRAFTS AND COLORING FOR THE CHILDREN

AND

POSSIBLY A CRAFT SALE (Please Inquire if interested)

THIS WILL BE A CASH ONLY EVENT

RSVP: hilarygeyer@yahoo.com

In the hopes of getting an early head count, please respond as early as possible.

ECAC Christmas Party-Saturday, December 18

2010-11-18T12:09:00.000-08:00

ete < Prev Message | Next Message >
New Date: Ethiopian Community Association Children's Christmas Party

>
> SAVE THE DATE
>
> Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago Annual Children's Christmas Party
has been scheduled for Saturday, December 18 3:00-6:00

Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago (ECAC)
(serving Ethiopians and adopted Ethiopians living in the Chicago area plus new
immigrants of many countries)
1730 West Greenleaf Avenue
Chicago
No Charge

Please bring a wrapped gift for your children and a dish to share. Drinks would
be appreciated (water, juice boxes,soft drinks)

This annual party brings gifts to Ethiopian children served by the ECAC in their
after school programs, language programs etc.

Music and dancing may take place.

Please RSVP to chdeely@me.com by December 15.

*Note:this is a different party than the Ethiopian Christmas party planned for
January by Hilary Geyer*

>
> Carol

Ethiopian Community Association Annual BBQ Bash

2010-07-22T06:31:00.000-07:00

ECAC Annual Summer Picnic

Sunday, August 1
1:00-7:00 PM
Foster Beach Park

Enjoy good friends, good food, good music and celebrate summer! Stop on your way back from EAKC Heritage Camp.

Please bring your own drinks and a dish or two to share.

2010-07-06T22:25:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, July 7, 2010
2010 Heritage Camp-Registration Closes July 15.
Accommodation availability at camp is now very limited. We have 73 families registered and expect more in the next week. If you plan to register for camp and stay overnight on site, you will need to register before July 15.

Currently, our availability is as follows:
Lodging-one room is available for Friday night only and has two bunk beds and sleeps four.
Cabins-2 remain
Tents-5 remain
This availability changes daily.

In addition, as we expect to sell out our accommodations, we have added another
option for those that want to attend the whole weekend.

We now offer both a Saturday day camp option and a weekend day camp options both
with all meals or the Ethiopian meal only but NO accommodations. We will be
capping this area shortly as well.

Camp registration officially closes July 15 to allow our volunteers time to
prepare for camp.

Please share this information with those you know are interested.

New this year!!!! We will have a silent auction in our merkato. Please consider bringing donations for the auction or sponsorship donations. Please see our yahoo group for more information. we are offering child care this year, be sure to register for childcare when you register. An updated schedule of events will be posted soon!

See you at camp!!!!

2010 Heritage Camp-Few Spots Remain

2010-06-21T20:17:00.000-07:00

Accommodation availability at camp is now very limited. If you plan to register for camp and stay overnight on site, you will need to register soon.

Currently, our availability is as follows:
Lodging-3 rooms (2 rooms have seven bunk beds and sleep 14, please consider
sharing a room with another family)
Cabins-3 remain
Tents-8 remain
This availability changes daily.

In addition, as we expect to sell out our accommodations, we have added another
option for those that want to attend the whole weekend.

We now offer both a Saturday day camp option and a weekend day camp options both
with all meals or the Ethiopian meal only but NO accommodations. We will be
capping this area shortly as well.

Camp registration officially closes July 15 to allow our volunteers time to
prepare for camp.

Please share this information with those you know are interested.

See you at camp!!!!

2010-05-11T10:06:00.000-07:00

Please see side bar for a link to the registration site for camp this year.

We look forward to seeing you this summer!

Culture Camp 2010 keynote speaker

2010-05-02T17:25:00.000-07:00

We are excited to share the tentative schedule of events for camp, please see the left side bar for details.

Our key note speaker is Kara Wright.

Kara is a facilitator, speaker and founder of mindhearted, inc., a diversity education company for parents. Having worked in the public and private sector, Kara brings many years of working with people across the country to raise awareness of the need for developing critical skills to live, work, and play in our diverse and amazing world. Her latest obsession is working with parents and highlighting the important role they play in making the world a more peaceful place. To learn more about mindhearted, go to Mindhearted, inc. or read more of Kara’s work at Beyondisms.

Communication Alert!

2010-03-30T21:44:00.000-07:00

We are no longer able to maintain a database of all of our members. If you would like to receive the most up to date information of events and happenings in our group, please sign up to the EAKC yahoo group.

You can select how frequently messages are forwarded to you.

We will no longer be able to guarantee that new members (since September, 2009) are in our database so the easiest method of communication will be via this website and the yahoo group.

If you would like to take on this role, please let Carol know...carol@ethiopiankids.net

Thank you!

Summer Picnic-Friday, June 18.

2010-03-30T21:34:00.000-07:00

Please save the date and join us for the EAKC Summer Potluck Picnic at Adams Playground
on Friday, June 18th from 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM.

RSVP to Nancy Hall (nancyhall_99@yahoo.com) including number of adults, number
of children (ages), e-mail address, phone number and let her know what food you are
planning to bring and share.

We would be grateful for volunteers to bring Ethiopian food
to share as well.

Please provide contact information so we can communicate
alternate plans in the event of rain.

Adams Playground is located at:
1919 N. Seminary, Chicago in the Lincoln Park neighborhood
There is a free childrens' water park, so bring your swimsuits and towels!

Hope to see you there!!

Carol & Tamara

Message from the Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago

2010-02-22T19:43:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from the Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago!

Dear Community Members, Partners and Friends,
2010 is already off to a good start! On December 30, 2009, ECAC relocated to its new home in the neighborhood of Rogers Park. If you have not yet taken note of our new contact information, it is as follows:

1730 W. Greenleaf
Chicago, IL 60626
T: 773.508.0303
F: 773.508.0309
Please note that if you call in to our old system, you will be redirected automatically.

On April 10, 2010, we will be hosting an Open House at our new location and we invite you all to celebrate with us. The day will include workshops on ECAC's programs, a showing of the movie "Live and Become", a speaker discussing issues pertaining to the challenges of the Ethiopian diaspora, catered dinner, and celebratory music and dance.

4:00-6:00pm: Walk-through of the new building, program exhibitions, a glimpse into ECAC’s new cultural museum, traditional coffee ceremonies.
6:00-8:00pm: Reception, guest speakers, music and entertainment.

Best wishes to you all for a healthy and happy new year.

We thank all of you for your unwavering support of our efforts to purchase our
own property which will serve as a home for the Ethiopian and larger African communities in the Midwest.

From the EAKC: "We highly encourage attendance at this event to show your support for the ECAC, our long time partner, in ensuring our Ethiopian born children retain their Ethiopian culture". Carol Deely

ECAC Children's Christmas Party-We Are Invited!

2009-11-30T06:29:00.000-08:00

ECAC Children's Christmas Party
Wednesday, Dec. 9 4:00-8:00 PM
Loyola University-Simpson Multi-Purpose Room
6333 N. Winthrop Avenue Chicago, IL 60626

Please bring:
Small wrapped gift for your child

Potluck dish to share - mini sandwiches, sweets, drinks, snacks, etc. Last year the refugee families really enjoyed the potluck leftovers, so please feel free to bring extra!

The ECAC will be accepting monetary donations to purchase gifts for Bhutan refugee children and Ethiopian after school children’s program.

No reservation necessary.

Holiday Luncheon

2009-11-30T06:27:00.000-08:00

Casual Ethiopian Holiday Luncheon

Come on out for lunch to meet all of our new children and see old and new friends!

Sunday, December 6 1:00pm
Blue Nile Restaurant
6118 N Ravenswood Ave
Chicago, IL 60660-2320
(773) 465-6710, Chicago
Adult buffet-$20/person (ages 11 and up) Children's buffet-approx. $8/child (ages 3-10) 2 and under are free.
RSVP to Tamara Maple - tlmaple@mac.com by Thursday, December 5th.

Families of all stages of the adoption process are welcome to attend these events!

New Ethiopian Search Engine

2009-09-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

New and Truly Ethiopian Search Engine

http://www.YahooNoo.com has the answer

Discover Ethiopian websites, Ethiopian videos, photos and news updated
every hour!!

The new Ethiopian YahooNoo which in Amharic means "The Latest", currently has over 8000 Ethiopian website links, 190300 keywords and is still growing.

ECAC 25th Anniversary Celebration

2009-09-01T10:37:00.002-07:00

Please Join the Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago for an evening of
celebration in honor of its 25th Anniversary.

Saturday, October 17, 2009
White Eagle Banquet Hall, Niles, IL

We will be celebrating their 25 years of service to the Ethiopian and greater
African immigrant, greater refuge and adoption communities!

Tickets are $100 each.

Tickets can be purchased at the door.

Additional details will follow.

An Ad book is being designed, if you would like to thank the ECAC for their
support of our children or to simply advertise your business by taking out an
ad, please see the add form under attachments here.

Please let Carol know if you are interested in sitting at an EAKC group table.
carol@ethiopiankids.net

Enkutatash Celebrations Sept. 11,12

2009-09-01T10:37:00.001-07:00

Celebrate Enkutatash with the Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago.

Ethiopian Day - Friday September 11 including a flag raising, dancers and music
from 12:00pm to 1:00pm- under the Picasso at the Daley Center.
FREE and open to the public.

Ethiopian New Year Party Saturday, September 12, 2009
Croation Cultural Center 2845 W. Devon Ave. Door opens at 8:00pm and the party
lasts until the wee hours. $25.00 (adults) $10.00 (14-18, ID required) Free (13
& under, ID required). Buy your tickets at the door.

Heritage Camp Slideshow

2009-08-07T05:30:00.000-07:00

"Know Ethiopia" - Announcing Upcoming Culture Classes

2009-08-06T14:25:00.000-07:00

ECAC “KNOW ETHIOPIA”
Culture Class Series designed for Adoptive Families

Ethiopia is fascinating…
Ethiopia is more than 7,000 years old. It is a land of striking natural beauty, rich history, diverse cultures and powerful traditions. Scholars believe Ethiopia is where humankind originated, and that it was one of the first established nations on earth—its people worshipped gods, established law, and began one of the earliest Christian communities. Few nations, if any, can claim the longevity and historical splendor of Ethiopia. It is a nation of amazing diversity and contrast, from the ancient to the modern. Its glorious past is visible today in obelisks, rock-hewn churches, established civic and religious systems and thriving, intermingling cultures.

Culture Class Series

The Ethiopia educational program shares enough historical and cultural highlights to inspire students to further explore this extraordinary country: its dramatic past, rich culture, and commanding position in Africa and the global community. This lecture series also helps reaffirm some positions held in Afro-centric educational circles. Ethiopia’s extraordinary past can teach us a lot about how to live now and in the future.

This educational program is specifically designed for the adoptive community. It addresses their desire to enhance their knowledge and to connect more closely with their adopted children and the Ethiopian diaspora. When adopted children reach the age of six or seven, adoptive parents know they must deepen their understanding of their children’s culture, honor their heritage and in the process enrich their families.

We hope this educational program will address the needs of the parents as well as connect adopted children to the Ethiopian community here in the Chicago area. The program also includes practical training in three other wonderful aspects of Ethiopian culture: cooking, music and dancing!

Cultural History

Amazing diversity – ethnic, linguistic and cultural
The cradle of civilization – humankind was born here
The Calendar – New Year’s Day is September 11 and the current year is 2001

Religious History

The world’s major religions and Ethiopia
The Ark of the Covenant is in Axum
Christianity – 63% of the population
Ethiopia’s Orthodox Church presence in Jerusalem
The “Miracle of Mary”
The Book of Enoch
Saint Yared: Founder of the sacred music tradition of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
Gragne and the spread of Islam

Political History and Current Affairs

What is the nation state?
Axum, civilization and the Solomonid Dynasty
Lalibella
The Gragne Invasion
The Anti-Colonialist Wars – Adwoa and Michew
Establishment of the Organization of African Unity (OAU)
The 1973 Famine and the February 1974 Revolution
The fall of Mengistu and the present regime
What the future holds for Ethiopia

Food and Cooking

How to make injera and ambasha (bread)
How to make stews – chicken, lamb, beef, vegetarian and others
The wonderful spices of Ethiopia
The intriguing cookware and equipment needed to make Ethiopian food

Music and Dance

Amharic
Oromigna
Tigrinya
Wolaita
Guragigna

Dates & Fees

The series of classes will be held on Saturdays; September 26, October 10, October 24, November 7 and November 21, 2009 from 10-12.

The cost will be $100 per couple for the entire series or $30 per couple for one class. Childcare will be provided at an additional cost, if the majority of people need it.

The classes will be held at ECAC, 4750 N. Sheridan Rd., Chicago. Contact Bridget Grady Couture at bridget@ethiopiankids.net for further details or to register.

Heritage Camp July 30-August 1, 2010

2009-06-14T20:20:00.000-07:00

Wow! Our Camp this year was enjoyed by 300 members of our community of Ethiopian adoptive families and Ethiopian families from the ECAC. Thank you to all of the volunteers who made such a difference! We hope to see and meet many of you next year! Save the Date- July 30-August 1.

Information on next year's Camp will be posted here in early 2010.

5th Annual
2009 Ethiopian Heritage Camp

Friday, July 31st, 3:00 PM to
Sunday, August 2nd, 12 Noon

Wesley Woods Conference Center, William’s Bay, WI
90 miles northwest of Chicago on beautiful Lake Geneva

Families bound by love of Ethiopia and its children
celebrate Ethiopian culture and forge lifelong friendships

Please join the Ethiopian American Kids Community (EAKC) for our 5th Annual Heritage Camp weekend celebration of Ethiopian culture, Friday, July 31, 2009 through Sunday, August 2, 2009 . The event will be held at Wesley Woods Conference Center in William’s Bay, Wisconsin, only 2 hours from Chicago on the shores of beautiful Lake Geneva.

EAKC is a charitable organization of nearly 200 Ethiopian-American adoptive families located in the Midwest with members across the country. Our children range in age from infants to college students. Learn more about us at www.ethiopiankids.net.

Heritage Camp is a wonderful opportunity for Ethiopian and Ethiopian adoptive families to build lasting bonds of friendship and further strengthen your children’s connection to Ethiopia.

For American families touched by Ethiopian adoption, it’s an opportunity to learn more about Ethiopian culture, build a personal support network and give your children an invaluable chance to connect with their heritage.

For Ethiopian families, it’s an opportunity to meet new friends, share your knowledge and passion for Ethiopian culture and connect with other people who are striving to raise their children with cultural understanding and love for Ethiopia.

Kids of all ages will have a wonderful time learning about Ethiopian traditions, build pride in their heritage and just have fun being kids! They will leave the camp with new friends and renewed excitement about their Ethiopian roots.

Registration is now open. Questions? amy@ethiopiankids.net

Stop The Film "Orphan"

2009-06-09T13:34:00.000-07:00

"Orphan" - the movie

Help stop this film from being released!

EAKC felt it necessary to forward this notice to all of our adoptive familes. We hope that you will take the time to speak out against this film and the message it sends. EAKC has already expressed their stance, that this film should not be released, to the companies listed below.

As posted on JCICS.org
There is a horror film being released on July 24, called Orphan, about a family who adopts an older girl who "is not what she appears to be." The film is currently being promoted, and the trailer is available at http://orphan-movie.warnerbros.com . The adoption message is extremely negative, and plays into the stereotypes of adopted children, particularly older children, as damaged.
Though we have not been able to preview the entire movie, the trailer leads us to believe the movie will send a horrific message about adoption. The adoption community is protesting the release of the film. We urge you to contact the makers of the film, as well as your local movie theater chains, with your concerns. Feel free to copy or adapt the sample letter below.

To whom it may concern:
I want to express my outrage about the release of the movie Orphan. The film plays into the stereotype of adopted children as damaged and dangerous. It discourages families from pursuing adoption, particularly adoption of older children, who are especially in need of loving homes. As an adoptive parent, I am horrified by the line in the trailer that "it must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own." Adoption has often been misrepresented in the media, but the previews for this film are unbelievably offensive. I urge you to change the promotional materials, and to consider holding the release of the film altogether.
Contact information:

Warner Bros.
4000 Warner Blvd.

Burbank, CA 91522
818-954-6000

Silver Pictures
4000 Warner Blvd. 90
Burbank, CA 91522-0001
818-954-4490

Time Warner Inc.
One Time Warner Center
New York, NY 10019-8016
212-484-8000

In addition, for those of you that have children old enough to understand, this is a great opportunity to open up a dialog regarding adoption.

Solomon Belay and Carol Deely

Cooking Class Re-Scheduled May 16

2009-04-27T20:26:00.001-07:00

Please join us for an afternoon of great Ethiopian food and learn how to make
some of your favorite dishes at home.

When: Saturday, 16 May 2009, 11:00 AM-1:00 PM

Where: The Maple's, Chicago, IL
(I will e-mail address/directions to confirmed attendees.)

What: Doro (Chicken) Tibs, Misir Wat (Spicy Red Lentils), Kik (Mild
Yellow Lentils), Fosolya (Green Beans & Carrots), Tikil Gomen
(Cabbage), Tomato Salad and Traditional Ethiopian Coffee

How: Please RSVP to chicagomomtoo@yahoo.com by Wednesday, 6 May.

A donation of $15 per person is requested to cover costs and space is
limited to 12 attendees.

Looking forward to seeing you then!

Tamara Maple

2009-04-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

AHOPE for Children is a non-profit organization whose mission is to serve the children of Ethiopia, with a primary emphasis on caring for orphans infected with HIV.

In Addis Ababa, AHOPE's two Children's Homes care exclusively for orphans who are HIV+. Many of these children are now finding their forever families through adoption. AHOPE's Community Outreach Program also enables orphaned children to remain within their extended families and culture, while receiving medical care, education, food, and other services.

AHOPE relies heavily on donated medical supplies, formula, clothing and other necessities to support its work. Most supplies are received through families traveling to Ethiopia to pick up their children.

Won’t you please help? If you live in the greater Chicago area and are traveling to Ethiopia, or are interested in gathering urgently needed items, please email Lynn at lynnprovost33@sbcglobal.net You can also contact AHOPE directly, donate online and learn more about their programs at ahopeforchildren.org . All donations are tax deductible and any amount is greatly appreciated.

ESFNA Announces Sports&Cultural Event in Chicago

2009-04-13T14:33:00.000-07:00

The Ethiopian Sports Federation of North America (ESFNA) has announced that Chicago will host the 26th annual sports (primarily soccer) and cultural event for the first time ever. Mark your calendars, this is an event that all Ethiopian and Ethiopian adoptive families will not want to miss!

THE EVENT: 26th Annual Soccer and Cultural Event

# of Ethiopians Expected from all over NA: 20,000

THE DATE: June 28- July 4, 2009.

THE STADIUM:
Lane Tech Stadium, 2501 W. Addison St,Chicago, Illinois 60618

ESFNA

The Ethiopian Sports Federation in North America (ESFNA) is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization founded in 1984 to promote amateur soccer and cultural events within the Ethiopian community in the North America. Its goals include providing positive role models for the youth, promoting goodwill between the Ethiopian communities in North America and creating a bridge where people from Ethiopia and North America can interact in a mutually beneficial manner. In addition to the sports event, the Federation also promotes cultural activities to provide opportunities for Americans to learn more about Ethiopia’s culture and history.

The ECAC is collecting bottled water, canned soda and disposal tableware to use in their fund raising booth. Please consider dropping a donation of these items, or cash, off to the ECAC by June 27th. The ECAC is located at 4750 N. Sheridan Ste 250, Chicago.

Our EAKC group will be meeting for the opening night ceremony on Sunday, June 28.

Contact Kristy and Nolan: usfbull2002@gmail.com or nolan.shaeer@gmail.com if you would like to be part of the opening ceremonies or have questions about a donation.

More information on the event can be found at www.esfna.org

St. Mary of the Lake school Info

2009-03-18T17:51:00.000-07:00

For those of you interested in a Catholic grade school (pre-k through 8) that enrolls many Ethiopian kids, please consider St. Mary of Lake School. There website is stmary-stthomas.org
Registration information is under parent, then forms. The tuition is VERY reasonable for a private school and the education is outstanding.
Please contact Bridget if you have any questions.

"Tsehei Loves Learning"

2009-03-02T18:18:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share this with our Ethiopian adoptive community...an easy way to give back for sure...does anyone want to share their comments on the DVD itself?

Carol

As an organization serving the Ethiopian Community in the US, I wanted to make you aware of the Educational TV Show produced in Ethiopia in Amharic, called "Tsehai Loves Learning".

It's the kind of program many Ethiopians in the US would be interested in showing to their children and by doing so contributing back its broadcast in Ethiopia, giving more pre-school children a chance to learn at home.

http://www.tsehai.com

Dear friends,

We have recently released a new DVD of our international award-winning program "Tsehai Loves Learning." You can help us continue providing quality educational programs for millions of Ethiopian children by buying a copy of this DVD.

Every 600 DVDs sold online at tsehai.com covers the production of a new episode of "Tsehai Loves Learning" for an estimated 2.8 to 5 million children with access to television in Ethiopia. This means when you purchase a DVD online, you're not only providing great content for your children, but bringing a new episode of "Tsehai Loves Learning" to more than 4,650 children in Ethiopia.

You can help educate millions of children in Ethiopia. Please forward this e-mail to at least three people, and buy a copy of "Tsehai Loves Learning" today at tsehai.com.

For more information about this project and ways to help, please visit http://www.whizkidsworkshop.com.

Thank you so much,

Shane & Brukty
Co-Founders

Tsehai Loves Learning
Winner of Japan Prize 2008 - Pre-School Category
Winner of the 2008 Prix Jeunesse International - Next Generation Prize
Winner of a Pan African Award for Entrepreneurship in Education 2008
Finalist for the upcoming Baka Forum, Basel Prize 2009

March 7 culture class, time changed to 10am

2009-03-01T18:36:00.000-08:00

ECAC has asked us to change the time to 10-12 for this coming Saturday morning. I hope people can still make it. Please feel free to rsvp until Friday if you are interested. It should be a great class. the class will focus on cultural awareness for adopted children. Hope to see you there.Bridget

Welcome President Obama!

2009-01-21T06:38:00.001-08:00

Yonatan celebrates the inauguration of President Obama!

The EAKC creates opportunities for Ethiopian American children to celebrate their heritage, and for families from America and Ethiopia to meet and learn together. EAKC is a volunteer organization and needs your support. Please consider volunteering your time and energy to help us grow. Contact information can be found on the left side of this website. Thanks!

Timkat photos 2009

2009-01-21T06:29:00.000-08:00

Timkat 2009 photos

2009-01-21T06:26:00.001-08:00

Celebrating Timkat with singing and dancing.

Timkat 2009 photos

2009-01-21T06:19:00.001-08:00

Celebrating Timkat with our new friends at the

Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

Timkat Celebration Monday, January 19

2009-01-13T12:51:00.000-08:00

Timkat 2009 What A Beautiful Celebration

Monday, January 19 Five families from our Ethiopian Adoption Community joined the Ethiopian Orthodox church for a beautiful celebration of Timkat. We were introduced to the congregation, warmly welcomed and told we were welcome at any time with our beautiful Ethiopian children. We look forward to a long lasting relationship with this wonderful church under the direction of Fr. Mikael.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church of Medhane-Alem
9805 S. Commercial Avenue
Chicago, IL 60617

ECAC Childrens's Christmas Party-What Fun!

2008-12-23T13:20:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, December 19 seems like a long time ago with so much snow and so many holiday activities since then... the first children's Christmas party at the Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago party room was so much fun. It was very touching to meet the newly arrived refuge families and to see the generosity within the Ethiopian community as they made sure all the children had gifts! Over one hundred attended on a cold, snowy night. A wonderful traditional Ethiopian meal was donated by our group and enjoyed by all. A small group of girls performed traditional dances and all of the adopted children and their sibs jumped right in! And the best news of all, two families from our group received referrals for baby girls last week-what a gift!!!! They could possibly travel together in the spring to bring their daughters home. Happy Holidays everyone! Hope to see many of you at upcoming events!

Carol Deely

Camp Slideshow

2008-11-19T21:04:00.001-08:00

Webinars!

2008-11-19T20:56:00.000-08:00

Children's Home Society and Family Services is offering monthly webinars for adoptive families and prospective adoption parents.

Building an Attachment Toolbox will be December 10 at 11am.
Creating Your Own Child Welcoming Ceremony will be December 11 at 11am.

The cost for these webinars are $10.00 per person.

For more information on these resources please contact:

Katie Max, BSW, LSW
Post-Adoption Services
Children's Home Society & Family Services

Timkat celebrations

2008-10-30T10:43:00.000-07:00

Ethiopia is one of the oldest nations in Africa. It still follows the ancient Julian calendar, so Ethiopians celebrate Christmas on January 7. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church's celebration of Christ's birth is called Ganna. The day before Ganna, people fast all day. The next morning at dawn, everyone dresses in white. Twelve days after Ganna, on January 19, Ethiopians begin the three-day celebration called Timkat, which commemorates the baptism of Christ.

What is Timkat? Timkat or Epiphany is the most important festival in the Ethiopian calendar. It is celebrated all over Ethiopia especially in Lalibela, an isolated mountain town in the arid north of the country. Lalibela is famous for its rock-hewn churches. Over a thousand years ago 11 churches were carved out of solid rock, and many Ethiopians believe they were built by angels.

How is Timkat Celebrated? The festivities begin in the 3rd week of January, usually around the 19th. Crowds dressed in white dance and sing in the streets to the beating of drums. Priests, decked out in jewel encrusted velvet and satin robes, carry a replica of Arc of the Covenant called a talbot. They lead a grand procession through the streets.

The real celebration begins at about 2am when the crowd arrives at place symbolic of water baptism. Priests perform mass and bless the water. A communal baptism follows, with the most fervent Christians throwing themselves fully clothed into the water.

What's the History of Timkat? Ethiopian history teaches that Christianity came to Ethiopia long before it spread to Europe. Missionaries arrived in Ethiopia some 40 years after the birth of Jesus. Epiphany is the 12th day of Christmas, when the three kings were said to have bestowed their gifts upon the baby Jesus.

Ethiopian names and meanings

2008-10-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

Very informative website on Ethiopian names and their meanings. From Australia. http://www.aacasa.org.au/Adoption05.htm#. This link will also take you to the meaning of girl's names.

Awassa Children's Project

2008-10-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

The Awassa Children's Project promotes sensible, culturally responsible relief work aimed at assisting children primarily orphaned by AIDS, educating people in Africa's Sub-Saharan region about AIDS prevention, and offering a proactive and immediate approach towards the resolution of serious health and social issues facing the region.

Join them at their next Chicago event:

WHAT: Ethiopian dances lessons with Tesfaye Tekelu, Awassa YouthCampus film screening and short presentation; Ethiopian Buffet Dinner

DATE: SUNDAY NOVEMBER 2ndLOCATION: Ras Dashen Ethiopian Restaurant, 5844 N. Broadway Avenue

TIME: 4:30 – 9:00pm; Dancing begins at 5:00pm; Dinner at 7pm

TICKETS: $25/person (children free)Contact: Fasika Alem 773-732-3589 or

fyirga@yahoo. com

Learn more about the Awassa Children's Project and the Awassa YouthCampus at http://www.awassachildrensproject.org/

In addition to a presentation about AYC and One Love, Tesfaye will beteaching the audience the various traditional dances of Ethiopia. Comelearn how to do Eskesta ("Shoulder Dance"), Guragigna, Oromigna,Wolaytigna and many more. Bring your family and friends and everyone you know. Have a great time and see a great show, while supporting positive change for children and youth in Ethiopia.

Saturday Event

2008-10-22T06:51:00.000-07:00

Saturday, October 25th
11 a.m.–2 p.m.Lincoln Park Zoo, meet at the main gate at 11am
Free
lpzoo.org
Spooky Zoo Spectacular!Hosted by the Auxiliary Board, the Spooky Zoo Spectacular is an opportunity for children to celebrate Halloween in a free, safe and family-friendly environment. Learn fun facts about the animals in the Spooky Zoo Education Zone, create crafts, collect treats and party throughout the zoo while donning your best costume. Contact Bridget@ethiopiankids.net for more information.

Enkutatash Picture Album

2008-10-21T18:56:00.001-07:00

Amharic and soccer!

2008-10-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

> An Amharic/cultural class at ECAC is being offered to anyone who is interested on Saturdays at 10:00AM. Children between the ages of 5-14 are welcome. Soccer will follow at Montrose Beach a 11:00. There is no fee, but donations will be gladly accepted. Registration is requested by calling ECAC at 773-728-0303- ask for Adane. Please call Adane for the Amharic classes. The Saturday soccer team contact person is Daniel. His number is (773) 255 0948. ECAC is also open to offering other classes, so please let me know if you have other suggestions/ requests.

Ethiopian Community Association> www.ecachicago. org

SELAM! Welcome to our new EAKC website!

2008-10-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Selam to our new website.

We hope that our new site is helpful for you in all phases of the Ethiopian adoption process and that you stay involved post adoption to enhance cultural opportunities and community building for your Ethiopian born child and your family.

We encourage you to sign up for our new Yahoo forum group-simply type in EAKC at Yahoo Group or click on the symbol on our website. This forum is a way for you to connect with other members, set up group events close to home, ask questions of others and keep abreast of EAKC cultural events and gatherings on the forum calendar.

We are a volunteer run organization and we welcome everyone to assist no matter your experience level or time commitment. Please contact us to see how you can play a role in keeping our organization vibrant and active!

Thank you to Katie Brabson (downstate IL, one Ethiopian born son and awaiting second referral) and Lynn Provost and Dan Rafter (St. Charles, IL, one bio son and one Ethiopian born son) for helping bring this website to life!

We welcome all comments about this new site and look forward to seeing you at upcoming events!

The EAKC Board

Marathon

2008-10-17T05:40:00.001-07:00

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Ethiopian Websites

2008-10-15T20:57:00.000-07:00

My Ethiopian Name-is a website by an Ethiopian immigrant that is designed for adoptive families at all stages in the process. The site provides culture, custom, history, language, names &meanings and much, much more.

www.myethiopianame.com

Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago
4750 N. Sheridan Road
Ste. 249
Chicago, IL 60640
www.ecachicago.org

Dr. Erku Yimer, Executive Director and Founder

Tadias Magazine
Online magazine that is tailored towards the Ethiopian-American community.
www.tadias.com

Adoption Magazine

2008-10-15T20:50:00.000-07:00

Adoptive Families Magazine, the award-winning national adoption magazine, is the leading adoption information source for families before, during and after adoption.

www.adoptivefamilies.com

Adoption Training Classes and Seminars

2008-10-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

Many adoption agencies and social work agencies (home study agencies) offer trans-racial training for their clients. The agencies below are independent with the exception of Rainbow.

Adoption Learning Partners
On-line training and education courses
website: www.adoptionlearningpartners.org
email: info@adoptionlearningpartners.org

Bridge Communications, Inc.
Multicultural Living for Families and Communities
221 N. LaSalle Suite 2020
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 377-2748
website: www.bridgecommunications.org
email: bridgecom@core.com

CAFFA-Chicago Area Families for Adoption
Is the largest adoptive parent support group in the Chicago area. Member families include children of all rces and ethnicities. They are dedicated to providing information and support to both adoptive and pre-adoptive families in the Chicago area.
www.CAFFA.org
(630) 585-4680

Our Rainbow Families (through LCFS)
For families partnering with LCFS for their home study.
www.lcfs.org

Chicago Area Home Study Agencies

2008-10-15T19:52:00.000-07:00

The agencies listed below are EAKC member recommended. We encourage members to add the agency they used, and recommend, for their home study.

Adoption Center for Family Building
8707 Skokie Boulevard, Suite 208
Skokie, IL 60077
(847) 674 3231
website: www.centerforfamily.com

Adoption-Link Inc. of Illinois
1113 South Boulevard
Oak Park, IL 60302
(708) 524-1433
www.adoption-link.org

Bethany Christian Services
1717 South Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60628-5822
(773) 264-0200
www.bethany.org/chicago

The Cradle
2408 Ridge Avenue
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 475-5800
www.cradle.org

Family Resources Center
5828 N. Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60660
(773) 334-2300
www.f-r-c.org

Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois
333 West Lake Street
Addison, IL 60101
(630) 628-6448
www.lcfs.org

Lutheran Social Services of Illinois
10 W. 35th Street
Chicago, IL 60616
Phone: (312) 949-4349
Fax: (312) 225-9926
www.adoptionillinois.org

Illinois Adoption Attorneys

2008-10-15T19:42:00.000-07:00

The following attorneys are recommended by EAKC members. We encourage members to post their attorneys that they used and recommend.

Ballard, Desai, Bush-Josephv& Horwich
Shelley Ballard or Nidhi Desai
(312) 673-5312
www.infertility-law.com

Kathleen Hogan Morrison
Phone: (312) 977-4477
Fax: (312) 977-0872
website: www.chicagoadoptionattorney.com

The Law Office of Michelle M. Hughes
Phone: (312) 857-7287
Fax: (312) 658-0114
See Ms. Hughes recent Chicago Tribune post regarding race below.

Are you 'biracial' or 'black with a white mom?'

Michelle Hughes’ mother is white and her father is black. Michelle describes herself as “biracial.” Some mixed-race people---such as Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Barack Obama----consider themselves “African American or black with a white mother.” As Michelle explains in her essay, the way a mixed-race person with one black parent identifies is often the result of several factors, including whether the person feels pressure from some in the black community to identify as black. What I find interesting now is the pressure from some in the white community to get Obama to identify as biracial. In a recent e-mail, a reader told me that Obama excludes his white heritage when he describes himself as African American. “This exclusion in effect alienates white voters and is a missed opportunity to connect with the U.S. voter population.” Michelle is an adoption attorney in Chicago and co-founder of Bridge Communications, Inc., a company specializing in diversity training for multiracial families. She offers her insights as one who refuses to define herself in any way that doesn’t include both of her parents. This is Michelle Hughes’ essay:

A friend told me recently that my parents were a unique inter-racial couple. Even though my parents have been married for more than four decades, my mother, who's nearing 70, is still very much the optimistic white woman who grew up on a quiet Minnesota farm years ago in an all-white community. Being married to a black man hasn't altered her mannerisms or her speech pattern, or her "whiteness.” Similarly, my 82-year-old father in large part is still the black man who came of age in Texas during the Jim Crow South. He can tell you stories of white men demanding, "Take your hat off, boy, in my presence." He remains an advocate for racial justice as well as a dad who can't sit at a stoplight without reminding his children that a black man invented it.

My parents married two years prior to 1967 when it was still illegal in 14 states for them to do so. When they had their three children, in keeping with the thinking of the day, my parents considered us "black with a white mom.”

As a child, I felt as though we were always on stage. Whenever my family walked into a restaurant or visited a different church out of town, everybody stared. My parents' racial makeup was unmistakable. But what about their children: Were we black, white, or both? My family was also unique in our South Side Chicago neighborhood, and later in our suburban one. In the 5th grade, I remember explaining to a classmate that a black person and a white person could actually produce a child. So, at the ripe old age of 10, I found myself giving a dual lesson in sex education and being biracial.

Because I don't look particularly black or white, people often are curious about my racial makeup. Depending on the depth of my tan and if I’m wearing my hair curly, I could be labeled a light-skinned black person, a Latina or even an Italian. Those curious try to figure it out by using coded language, such as 'What are you?' or 'Where did you come from?' or "Where are your parents from?" Rarely do people forthrightly just ask, 'What's your racial background?'

They may be confused, but I've always been clear about who I am. When asked, I tell people that I'm biracial, or more precisely biracial via a black/white mix. "Biracial" gives me the option of recognizing both of my parents; both of whom were very much a part of my development.

I do understand why some mixed race people identify as "black with a white mom. " If you look black, often it's simply less complicated to identify that way. It’s easier to just relent to how society will define you. Sen. Barack Obama has said that he considers himself African American because he looks African American. He jokes that, in the past, he's had difficulty hailing a cab.

Still, "black with a white mom" is such a throwback to the old one-drop rule, which demanded that one drop of black blood so overwhelmed (and tainted) the white blood that it colored the person black. It seems offensive and derogatory to me to honor the rule.

And yet, the term biracial doesn't offer a cakewalk. It has social and political ramifications. "Biracial" sometimes plays poorly in the black community. Remember what happened to golfer Tiger Woods when he described himself as "Cablanasian," mixing his Caucasian, Black, and Asian ancestries? Some African Americans felt rebuffed because they wanted him to identify with them. At the very least, they wanted Woods--- the son of a black man and Asian woman---to see himself as "black with an Asian mom."

The whole "biracial" or "black with a white mom" nomenclature is such a product of this country's complicated and sordid racial past. There was a time when it was so objectionable to be black that some blacks wanted to be anything but. Some even claimed they were part Cherokee or latched on to some distant white lineage even when the evidence of such was little more than hearsay. So by the time black pride movement began, if you were biracial, considering yourself "black with a white mom" was important if you wanted to be part of a black community ever in the throes of redefining itself.

But times are changing. You could say that I was born into the multiracial movement. What started with social networking groups has since blossomed to combine a variety of organizations advocating for efforts ranging from those on behalf of racial justice to fair media depictions of multiracial people and multiracial families.

I sit on the board of the Association of Multiethnic Americans (AMEA, one of the oldest national multiracial family organizations in the country. AMEA was instrumental in changing the 2000 census to allow multiracial people to check all the boxes that applied.

Since Obama has gained national prominence, more people are recognizing biracialism. In recent months, many articles have been written on the subject. Still, the candidate himself really hasn’t explored it much beyond what he’s written in his books. In short, his presence helps the movement by making us more visible. But he himself has been all-too silent.

These days, younger mixed-race people are anything but silent. More and more are inclined to define themselves in ways that represent both of their parents.

As for the Hughes family, my parents don't consider their three children "black with a white mom” anymore. They reared three independent thinkers who racially define themselves in various ways. My sister generally identifies as black. My brother has a complicated racial identity structure that starts with him being "human."

I will always be biracial. Like my father, I'm committed to advocacy and community outreach. Like my mother, I can look at the realities of a situation, see it clearly, and remain somewhat optimistic. Those are qualities that aren't particularly racial but necessary in moving forward when it comes to all matters of race.

You can learn more about Bridge Communications, Inc. at www.bridgecommunications.org and about the Association of Multiethnic Americans (AMEA) at www.ameasite.org.

Adoption Agencies

2008-10-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

This list includes agencies recommended by our members. There are many more agencies to select from and we encourage EAKC members to post the agencies they have worked with and that are recommended.

Adoption Advocates International
www.adoptionadvocates.org
(360) 452-4777

Children's Home Society & Family Services
www.chsfs.org
(651)646-7771 or (800)952-9302

Wide Horizons for Children
www.whfc.org
(800) 729-5330

Concern Worldwide, Inc.

2008-10-15T19:18:00.000-07:00

http://www.concern.net/what-we-do/appeals/ethiopia-appeal/ethiopia-appeal.php

The Ethiopian government has recently announced a revision of the estimated number of people in need of humanitarian assistance – an increase from 4.6 to 6.4 million people. This is putting pressure on the already limited resources available for relief.
Concern is trying to help thousands of children and their families by providing urgently-needed food and healthcare.

How are people being affected?

€30/£24 pays for monthly doses of vitamin A and folic acid for 260 children
€60/£48 pays for one month’s worth of supplementary food for 14 children
€100/£79 pays for enough food to help two severely malnourished children recover within 38 days

Dampday Dado is a father of eight. He has brought his 14-month-old malnourished daughter Degnish Dante to the outpatient theraputic care centre.

The child's mother died while breast-feeding her.

What is Concern doing to help?
Concern is currently helping a total of 83,282 people.

There are improvements in some areas because of both food aid distributions and improved rainfall. This has resulted in cleaner water and the prospects of a good harvest have increased.

Concern is responding with:

Distributing highly nutritious food to malnourished children, pregnant and lactating women
Supporting the Ministry of Health in providing outpatient therapeutic care
Providing health services for seriously malnourished children
Purchasing and distributing seeds

Challenges ahead
Access to remote villages continues to be a challenge for Concern. But the team have still managed to reach an increasing number of villages in the last few weeks with seed distributions.

Photos from Ethiopia
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26219140@N04/2655411778

www.concern.net

Miss Jessie's Hair Care Products

2008-10-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

BABY BUTTERCREME™
Hath no fear BABY BUTTERCREME is here to rescue kids, mommies and daddies from knotty, dried out tangled kinks and curls. This splendid moisture blend is essential for softening and growing out natural hair. Shhhh........ On the hush, grownups looking for a softer scented alternative to Curly Buttercreme will love it too!

www.missjessies.com

Adoption Doctors

2008-10-15T19:00:00.000-07:00

Aronson, Jane, M.D. - www.orphandoctor.com (212) 207. 6666
Johnson, Dana, M.D -
Univ. of MN Int'lAdoptionClinic www.peds.umn.edu/iac iac@umn.edu (612)624-1161
Ochs, Todd, M.D. - (773) 769-4600, (773) 907-8864

Great Day at the Chicago Marathon!

2008-10-14T11:13:00.000-07:00

A Great Chicago Marathon! See pictures in Photo Album in EAKC Yahoo Group

It was a beautiful day for the Chicago Marathon! A small contingent of
flag waving EAKC members met to watch Bezunesh Bekele of Ethiopia
finish a disappointing 7th (2:32:41.) This after winning the two
previous years. The ECAC was out in full force at another viewing
location cheering on all three of the top female Ethiopian runners.

Our own EAKC members, Tim Lenning and Ted Wollnick (pictured here in orange jerseys), running for Team
World Vision "26.2 for Africa-Running for a Reason" raised several
thousand dollars for this organization that does great relief work in
Africa. They looked great all throughout the race and shaved several
minutes off of their previous times.

More race day photos are posted in the forum photo section!

Carol Deely and Bridget Grady-Couture

EAKC Volunteer Opportunities - We need You!

2008-10-13T14:33:00.000-07:00

EAKC is about people. We believe in the power of volunteering to enrich our children’s lives and the world around us. Since we are a non-profit volunteer organization, we need everyone’s support to keep our group vibrant.

EAKC Volunteer Opportunities:

Contributing to the website – photos, stories, Ethiopian cultural news.
Co-sponsor a cultural event – easy to do, we’ll help you!
Plan a local get-together – play date, picnic, etc. Bring EAKC to your area!
Help at Ethiopian Culture Camp – our largest event needs your ideas and support.
Volunteer at the ECAC – an opportunity to learn more about Ethiopian culture.
Fundraising – one aspect of EAKC that supports Ethiopian charities, Culture Camp, and giving back to the Ethiopian community.
Share what you know - Become an online resource for pre-adoptive families.
Join the EAKC Board – help us grow!
Whether you are just starting the adoption process or have completed your family, please consider giving back by volunteering a few hours a month. Not sure how? Email Bridget at bridget@ethiopiankids.net

Rosemary Mint Shampoo from Carol's Daughter

2008-10-13T14:16:00.001-07:00

Rosemary Mint Shampoo from Carol's Daughter is what I use to keep my son's hair soft and smelling good. Has a nice mint scent and is a good de-tangler. A little goes a long way and I wash his hair about every 10 days or so. You can purchase this shampoo at Carol's Daughter.com, Sephora, Amazon, etc.

Hair Milk from Carol's Daughter

2008-10-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

Hair Milk from Carol's Daughter is a leave-in conditioner used after shampooing or in-between shampoos. It leaves my son's hair soft and curly, not sticky or crunchy. Hair Milk has a nice smell of lemongrass and a nickel-sized dollop is just enough. Spritz dry hair with water to loosen the curl, then add the Hair Milk to style. Hair Milk can be purchased on the Carol's Daughter website or through Sephora, Amazon, etc.

African American & Ethiopian children's books

2008-10-13T13:55:00.001-07:00

Click here to visit a webpage full of interesting books about Ethiopian culture, African-American culture, adoption reference books, etc. comeunity.com/adoption/books/0africa.html

Website for Ethiopian children's books

2008-10-13T13:49:00.001-07:00

Check out this website for a quick list of books about Ethiopian history, folktales, etc.

http://www.ethiopians.com/Books_On_Ethiopia.htm

Ethiopian names and culture website

2008-10-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

My Ethiopian Name.com is a great website to look up the meanings of Ethiopian names and culture. You will also find links to other websites concerning Ethiopian customs, books, etc.

CAFFA adoption support group

2008-10-13T13:13:00.000-07:00

Chicago Area Families for Adoption (CAFFA) is dedicated to providing information, education and support to adoptive and pre-adoptive families. CAFFA also serves as an adoption advocate by promoting awareness to the media and community at large.

CAFFA is currently one of the largest adoptive parent support groups in the Chicagoland area - representing a diverse population. The percentage of domestic and international adoptions represented in CAFFA is almost equal, with many families consisting of both biological and adoptive children. Members adopt children through many different avenues including private, agency, and agency-assisted. Membership also includes adoption professionals, agencies and families in the process of adopting. For more information, visit their website at CAFFA.org.

"A Walk to Beautiful"

2008-10-12T13:33:00.001-07:00

The award winning feature-length documentary A Walk to Beautiful tells the stories of five Ethiopian women who suffer from devastating childbirth injuries and embark on a journey to reclaim their lost dignity. Rejected by their husbands and ostracized by their communities, these women are left to spend the rest of their lives in loneliness and shame. They make the choice to take the long and arduous journey to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in search of a cure and a new life.Through the intimate experiences all five share, we are no longer in the heart of Africa - we are in the hearts of these women. And through their eyes we also reveal a larger story, that of the seemingly intractable problems facing women in the developing world, including malnutrition, child marriage, and lack of obstetric care.
The trials they endure — and their attempts to rebuild their lives – tell a universal story of hope, courage, and transformation.

"One Family: An Ethiopian Adoption"

2008-10-12T10:46:00.000-07:00

“One Family: An Ethiopian Adoption” documents the journey of a family from Vermont to adopt a 10-year-old girl from Ethiopia. The movie also raises questions about openness in international adoption. More information and reviews can be found at www.132main.com.

Helping Mothers in Ethiopia - The Fistula Foundation

2008-10-12T10:30:00.000-07:00

The Fistula Foundation was founded in 2000 and is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of obstetric fistula in Ethiopia. An obstetric fistula is a hole between a woman's birth passage and one or more of her internal organs. This hole develops over many days of obstructed labor, resulting in permanent leakage of urine and/or feces. The majority of women who develop fistulas are abandoned by their husbands and ostracized by their communities because of their inability to have children and their foul smell.

Fistula used to be present in the U.S. and Europe, but was largely eliminated in the latter part of the 19th century with improved obstetric care in general and the use of c-sections in particular to relieve obstructed labor.

In Ethiopia, alone, there are an estimated 100,000 women suffering with untreated fistula, only 1 in 10 women have access to medical care when giving birth. When complications arise there is no one available to treat the woman, leading to disabling injuries like fistula, and even death.

But, fistula is both preventable and treatable. Over 35 years, the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital has treated over 30,000 women. Fistula can be prevented if laboring women are provided with adequate emergency obstetric care when complications arise. Today, the Fistula Foundation continues to raise awareness and money for Hamlin Fistula Hospital's

fistula repair, prevention, and education programs throughout Ethiopia. To learn more about this amazing program, please visit their website at www.fistulafoundation.org. The plight of Ethiopian women suffering from fistula is also featured in the movie “A Walk to Beautiful.”

Enkutatash Weekend 2008

2008-10-11T14:19:00.001-07:00

Enkutatash 2008
On Friday, September 12 Ethiopian Day was celebrated at Daley Plaza. A beautiful flag raising ceremony and playing of the Ethiopian National Anthem kicked off the festivities. The event included dancing, live singers, a merkato and the ECAC presenting the Ethiopian traditions, the activities of their organization and the recognition of EAKC! The ECAC highly regards us and welcomes the opportunity to help us educate our Ethiopian born children in the culture and traditions of their homeland.

Saturday, September 13 a Enkutatash celebration was held in Hyde Park and, due to torrential rain, the party was moved indoors. The event was made possible by the generous support of the King family. Traditional Ethiopian food was served for lunch, a yellow flower activity was held for the children and a coffee ceremony wrapped up the festivities. Almost 100 people attended-Ethiopian, American and Ethiopian adoptees. We raised over $1300 dollars in our fundraising efforts, of which, the majority will be presented to the ECAC for their capital campaign. The balance will be used to underwrite cultural support expenses at future events and camp. Thank you to our organizers Laurie Pasquier and Karen Radtke.

Saturday evening, the ECAC held their annual Enkutatash evening gala. The event include live entertainment, food and a party that lasted until 4:30AM. Many of us from EAKC plan to attend this fun event next year!

to see all event photos, go to the Enkutatash photo album in our EAKC yahoo group

Ethiopian Restaurants-Chicago, suburbs

2008-10-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

Abyssinia Restaurant 5842 N. Broadway (Uptown) (773) 271-7133
Addis Abeba 1322 Chicago Ave. - Evanston
African Harambee7537 N. Clark St. - Chicago (Rogers Park)
Blue Nile 6118 N. Ravenswood, Chicago 773.465.6710
Demera 4801 N. Broadway - Chicago (Uptown) (773) 334-8787
Ethiopian Diamond Restaurant 6120 N. Broadway - Chicago (Edgewater) 773) 338-6100
Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant 5631 N. Ashland Ave. - Chicago (Andersonville)
Mama Desta's Red Sea Restaurant 3216 N. Clark St. - Chicago (Lakeview)
Queen of Sheba 5403 N. Broadway - Chicago (Uptown) (773) 878-2352
Ras Dashen - 5846 N. Broadway - Chicago (Edgewater) (773) 506-9601

Kukulu MarketEthiopian Specialities6129 N. Broadway St.Chicago, IL 60660(773) 262-3169

EAKC Contact Names By Geography, Single Adopters, Etc.

2008-10-09T19:43:00.000-07:00

If you would like to talk to someone close to where you live and possibly set up local gatherings, feel free to contact anyone listed here:

Chicago-Karen Radtke. karen@ethiopiankids.net
West Suburbs-Lynn Provost lynnprovost33@sbcglobal.net
North Suburbs-Carol Summerfield cjsummerfield2000@yahoo.com
South Suburbs-solomon@ethiopiankids.net
Downstate Illinois-Katie@etiopiankids.net
Michigan-Suzeev@yahoo.com
Wisconsin-TBD

Single Parent Adoption Support-Carol Summerfield. cjsummerfield2000@yahoo.com

Pre-Adoptive/Waiting for Referral Support-Maggie Nass at maggienass@gmail.com

Translation-Aida Allegri 773.561.6176 home or 773.310.1440 cell

Amharic Books and Resources

2008-10-08T20:21:00.000-07:00

http://www.amharickids.com/

www.abshirokids.com/

http://www.tsehai.com/

Multi-Cultural Dolls , Toys and Bookes

2008-10-08T20:15:00.000-07:00

dollslikeme.com

DollsLikeMe.com

Tadias Magazine

2008-10-08T20:10:00.000-07:00

Tadias Online magazine is tailored towards the Ethiopian-American community. Topics covered include business, health, opinions, fashion, art,culture, history and more.

www.tadias.com

Ethiopia Reads

2008-10-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

Ethiopia Reads' mission is to create a reading culture in Ethiopia by connecting children with books. We do this by planting libraries for children, publishing books in English as well as local Ethiopian languages, and training Ethiopian librarians and teachers to cultivate a love of reading. Our supporters include readers, writers, educators, librarians, children, grandparents -- anyone who shares our belief that books make a difference in the lives of children.
ethiopiareads.org

Yohannes has always been a hero to these kids at Shola Children's Library

Now he's a CNN Top 10 Hero of the Year

Make Yohannes Your Hero

VOTE NOW

http://heroes.cnn.com/

Voting only takes a second, and you can vote multiple times! Tell your friends, family, workmates, schoolmates, book club members and neighbors to vote, and vote, and vote!

Then visit www.ethiopiareads.org to make a donation in honor of Yohannes.

Yohannes and all of the Top 10 Heroes will be honored in a special worldwide broadcast on Thanksgiving night. We'll be watching, and we hope you will, too!

Thanks for your support! We share this excitement with all of you.

Your friends at Ethiopia Reads

Join EAKC and ECAC at the Chicago Marathon!

2008-10-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

Sunday, October 12
Chicago Marathon
FREE
Taylor/May Street (near St. Ignatius HS) which is approx. mile 18.5

Cheer on the elite Ethiopian women marathon runners, Bezunesh Bekele and Worknesh Tola and celebrate a great day in the the city. We will also be cheering on some of our own group members who are running as well. BRING YOUR ETHIOPIAN FLAG, if you have one! See chicagomarathon.com for parking or public transportation options. Contact bridget@ethiopiankids.net so we can look for you!

EAKC at Lake Geneva

2008-10-01T09:07:00.000-07:00

Planning Meeting

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Our October planning meeting will take place Wednesday; October 1 at 6:30PM.

Demera restaurant at 4801 N. Broadway, Chicago will be our meeting place.

Please RSVP to carol@ethiopiankids.net

We hope to see you all there!

We will wrap up our Enkutatash celebration, begin planning our Gena (Ethiopian Christmas) event (we are in need of volunteers to lead this event) and discuss Culture Camp 2009.

Enkutatash

2008-09-18T06:21:00.003-07:00

Thank you one and all and especially The King Family for generously underwriting our Enkatutash event. Nearly 100 members of our growing Ethiopian Adoption Community came out in the rain Saturday and enjoyed a great event full of culture, food and friends. Over $1300 was raised to invest in the capital campaign of ECAC and in our own EAKC.

Special thanks to Laurie Pasquier and Karen Radtke for planning the event.

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Celebrate Enkutatash! Help Us Raise Funds for EAKC and ECAC!

Join together with other EAKC families for an afternoon of traditional
Ethiopian food, music, cultural activities and live performance from a well known Ethiopian singer.

This is the perfect opportunity to learn more about the most important
holiday for Ethiopians. Come for the fun and good food, and go away
having enriched your whole family's appreciation of Ethiopian culture.

When: Saturday, September 13th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Home of Laura and Ben King, 4812 S. Woodlawn Avenue,
Chicago, IL 60615

This event is being generously underwritten by the Ben and Laura King. Please donate generously to our organization for future events and the help with the capital campaign at ECAC.

Click on Upper Right Tab- Enkutatash on home page to RSVP and make a donation.

Event: Amharic Cultural Class

2008-09-18T06:21:00.002-07:00

An Amharic/cultural class at ECAC will begin Saturday, the 30th of August at 10:00AM.
Children between the ages of 5-14 are welcome. Contact Adane - (773) 728 0303 to register..
Soccer will follow at Montrose Beach a 11:00. Soccer contact person is Daniel - (773) 255 0948.
There is no fee, but donations will be gladly accepted.
Registration is requested before the 30th.

Ethiopian Community Association
www.ecachicago.org

4750 N Sheridan Rd # 249
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 728-0303

Interested in other classes? Please call Adane at ECAC with your ideas! The ECAC supports EAKC!

Completing a Family

2008-09-18T06:21:00.001-07:00

We are happy to feature adoption stories and interviews with Ethiopian adoptive families. Each experience is unique and the opinions expressed within them are that of the family being interviewed and not of EAKC.

Featured Adoption Story: Completing a Family

John and Erica brought their daughter Rose, now 10, home from Ethiopia in the summer of 2004. Rose joined sister Grace, who is now 11, to complete the family. Here is their story, as told by Erica.

IEKC: What inspired you to adopt from Ethiopia?
Erica: My sister went on a medical mission trip to Ethiopia, and the medical supplies for the trip were stored at a foster home/orphanage. While on the trip, my sister found herself repeatedly drawn back to the young girl whom we would eventually adopt, Rose. On Mother’s Day of 2003, she called my parents to say she was fine, it was an amazing trip and that she had found a child she thought we should adopt. In three minutes, our lives changed. We were plagued with secondary infertility and considered foster care with the intent to adopt. We had completed the mandatory classes DCFS requires of foster families, but we decided it wasn’t the right path for us. We decided instead to let nature take its course. If we got pregnant, great; If not, so be it. We never expected a phone call from halfway around the world to be the way we expanded our family.

IEKC: What do you remember most about the adoption process?
Erica: It is grueling. If I heard one more person tell me that at least I wasn’t pregnant, I was going to scream. You lose focus. You are nervous waiting for paperwork. There are so many hoops to jump through with agencies, home studies and countries. My only response to people was that being pregnant was easier. At least when you’re pregnant, you know your child is going to be here in nine months.

IEKC: What was the most memorable part of traveling to pick up your child?
Erica: I traveled twice. The first time I traveled to meet Rose and to travel to the city of her birth, Soddo, about six hours by car from Addis Ababa. I wanted to have images and stories to tell Rose about her birth country. Also, I wanted to meet her older siblings who are still in Ethiopia and get photos of them. Originally, John and I had decided to have Rose escorted to the United States. That changed after my first visit. I convinced John that not only should the two of us go, but that Grace, then 7 years old, should travel, too.

The most memorable part of my first visit was the graciousness of the country. Ethiopia has such a proud and thankful culture. The most memorable part of our second visit, the one where we picked up Rose, was when we walked into the orphanage and Rose ran up to me and hugged and kissed me. Another memorable event was when we traveled to Soddo to allow Rose to say goodbye to her siblings. The entire orphanage in choir robes greeted us. They serenaded us and presented us with traditional Ethiopian clothing. I also remember the compassion grow in Grace as she wanted to help the poor of Ethiopia. She used her own money to purchase “soft” – individual packets of tissue – from a person on the street in Shashamente. Thank goodness she did, too. Our hotel in Soddo only had about three squares of toilet paper, and we were out of the supply we took. It saved us!
IEKC: How has life changed in your family following your adoption? Are there any specific challenges or wonderful surprises you did not anticipate?
Erica: Dropping an already formed 6-year-old into the life of an only child who is 7 meant that there were some definite adjustments to be made. For Grace (then 7) she had to learn to share her things, her space, her parents, her friends, her school and the other special people in her life. Rose was used to being surrounded by children and now only having one peer rather than at least five was an adjustment.
This isn’t so much a specific challenge or wonderful surprise, as it is an observation. Rose is a child who likes to know what is going on, and if she doesn’t, she’ll fake it. I expected more of a reaction to things like the grocery store or Great America or the airplane or lots of things. She was cool as a cucumber, though, about lots of things. Sometimes she would fool me. At the grocery store, she desperately wanted broccoli, so I bought it. I figured she had seen it in Ethiopia. I got it home, and she didn’t want to even touch it. She had never tried it. She just thought it looked interesting.
Some of the specific challenges we faced are not adoption-related, but Rose-related. She has such a strong personality (She had to have one to be able to survive on the streets as a 5-year-old.) and that stubbornness comes through loud and clear. It isn’t uncommon that she cuts off her nose to spite her face. That has taken some getting used to, and has forced our parenting tactics to change. This isn’t a characteristic we see much in Grace.
For a wonderful surprise, it is completely clear that our family would not be complete without Rose. We couldn’t imagine not having her in our lives. I don’t know what I expected. She is our child and will always be our child, so why does this surprise me? I knew with my heart that she would fully integrate into our lives and family, but my head was slower to catch on. She is truly a joy. She has such a vibrant personality. It blows me away sometimes.

IEKC: What would you like to say to other families considering adopting from Ethiopia?
Erica: Just do it. Make sure you have thought about what is best for your family, and don’t listen to those with doubts. If your heart says Ethiopia, don’t argue with it!

IEKC: Is there anything else you would like to share about your adoption experience?
Erica: It was and is still horrible to know that Rose has siblings who are still in the foster home in Ethiopia. We seriously thought about not adopting her because we weren’t sure we could live with ourselves taking her away from her culture and family. However, the foster home/orphanage where she was from had never (and to this day, she is the only child) adopted out children, and if we didn’t adopt her, she would still be there, too. We ultimately decided that is it was better to Rose for us to adopt her than for us to leave her. It was, and still is, a heart-wrenching decision.

Yonatan's Story

2008-09-18T06:21:00.000-07:00

1. Please describe your family.

Dan and I have been married for more than 12 years. We have a 9-year-old bio son named Ben and added Yonatan to our family in May. He is now 10 months old.

2. What inspired you to adopt from Ethiopia?

My husband and I had always talked about adopting a child. After we had our son Ben we kind of put it on the backburner. About five years ago we started the process by working with the foster care system in Indiana. After moving to Illinois we decided to investigate international adoption and chose Ethiopia after reading Melissa Fae Green’s book ‘There Is No Me Without You.’ The book details one Ethiopian mother’s journey from losing her own child to taking care of dozens of children left parentless by AIDS and other diseases. You can read more about her book and the orphan crisis in Ethiopia by going to www.thereisnomewithoutyou.com. Taking into consideration the overwhelming need for families for orphaned children in Ethiopia, we made a leap of faith and decided to pursue adoption there.

3. What stands out in your mind about the adoption process?

The amazing amount of paperwork! From the initial home study, to the dossier, fingerprints, and so on. It took us 18 months from the initial paperwork to traveling to pick up our son. It also caught me off guard that, when we started, we were wishing for a child that wasn’t even born yet.

4. What do you remember most about being in Ethiopia?

My fondest memory was meeting Yonatan for the first time. We arrived in Addis Ababa late on a Sunday night. Early Monday morning we were escorted to the orphanage by one of the volunteers. She took us through a small courtyard to the infant building and instructed us to take off our shoes. We stepped inside and were greeted by a dozen little toddlers crawling around on the carpet at our feet. A ‘Barney’ video was playing in the background. One of the nurses took me to find Yonatan. I remember looking from one baby face to another until I saw him sitting with a group in the corner. I remember thinking he was so tiny. He was dressed in a white sleeper with pink trim. They handed him to me and said “Yonatan, here is your mother!” I cried, and he just stared at me. I don’t think he made a peep the whole day.

I was also fortunate to travel to the city where my son was born. There, I found out quite a bit about his family. A group from our orphanage was driving to Adama to pick up children and help me research my son’s birth family. It was a very somber experience seeing the hospital where my son had spent his first few weeks and meeting these two small children that had been left there for the orphanage. On our way back to Addis we were stopped by a group of soldiers, who are stationed everywhere in Ethiopia. With guns drawn, they checked all around our van and motioned for us to open the door. A female soldier was instructed to inspect the children that were traveling with us. She reached in, took one look, slammed the door shut and waved us off. After we pulled away everyone in the back of the van burst out laughing. I turned around to see that the toddler she had reached for was covered head to toe in melted chocolate candy.

6. Do you have any advice for families traveling to Ethiopia?

Ethiopia is a beautiful country and I recommend that people try to take a trip outside of Addis. We also stayed at a guest house that we found online, and hired a driver to translate for us and take us around the city. My one regret is that I wish that my husband and son would have come with me. There were so many moments and experiences that had to be seen to be believed. At the time we were concerned that our son was too young to take the trip but I think it would have been a great learning experience for him, as well as a bonding experience for our family. We ran into quite a few families with grade-school-age kids on the trip.

5. How has life changed in your family post adoption?

We’ve had Yonatan home with us for about three months, and the main change is lack of sleep. I forgot that infants don’t sleep through the night. We haven’t had a baby in our home for more than eight years, so it’s been a big adjustment with work schedules and other matters. Also, Yonatan has had more health and developmental issues than our first son did. When he first came home all he could do was lie on his back. He can now sit by himself, clap his hands, etc. It’s exciting to see how quickly he is developing; It’s almost in ‘fast motion.’ He is still a few months behind but we have no doubt that he’ll catch up to his age within the next year.

6. What would you like to say to other families considering adopting from Ethiopia?

I hope that more people will seriously consider adopting from Ethiopia. There is such a need for families for these children, especially older children and sibling groups. I would say don’t be afraid of the unknown. Feel free to ask people in this group about their experiences, and really research the agency you chose to help you with your adoption. Everyone we have met on this journey has been so kind and supportive; it has been an emotional, life changing experience. Now, if I could just get some sleep……