Addis Jemari is sharing with all of you a unique series about the heart and soul behind AJ…all of YOU and how we are better together. Here is a word from our Chairman of the Board, Lynne Lewis, and why she agrees we are #BetterTogether.
I initially agreed to serve on the Board of Directors of Addis Jemari primarily because it serves two populations near and dear to my heart….young women and orphan care. While very active in the past in mission work through my church at Edenton Street United Methodist Church or serving with charities in the local community, serving on an international organization for the first time has been challenging at times (language and cultural differences, monetary conversion, and governmental differences) and yet wonderfully enriching to start a charity to share God’s love tangibly to young women thousands of miles away.
As we care for young girls in their struggle for empowerment and equality, and to serve as a voice for orphans whether in the US or abroad, the needs are much the same – but the logistics are very different. I’m constantly amazed at how well Cindy and Suzanne, AJ’s dedicated co-founders, work to bridge that gap so the very important work that is the heart of AJ can be done. Changing the lives of these young women and empowering other families in Ethiopia answers one of God’s most basic calls to each of us…love your neighbor as yourself. It has been a blessing to see all that AJ and its supporters have accomplished in the lives of these young women as we walk alongside them, and moving forward, in the lives of Ethiopian families as we create programming to help enable these families to remain together. I feel blessed to have been a small part of the beginning of an organization that will have an impact of changing lives well into the future.
