In the Bible, people pushed through crowds to see Jesus. They left their homes to follow Him. They prayed until their words failed, and they held on to God with everything they had, knowing that their faith and blessings could rewrite lives and shape generations to come. 

Inspired by these biblical accounts, a group of scholars decided to both be a blessing to others and capture the blessings of the elderly they regularly serve. Their energy and generosity were contagious! More scholars and Samaritan alumni joined in to raise funds to help. They named this initiative the New Samaritan Movement.

The new team visited the Gaergison Mental Health Rehabilitation Center last fall, home to more than 600 patients, many of whom have been forgotten by society. They brought donations of food, water, clothing, and snacks, but what mattered most were the conversations, the smiles, and the moments shared.

“Life is not measured by where we stand, but by how we share what we have been given,” said Feven, our intern and one of our Samaritan alumni who is part of the New Samaritan Movement. “In the presence of deep suffering and extraordinary kindness, we find the humility to both question God and give Him thanks.”

Along with visiting the mental health center, members of the New Samaritan Movement have been assisting the elderly in their community. They recently asked some of the community members to pray a blessing over them, and then they recorded their wise words and gratitude.

One of those community members was Emama Akeste, which means Mama Auntie. You can hear the blessing she prayed over our scholars and alumni in the video, and read the translation below. 

Emama Akeste’s blessing: 

May God bring you to a better time, my children. May He bring you to a time where things are better and more affordable. (Amen)

May He lengthen your lives. Even if we have lived this long, it is the current time that worries us, yes? For today, we think of my children, but we don’t think about our own lives anymore. We have eaten our fill, we have seen good days, and we have seen bad days. But right now, it is a very sad time, and may He bring us back to better times. (Amen) May He give you long life, my children. (Amen)

To see good things is difficult now; it’s just about survival. Isn’t that right? So, may He give you long life. May He increase your peace like ours, and may He make our end beautiful. (Amen)

The Samaritan scholars and alumni in the New Samaritan Movement are paying it forward by being a blessing to those around them. Just as Emama Akeste prayed for peace for our scholars, let’s continue to pray for the nearly 1,000 International Samaritan scholars living around garbage dumps. Their lives are slowly changing for the better, thanks to you.

Selam Kahsay, Health & Wellness, Ethiopia

Selam is a public health expert passionate about working with vulnerable communities. She has many years of experience working closely with neglected patients from the poorest sections of the city, which consequently set the tone for her professional decision to always work in close proximity with overlooked communities. Selam holds a Master’s in Public Health from Addis Ababa University.