A group of volunteers from Reed Specialist Recruitment have just returned from Ethiopia, where they were working with Hope Enterprises, the House of Angels, Addis Development Vision and Chad Et.

The story of one of the children being supported by Ethiopiaid, Massacar, a ten year old boy with a severe case of cerebral palsy, really touched the group's hearts:

"Massacar's mother is forced to work to feed her family but the hard truth is she has to leave him alone for seven hours each day, strapped to his chair, until she can return. He is visited twice a week by a counsellor from ADV who provides rehabilitation, and judging by his face when he saw her it is clearly worthwhile."

The volunteers were all heavily engaged in fundraising for Ethiopiaid before they left for Ethiopia. In December 2009, Reed Specialist Recruitment held an exclusive fundraising auction in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Maria Brown, Goodwill Ambassador for Ethiopiaid, hoped the event would raise awareness and funds for the charity.

It certainly achieved these goals, raising over 31,000AED for Ethiopiaid, which included nearly 4,000AED from the sale of scarves made in Ethiopia by young men and women who've been supported by Ethiopiaid. Read more about the volunteers' experiences in Ethiopia in Maria Brown's Blog.