Dire Dawa, Ethiopia is one of the poorest places in the world, where the average monthly salary is about $15 and life expectancy is half that of the United States. Despite extreme poverty, the people are extremely friendly and help one another. They live in simple mud and stick homes without electricity or running water. Children as young as 3 work in the fields, and their smiles over small gifts like candy or water bottles show how little it takes to make them happy. The document asks for donations of used clothing to help the 300 children in the local villages.

1. (City located near the Djibouti and Somalia borders)

2. Dire Dawa is one of the poorest places on earth. The average salary for a
farmer in this area is about 200 Bir per month. That equates to about $15.00 a
month. Despite living in extreme poverty with a life expectancy of almost half
of that of the U.S., people here are extremely friendly and are always smiling
and willing to help one another as well as foreigners. They affectionately refer
to us as “farengee”.

3. Below are what typical homes look like for residents that live in various villages
in the suburban area near Dire Dawa, Ethiopia. Usually, an entire family lives
in these homes and some allow their livestock to live with them. As you can
see there is no electricity or running water in either of these homes. They are
made mostly of mud and sticks. It has rained a few times here, so you can
imagine what these homes look like after it rains.

4. I saw these children a few days ago working in the fields and I told them the next
time I came to their village I would bring them some candy. So when they saw me
drive up, of course they came running and gave me a hug because they wanted
some candy. As hard as their lives are, look at their smiles all over some candy.
The simple things mean so much to them. We bought them some empty water
bottles to carry milk and water for transportation and you would think it was
Christmas morning—drinking water means the world to them.

5. Livestock is everything to the villagers. The cost of a donkey is about 400 Bir
($30.00 USD) and that is how they make their living. They cultivate the land
with farm animals and sell their off spring. They mainly raise goats and eat
them as their source of nutrition. However, sometimes it is more profitable to
sell the goat than to eat it.

6. Children here learn the family business at a very young age. There are schools
here, but the majority of children do not attend. They simply work on the land
where the live. As you can see, this little girl is no more than 3 years old…she
is holding a stick used to herd cattle to specific areas. She just hit that bull to
the right and is on her way to bring some more over that are off to the left.

7. Women here work extremely hard!! On average they walk about 40 kilometers
every day to get water and food for her families. As you can see there is no
daycare, so the woman strapped her son to her back and balanced the water on
her head for the 12 mile walk back home…all while herding the cattle too. That
redefines the word multi-tasking. Many walk in flip-flops because they do not
have adequate shoes.

8. Below are a few other designs for homes that people use here. This is really a
tight community. I saw a little girl defend her brother because another little
boy was bothering him. The girl was about 5 and her brother was maybe 10.
She chased the other boy in the hut on the right and told him “you better not
come out either” I was there for 4 hours and he never appeared.

9. So, why am I sending all these pictures and this powerpoint presentation to
people I consider my friends and family? Because we get so caught up in our
lives and get frustrated about what we don’t have. The Tiffany necklace you want
or the BMW 650 you thought you couldn’t life without. Being here will change
your views of yourself as well as what it means to be happy. These people have
nothing and still find a way to smile! The children I am standing with have never
owned a pair of shoes…not a pair of Jordans or Reeboks…nothing!!!

10. I am asking that if any of you have any old clothes, shoes, sneakers, t-shirts,
(preferably children sizes), to please mail them to me as soon as possible. I
plan on holding a clothes drive for 4 of the local villages with about 300 total
children. Anything you mail to me will go directly to people who severely need
them. This has nothing to do with my job or why I am here, but I refuse to
turn a blind eye on these people. 1. Because I care! 2. We are all members of
humanity and I don’t feel right knowing that I can sleep in one of my multiple
homes in the U.S. when there are people here that are the epitome of poor. We
all can do our part….with that said…

11. Please mail your donations to:
Rodger Perkins
PSC 831 Box 0048
FPO AE 09363
I plan on doing the drive when I have enough clothes toward the end of my
time here and I will be sure to take pictures and email them out at as well.
THANK YOU for your understanding and support!!