In 2016 my sister Leonie and her husband Lucas spent the most incredibly surreal, eye-opening and loving week of their lives in Addis Ababa, meeting and getting to know their daughter at Berhan Family Welfare orphanage. That week changed their lives forever.

Unfortunately, Beatrix Ella Bontu was one of 42 children aged from just 1 week up to 17 years old living at Berhan (BEa can be seen in the photo, far right). Most of the children are still there; many will never have a loving family or know any different.

Since 21st April 2017, the Ethiopian government has suspended all adoptions from the country until further notice, including those in progress. Leonie and Lucas have friends caught in the middle and have never felt more privileged to have Bea home with them.

The sad fact is that Ethiopia's private orphanages, like Berhan, reply upon donations made through adoptions in order to support themselves, and all are struggling with the financial difficulties of raising 40 children or more each, without any funding whatsoever.

One nannie earns approximately $45 per month. It doesn't sound like much, but when you need 20 nannies working on shifts 24/7 to look after the children, as well as water, formula, food, bottles, utensils, clothes, bedding, nappies, vaccinations and medicines... just the basics for keeping these growing little people alive, warm and as healthy as possible add up quickly. It costs approximately $2,000 per month to run an orphanage housing 40 or so children, and the Berhan family run three orphanages around the country, on next to nothing.

We would like to do what we can to help preserve Bea's previous home, as well as help care for those who are still there and unlikely to leave anytime soon.

Every little counts, and is appreciated more than you know. Thank you from all of us & all of them, for anything you can give.