This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, seniors in our communities gave a helping hand to orphaned children in Ethiopia. They gave the gift of a one-of-a-kind doll to children in Ethiopia that have lost their parents most likely due to AIDS and are now part of the Selamta Children’s Home Project . These children can tightly hold their doll knowing that someone in Vermont thinks they are special and has made a doll just for them.
The Human Capital Foundation designed Selamta Children’s Home to be a place where children could regain a sense of peace following the loss of their parents. In Ethiopian Amharic “Selamta” means “be at peace.” The Selamta Children’s Home Project began in 2005 and now over 75 children are receiving care.
The first dolls have arrived in Ethiopia
Mia Brown, a Neighbor to Neighbor AmeriCorps member at Champlain Valley Agency on Aging (CVAA), designed the Selamta Comfort Doll Project after spending over six months at the Selamta Children’s Home in Ethiopia and working with many of the very children who will be receiving the dolls. She saw the need for more ways to show these children they are special. Many of the children who come to Selamta have never had anything they could call their own.
The transition to a new environment after losing a parent can be very stressful for a child. Imagine how comforting it would be to receive a unique handmade doll to hug during this adjustment period. Elders created dolls that were dark-skinned to look like the children. The goal of the project was to send 75 dolls to the Selamta Children's Home. Over 225 dolls were created! AmeriCorps members hosted a celebration party on Martin Luther King Jr. Day for all the people that made this project possible including anyone who has made a doll. You can view photos from the party here.
Not only will children in Selamta Ethiopia receive a gift that was made especially for them, Champlain Valley seniors become involved in something they can feel useful and proud doing.
Watch a video about the Selamta Doll Project created by CVAA's AmeriCorps Members. This video will be shown on CCTV on March 2nd. This video includes interviews with seniors who created the dolls.
You can watch a program about the Doll Project that aired previously on Channel 17/ Town Meeting Television at the CCTV website.
For more information , contact Mia at Champlain Valley Agency on Aging at 1-800-642-5119 or Mia@cvaa.org.
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