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By Amanda Wills
07 May, 2007
As the sun rises, a new day of survival begins for the people of Ethiopia. While water is scarce and disease is incessant, Ethiopian children face the reality of displacement daily. Ethiopia's population is plagued with infectious poverty, poor infrastructure and little education. As a result, more than five million children have been orphaned.
Volunteers for Ethiopian Orphans, a new student organization at the University of Tennessee, striving to reduce the growing poverty and disease in Ethiopia, and it will depart on its first humanitarian excursion on May 26 to the nation's capital, Addis Ababa.
VEO's founder, Ermias Regassa, a sophomore in Molecular Biology, is originally from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Regassa came to the United States at age 14 to pursue a higher education. Regassa said that his life in Ethiopia served as an inspiration in forming VEO.
After coming to UT in 2005, Regassa knew that he wanted to form a humanitarian organization in order to aid other countries' lack of healthcare and education. Regassa felt that Ethiopia would be a logical starting point.
According to the Embassy of Ethiopia, the country currently has a literacy rate of about only 33 percent. With a population of 65 million, 39 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. As disease spreads rapidly, more than 1.5 million people are infected with HIV/AIDS annually.
VEO's goal is to spread awareness about safe sex, education and healthcare while providing outside social and economical resources for the Ethiopian community.
During the group's stay in Ethiopia, it will make a documentary about its experience abroad and the daily life of the Ethiopian people. Upon VEO's return in August, the organization hopes create and sell DVDs of the documentary and contribute the proceeds to Ethiopia's orphanages.
When VEO was started in September 2006, many UT students came to support the organization, promising to take part in fundraising and committing to a summer-long stay in Ethiopia.
According to Regassa, VEO had 120 members in its formative months. However, there are now only 10 committed volunteers.
"A lot of people came out to support our cause in the beginning," Regassa said. "The majority of the volunteers really just wanted to find out things about themselves and explore new beliefs. In the end, it was only the true volunteers that remained after the toiling fundraising hours."
Vice Chairperson, Arash Arab, has been apart of VEO since the group's formation. Arab said that he was initially interested in Regassa's ideas for the group, and his story was a real inspiration.
"I have had a great time helping Ermias with VEO because I believe a group of people who have so much to work with can really help a group of people who have nothing," Arab said. "We can give them the chance they really deserve: to receive an education. That is what the children of Ethiopia really need."
VEO's upcoming trip to Ethiopia is not going to be low-cost. The group's final financial fundraising goal is $10,000. Since September, VEO has participated in several fundraisers and charity events including car washes, dinner parties and benefit concerts. So far, the group has raised $5,000.
According to Regassa, VEO already has a set itinerary upon its arrival in late May. The group of 10 volunteers will reside with Regassa's uncle, who lives in Addis Ababa. Monday through Friday, VEO will serve at area orphanages by cleaning, providing food and social interaction with the children.
During the weekend, VEO will go into the inner-city and talk with children and their parents about healthcare and education. The group will also use this time to talk about any improvements that can be made throughout its stay.
According to Regassa, the group also plans inquire about the acquisition of government property in order to build a more adequate orphanage in the future. Regassa plans on presenting the goal to Ethiopian government officials in July.
VEO is one of many organizations at UT that promises a bright future. With perseverance, hard work and dedication, Regassa feels that the upcoming trip is just the first step in making a remarkable difference not only in Ethiopia, but also in Knoxville.
"My goal is to raise awareness about poverty and inform America that what they see about Africa on television is not always true," Regassa said. "People have had a wrong perception for years, and I want to change that."