OMO CHILD News from our Co-Founder, John Rowe

John Rowe’s “Omo Woman and Child” Southwest Ethiopia, 2009

Hello Friends,

In a few days I depart for Ethiopia for what may be the most important trip of my life. OMO CHILD has convinced the elders of the Kara tribe to stop killing mingi children, and I have been invited to attend the ceremony. For the next two months I will be living and working with a team in the Omo Valley and will be a guest of the Kara tribe. We will be participating in their historic ceremony on July 14th to stop Mingi, the killing of children.

Lale Labuko, the Co-Founder of OMO CHILD has been working towards this historic day since he was fifteen years old. When Lale was fifteen, he learned he had two older sisters that were born “Mingi,” and were thrown in the bush to die. Since then, he hasn’t gone a day without thinking about how he could stop the senseless practice of Mingi. For the last four years Lale has used his education to raise awareness and educate others about Mingi. He has worked hard to organize the Kara youth. He has encouraged them to engage in constructive dialogue with the Kara elders about ending Mingi. Lale is an amazing man, and at thirty years old, he’s just successfully completed his first year of college in the United States. Lale and his wife Gido are Co-Directors of the OMO CHILD shelters in Jinka, Ethiopia. There are 37 rescued children from 2 months to 10 years of age.

As happy as we are about the Kara tribe ending Mingi, there are approximately 45,000 Hamar people who continue the Mingi practice. Lale, always the ambassador and diplomat, has encouraged the Kara elders to invite the Hamar elders to the historic ‘Ending of Mingi Ceremony.’ We hope this will show the Hamar elders how to take a positive step into modern civilization. For me personally, I am very thankful there will not be anymore killing of Kara children.

Our work continues…
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Thanks,
John Rowe Co-Founder OMO CHILD