Sherri* is a talented artisan whose intricate weaving skills have been passed down for centuries. Her hands deftly thread the elaborate loom as her feet pump the threads back and forth. There’s a rhythm to her work: pump, swish, clank. A smile graces her face as she watches her son play at the side of the room, surrounded by a community of women and children who love them. They are at peace.
But life wasn’t always so safe and serene for Sherri and her children.
She was just a young girl coming to the city for the first time. The excitement and opportunities captivated her.
She found a tiny room to rent in Arat Kilo, a slum area of Ethiopia’s capital. “It’s only temporary until I find work,” she would tell herself. She got a boyfriend and soon found out she was pregnant. When she told her boyfriend the news, he left her—never to be heard from again. And just like that, Sherri was left alone to fend for herself and the child in her womb.
With no income, no support, and a child to care for, Sherri looked around and saw very few options for her and her brand new baby girl. How would they survive?
Many women around her worked on the streets, and Sherri quickly realized that while none of them wanted this, there were just no other options to feed their children.
“I felt like I was left alone in the world,” she says in a whisper, “and I was cursed from the day I was born. I felt like I was just something to be used.”
She had another son, and money and hope were in even shorter supply. But after many years of loneliness, fear, and desperation, Sherri found God’s grace alive and waiting. She met LSM staff, and through their love and support, Sherri was freed from the trap of prostitution and began a new life for her and for her children.
But this story isn’t just about her redemption and new hope.
Sherri looks much different today. She is a dignified woman with a stable job. Her daughter is going to school and doing something else once unthinkable—she is dreaming about her own future. Sherri’s son will also have the opportunities for schooling and dreaming. The cycle of desperation has been broken because of your support of LSM!
Sherri sits at the loom weaving beautiful designs into fabric, and knows a simple but life-changing truth: It is because of the grace of God working through His people that her family is where they are today. Because of your support, love and generosity, her children will never have to face the desperate decisions she did.
A mother’s life was redeemed, and the fruits of this transformation were passed on to her children. They are now experiencing in a new cycle—one of love and promise and hope. And it’s even more beautiful than the intricate fabrics she weaves.
You can be a part of this lifelong transformation by purchasing a beautifully handcrafted product at Moriya Ethiopian Accessories.
Start here.
*name changed for privacy