Common River is a US-based non-governmental organization located in the heart of Ethiopia’s Sidama coffee growing region. Their mission is to empower the community to become balanced, productive and self-sustaining for others to witness and replicate, while honoring the region’s cultural heritage and environmental biodiversity. While visiting Aleto Wando, I worked with Common River on the following projects:

• Founded the “Love Project” working with orphaned children using art, puppetry, role-playing and love to inspire and affirm. Above right is an image from that memorable session.

• Led a Women’s Empowerment Program and conducted sessions on the importance of friendship, hygiene and education with women. A wonderful video of the women singing and dancing can be viewed by clicking on the image (below right).

Mending Kids International provides free life-saving surgical care to sick children worldwide by deploying volunteer medical teams and supporting communities to become medically self-sustaining. Since 2005 the organization has mended thousands of children in 70 countries, including the United States. At Mending Kids in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, I volunteered at a life-saving surgeries mission where I worked (played) with children pre and post surgery, using art, puppetry and music activities to provide comfort.

The Cross Border House, located in Sichow Poland, offers sanctuary for Ukrainians living in exile. This wonderful organization offers a full range of services including residential facilities, meals, access to medical care, educational resources, programs for children, opportunities for employment and much more… Cross Border House fosters a unique sense of community amongst these Ukrainian residents. In 2021 my daughter Carly and I had the incredible of experience of traveling to Poland and spending time at the Cross Border House where we were able to spend time working and playing with the children living there. We brought musical instruments, puppets, animal masks and costumes and organized performances with the Ukrainian children. Click on the image at the right to watch the our play, “Happy Town”.

In 2006 I founded the Ethiopian Family Fund (EFF), a non-profit organization committed to improving the lives of Ethiopians through educational opportunities and access to healthcare, while respecting their cultural integrity. We have cultivated close relationships with friends and businesses in Africa, which has allowed us to honor and respect Ethiopia’s rich culture and local knowledge, and adapt to the needs of the people we serve. EFF provides support in several different ways, but one of the programs that is most dear to my heart is called “Roman’s Girls which we formed in response to the severe shortage of educational opportunities for young Ethiopian girls. Under this program, which was funded by the gifts of generous and compassionate sponsors, young girls from one of the poorest areas of Addis Ababa were selected, and given the opportunity for an all-inclusive private school education. To date, two students from the program have graduated from the University, and 4 are currently in universities enrolled in various disciplines with the hopes of graduating in the next few years. And the rest of the students are currently attending high school. At right is a photograph of Roman’s Girls taken several years ago.