November 24, 2015 by Amanda Froelich
Translate“Because of my good fortune, I will never have to worry about money again, but these children have been left vulnerable and orphaned by problems that aren’t their fault.” –Jane Surtees
Credit: TheSun.co.uk
Many people dream of winning the lottery. Oh, the things they could do with a million dollars! Perhaps they’d purchase a new house, invest in the stock market, or travel the world!
But there’s a difference between dreaming about such good fortune and fate actually knocking on your door with the good news.
Such a moment must have been quite surreal for single mother Jane Surtees, who has certainly dreamt about what she would do with such winnings over the years.
Whether or not she contemplated helping orphans if/when she won the lottery of it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, her actions speak louder than any media source can broadcast.
Shortly after scooping up a £7.5 million jackpot, Surtees set out plans to help orphaned children in Ethiopia, reports The Sun.
She traveled to Ethiopia’s captial, Addis Ababa, and headed straight to the Kidane, Mehmet Children’s home, which cares for 120 orphans.
The age of the orphans in this home range dramatically. The youngest is 3 days old, the oldest is 17. Because the Mehmet Children’s home runs purely on donations, it is cramped and can only feed the kids three small meals per day.
Meat is a once-a-week treat and toys and books are scarce. Jane was struck by how contented the kids seemed to be living in such conditions.
Credit: ChoiceNews
Reports ChoiceNews, Surtees was especially moved by the story of 15-year-old Workeneh Fanetay. After losing his parents to tuberculosis when he was just four, Fanetay was responsible for bringing up his two-year-old brother alone. He was one of many homeless children in the city and brought minimal food with money he earned running errands on a building site and helping neighbors.
18 months ago, thankfully, his luck changed. He joined the Children’s Home and now lives in a modest mud house with his brother. They plant vegetables on their plot and both attend school – something that will change both of their lives.
Jane is beyond grateful for her good fortune and the ability to have met such amazing children. She is sharing an undetermined amount of money with the Ethiopian orphans and is just one more example of the goodness which does exist in this world.
If you’re inspired by this story, please share this positive news! Comment your thoughts below.
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