Thank you Max! From The OMO CHILD Team

Once upon a time there was a boy named Lale Labuko who lived in the Omo River Valley in Ethiopia, Africa. At the age of 12 young Lale was sent to school. This was a big deal. Lale and some of his friends were the first kids in his tribe to attend school.  They had to walk.  The walk was about 60 miles and took about 3 days time. Because it was so far away, this school required students to live there, sort of like boarding school today. When Lale was 15 years old he came home to visit his family and he saw a baby being taken away from its mother and the mother was crying. Suddenly Lale wondered why that was happening.  So he asked his mother.  His mother explained to Lale that the baby was declared mingi wich means ‘bad luck’ or ‘cursed’ to the tribe and the baby had to be left to die. After that experience Lale thought that they should not do that to little kids.  So from that point on Lale Labuko vowed to change the tribal law and save the babies who were being abandoned.  Later he started OmoChild.

OmoChild Foundation is a non-profit charity that cares for the children that Lale and his organization save from being abandoned or sacrificed.  Instead they are loved, educated and are given a safe environment to live in. There are many types of Mingi, such as when a baby is born out of wedlock or when a child’s top teeth grow in before their bottom teeth.  Also, in these tribes twins are considered bad luck so both babies would be considered Mingi. Once children are considered Mingi, the tribe will not take them back into the tribe because they believe that it would bring bad luck and hurt the whole tribe.  Having a Mingi child is like having a child with an incurable disease.  It is a tragedy for the families. OmoChild picks up Mingi babies and educates them with the hope that one day they will become the leaders of their community.  Then they can explain to the tribe that no children are bad luck and that parents do not have to suffer the trauma of losing a child to Mingi.  As a result of Lale’s hard work, last summer OmoChild successfully convinced the Kara tribal elders to stop the practice of Mingi.  He continues to work to stop Mingi in the other two tribes of the area.

OmoChild has successfully saved 37 children.  Here are a few of the children they have saved:  Kero at the age of five was determined teeth mingi because her top teeth came in before her bottom teeth.  She was rescued by OmoChild in 2008. Kero is a friendly, young, intelligent girl and because of her maturity Kero often helps take care of the younger kids. Terefe was rescued at the age of two in 2009 and is now living in the Omo child home. Terefe was extremely dehydrated when he was rescued but was brought to the hospital immediately and overnight he gained weight and is now safe and sound in the hands of OmoChild. The last child I will show you and tell you about is a child named Lale Chicha. Young Lale was rescued in early November of last year.  His mother was forced to leave him out to die in a hut because he was born out of wedlock. Lale was rushed to the hospital because he was starving, and after a three week stay in the hospital he was finally healthy again and brought back to the home. OmoChild deserves to be donated to because this charity does not have the advantage of being publicized or the benefit of a wealthy company backing it up like other charities do.  OmoChild gives pretty much all the money it raises to the care of the OmoChild kids.  They are a small charity that has one paid part time employee and a handful of volunteers.  Both my Dad and my Mom are volunteers.  It costs about $270 a month to support each child.  So, any money that we raise from this garage sale will help this charity immensely.  Just think, by selling our old stuff, we can help 37 children get an education and grow up to change the world.

The post Max and his Contest Winning Essay! appeared first on Omo Child.

Sign up for a Photographic & Cultural Immersion Tour with Omo Child‘s very own Lale Labuko and Sebastian Humphreys, courtesy of Epic Photo Tours. Held this Summer, July 17-28, 2013: This trip is geared for people of all ages in good health who are interested in anthropology, photography, adventure and travel. See more here: 

http://www.epicphototours.com/NewEthiopiaOmoChild.html

The post Photography Tour: OMO CHILD appeared first on Omo Child.

Steve McCurry in the Omo. 

Steve McCurry, legendary photographer, will be hosting a photography expedition to the Omo Valley in Ethiopia this Summer.

Dates: August 4 to August 14, 2013

This once in a lifetime expedition with Steve McCurry will give access to areas of the Omo Valley which most safaris do not access.

All meals, hotel accommodations, and in-country travel are included. Flights to and from Nairobi are not included. All guests must have Ethiopian Visas in advance.

There will be an optional extension of going even deeper into the Omo Valley with Steve and a very small group.

See expedition itinerary here.

For further information please contact Dallas Raines at dallas@stevemccurry.com.

A portion of this trip’s proceeds will go to OMO CHILD. Thank you!

The post Steve McCurry Expedition: Omo Valley 2013 appeared first on Omo Child.

Steve McCurry for OMO CHILD.

Steve McCurry in the Omo, Summer 2012. Photo: John Rowe. 

These photographic prints and poster selections capture, through the most famous lens in contemporary photography, the unique cultures of the Omo River Valley.

See Steve McCurry’s Blog about his travels and experiences at “To Save A Child”.

A portion of the proceeds will also benefit the McCurry Studio’s nonprofit, Imagine Asia, helping the people of Afghanistan where McCurry’s most famous image, “Afghan Girl,” was captured.

Email info@omochild.org to place your order for Steve McCurry Prints or Posters from the Omo.

The post Steve McCurry Fine Art Prints and Posters for OMO CHILD appeared first on Omo Child.

See Tim’s Coverage in the Rancho Santa Fe Review!

Dear Friends,

Tim Williams at the finish line of a 13.1 mile half-marathon on

December 2, 2012 running for OMO CHILD!

Thank you, Tim,

for running on behalf of OMO CHILD.

If you would like to run or bike at an event to sponsor OMO CHILD,

contact us at info@omochild.org.

The post Tim Williams Runs for OMO CHILD appeared first on Omo Child.

Dear Friends,

Please watch this Interview:

John Rowe interviewed by KPBS 

Thank you and Enjoy!

OMO CHILD

The post KPBS Interview with Dwane Brown appeared first on Omo Child.

Kara Children, Dus Village, Southwest Ethiopia. Photo: John Rowe.

Dear Friends,

It was an extraordinary summer. In July, we were invited to attend the Kara tribal ceremony to end “Mingi” or the killing of cursed children. After four years of risking his life to change the tribal culture and rescuing children condemned to die, Lale Labuko Zino succeeded in convincing the Kara tribe to stop killing children in the Omo Valley.

Today, in the Kara tribe, the killing has stopped. However, sadly one tribe remains, the Hamer, which continues this horrific practice. One third of the rescued children at Omo Child are from the Hamer tribe and this affects us directly. Omo Child staff, including Lale and myself, continue talking to Hamer elders, mothers, young adults and government officials, educating and advocating for the end of Mingi.

While filming in the Omo Valley this summer, we documented first hand this remarkable historic moment in tribal Africa. We did our best to record the incredible events we witnessed and interviewed people in the tribes who have been directly affected by Mingi. We heard many heart-wrenching stories and saw first hand the joy and relief that ending Mingi brought to the people of the Kara tribe.

We also spent time in Jinka, Ethiopia where Omo Child rents a single-family home for our 37 rescued children. I can report that the children are healthy and the nannies and staff are doing an incredible job in what is a very difficult environment.

Together we can save 37 lives and make a difference in the world.

Meanwhile, the effort continues in the Hamer tribe to stop Mingi. While we work to stop it, we are unable to rescue or care for any additional children. Some Hamer Mingi children will be taken in by people in the surrounding towns outside the tribal land and others will surely perish. It is very sad to know this is occurring. I wish we had the capacity to rescue more children but the reality is we need to focus on garnering enough resources for the children we have already rescued. Your help is needed.

Thank you for making a difference!

All the Best,

John Rowe, Co-Founder OMO CHILD

The post Back from the Omo, Ethiopia appeared first on Omo Child.

Have you checked out our latest OMO CHILD videos on our Vimeo channel? This week we’ve uploaded a two part discussion between OMO CHILD Founders, Lale Labuko and John Rowe. Listen to them discuss the historic End of Kara Mingi Ceremony an hour after the ceremony. Simply amazing!

https://vimeo.com/omochild

The post OMO CHILD Vimeo Channel appeared first on Omo Child.

Thank you Dr. Stuart Grauer for including OMO CHILD in your Headmaster’s Journal this week! Please visit, http://www.grauerschool.com/2012/this-week/my-hero/ to read Dr. Grauer’s piece on OMO CHILD.

Thanks!

OMO STAFF

The post OMO CHILD + Grauer School appeared first on Omo Child.

Clothing List

OMO CHILD is planning its 1st Annual Clothing Drive and we NEED your help!

We are asking for clothing and shoe donations for our 37 rescued kids living in our OMO CHILD Home. We also ask that you please mail all of your donations directly to our home in Jinka, Ethiopia. OMO CHILD is struggling to pay for rent and food for our 37 kids. We simply do not have the extra money to ship the clothing donations.

Please click on the document link above to view each child’s clothing and shoe size. Kindly e-mail us (info@omochild.org) and let us know which child you have chosen to sponsor.  It’s because of supporters like YOU that OMO CHILD is able to continue its Mission. Thanks again for all of your support — your support is greatly appreciated!

*Please Mail All Donations To:

OMO CHILD

Guido Sura

P.O. Box 03

South Omo Jinka

Ethiopia

Thanks,

OMO STAFF

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