It all started with a trip to Ethiopia by my wife Barbara and me, Robert Ebner, in 2017. Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world, but with an interesting and eventful history. There are over 80 different tribes who speak many different languages and still maintain their ancient customs and rituals. As we learned, some of them are really brutal and cruel. Probably the most terrible is the Mingi superstition.

By a – I would almost say – lucky coincidence, I met Lale Labuko, the founder of the “OMO Child” organization, who has made it his life’s work to save Mingi children and end the superstition. I spent a lot of time with the children, played and talked with them and I was able to experience on site with what commitment Lale and his team take care of the children. I was incredibly touched by this experience and so I decided that Barbara and I will help. After my return to Austria we founded our association: OMO Child Ethiopia, Austria.

After a trip to Ethiopia in 2019, I, Carmen Kisters, also became aware of OMO Child. I was deeply moved by the fate of the Mingi children, so I decided to become a sponsor through OMO Child Austria. After a few months, I extended my commitment beyond a purely financial one. Together with friends, I founded a German sister association to expand the base of OMO Child. In the spring of 2022, I spent several days on site at OMO Child in Jinka, Ethiopia. There I was able to get an idea of what has developed in the last few years with active support from Austria and Germany:

The OMO Child family was able to move into a new, larger home, on whose property a school has now also been built. There the children can enjoy a sound education together with children from Jinka. Despite this progress, there is still work to be done. The financial situation remains tense – especially in challenging times like these. In addition, Mingi children are still being killed in some villages. So OMO Child plans to expand tribal engagement to combat mingi through education.

Please help us to give the children a future and end the Mingi curse.