Earlier this year, the Ethiopian government passed a law banning international adoption. It broke our heart because we know how full the orphanages are in Ethiopia. As an organization whose heartbeat is orphan prevention, we realize this new law has elevated the importance of what we do. Empower women with a skill and provide them with a job, which in turn gives them a way to provide for their own children and preserves the family.
Read MoreYou know you’re seeing real beauty when everything in you stops for a moment. A groom lays eyes on his bride for the first time on their wedding day, her brunette hair sets off her deep blue eyes and flawless skin. For a few brief moments, the setting sun, shadows, and clouds line up perfectly and the sky bursts into saturated fire. Your child, without prompting, tells you they love you. Insert your own beautiful moment here.
Moments like these take our breath away. Our search for air and words comes up short. The silence of our usually cluttered minds is serene, and we are left for once to simply drink it in.
Read MoreTaking pictures has always been something I’ve loved. It wasn’t until around middle school that my passion for photography was ignited, and the dream of starting my own photography business really began. By my freshman year of high school, I booked my very first senior portrait session. I’m now about to graduate from high school in a couple of months, and I’m shooting about 30 senior portrait sessions, many family portrait sessions, and a handful of weddings each year. Needless to say, I love taking pictures. But my passion for pictures runs so much deeper.
Read MoreHave you ever wanted to go to Africa? Have you ever wanted to fully experience a different culture? Have you ever wanted to drink a cup of coffee in the country where it was first discovered? Do you have a desire to learn more about yourself, God, and the world? Then this #117trip is for you.
Read MoreIf you haven't met her already... We would love for you to meet our USA Executive Director, Ashley Bohinc. To help you get to know her a little more, we asked Ashley some questions about why she does what she does with Carry 117, what exactly her role entails with Carry 117, and what her motivation is behind it all. Here's what she said:
Read MoreIf you haven't met him, please meet our Founder & CEO, Henok Berhanu. One of the most common questions we get about Carry 117 is, "Why does Henok care so much for at-risk women? What's his motivation?" It's a great question. And an important one. So we asked him! Here is what he said:
Read MoreAs someone who loves and has been on many mission trips, one of my lifelong goals has been to serve God on every continent (except for Antarctica I guess…since they don’t have a ton of people there). Sounds like an awesome life goal, right? I planned for this trip to be checking off another box, the Africa box, toward that goal. However, while I was in Ethiopia on the 117 Trip, my mind and heart were shifted completely by the things I noticed and experienced.
Read MoreDid you know Carry 117 started in a storage closet? The first several months we worked out of this tiny closet making samples of products and building a team of people to help launch the Carry 117 vision. Once we launched and hired more than two people, we had to find ourselves a compound. It needed to be in Korah, so the ladies could walk to work. We found a nice mud house nestled at the feet of the trash dump that was in our price range. We called this compound home for two and a half years.
Read More![Standing On Their Own [Our Response to Ethiopia Banning International Adoption]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ba03f28f93fd4b2a950ac3b/1547317479376-Y94I06L3STVK9UXLIIUQ/50085476_378152309601650_3618158300727607296_n.jpg)
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