Why Ethiopia, Why Me -
During my junior year of high school I went to a conference called "Acquire the Fire" and felt a calling to overseas missions that has remained with me to this day. Ever since, I have had the idea of spending a year or so overseas after college to see if that's where God is leading me long-term.
During my first year of college I wrote a research paper on the economies of Third World countries. The research I did for that paper served to wake me up to the reality of poverty in so many people’s lives, poverty that I had never experienced myself (i.e. 2/3 of the world's population live on less than $2 a day... I live on $40) . When I finished my paper I was determined that I should not only know about these things, but I must do something about it. At that point I began sponsoring a child named Mesfin Teshome in Ethiopia with monthly support donations through the organization Compassion International.
Later, when I transferred to UNH, I decided to switch my major from general Business Administration to Economics, specifically International and Developmental Economics. I did this because I wanted to do something with my life that will directly help those suffering from the results of poverty. Now that I have graduated from college and have a small amount of head knowledge I am ready to get my feet wet and hands dirty with some life experience.
third_world_economics.doc |