Back To The Future

How would you like to travel back in time?  How about 7 years? All you need to do is travel to Ethiopia. (And please, visit our programs there!) Ethiopia still uses the Julian calendar, which is about 7 years behind the Gregorian calendar most of the world uses. If you travel to Ethiopia today, the current year is 2011. But wait … there is more …

The Ethiopian calendar has 13 months: 12 months of 30 days and a short month of 5 or 6 days. Ethiopian New Year is celebrated on September 11th, except in leap years, when it is on September 12th.

To make things more complicated, days in Ethiopia are split into two 12-hour halves: the day begins at 6 am (“time zero”) and ends at 6 am, whereas the night begins at 6 pm and ends at 6 am. For example, if my watch were to say it was 8 am, it would be 2 o’clock in the morning according to Ethiopian time. (Why? Because 8 am is two hours after 6 am, the “time zero” of the their first 12-hour period).

Aren’t you happy you live here? You should be even happier because if you were enrolled in our monthly giving program (as I hope you will do after reading this message), you would only have to make 12 payments a year, instead of 13! But who is counting when your gift will make such a difference. Here are some reasons to enroll in our monthly giving program:

1. Dependable and predictable resources. Having a reliable base of support allows us to meet the needs of our children in a timely and responsive way. From school supplies to emergency medical aid, monthly gifts help ensure we are prepared for anything.
2. Every gift goes farther! Monthly givers need fewer reminders or renewal notices, which saves us banking fees and paper and keeps our fundraising costs low. This means a greater percentage of every dollar we receive goes directly to our programs.
3. Small gift – big impact. For even just $10 a month, you can play a major role in caring for the children of our Towns in Italy, Ethiopia, India, and Latin America.

So, don’t waste any time. Click here, choose to make your gift Monthly, and start making a difference today! If you wish to give monthly and have a personal connection to a child in our program, sponsor here. And as always, thank you so much for being there for our children!

Gabriele

P.S. A little riddle for you … If you are in Ethiopia and your watch says it’s 2 am, what would time would the locals say it was? The first three donors who will enroll in our monthly giving program and write me the correct answer will receive our A Chance In Life hat. (Entries from Ethiopia excluded … they would have a 7-year advantage …)