Creating “Mingi-Friendly” Communities

According to government estimates, approximately 40 children are abandoned to die each year in Hamar woreda (districts). These children are labeled “mingi,” which means unwanted, not needed, the cause of misfortune, unlucky and associated with bad occurrences. Mingi is carried out by community members but is dictated and managed by ethnic elders who wield absolute control in Hamar society.  In accordance with Hamar social values and norms, parents are forced to abandon or kill their “mingi” child as a prerequisite to stay in the community. 

Children are considered Mingi if born before marriage;  born to a married couple who did not fulfill customary rituals; the first born are twins; child’s milk teeth of the upper jaw appear before the lower jaw;  or the child loses his lower jaw teeth by accident. 

Two prominent Hamar government officials, adult Mingi children rescued by a courageous man willing to defy tribal pressure,  Emnet Garsho (former Hamar woreda Chief Administrator pictured above) and Sintayehu Garsho (Chief Justice for South Omo zone) designed this project with GTLI. It has  three objectives:  1) Intervene, care, support and reunify mingi children with birth families; 2) Facilitate eradication of Mingi Harmful Traditional Practice (HTP); and 3) Build capacity of local government to assume management of project with technical backstopping provided by UNICEF.

I returned to the US late October to raise money for this program, “Creating Mingi-friendly Communities.” Once we obtain commitments of $200,000, we can officially launch the project. Until then, we are providing rudimentary care for 8 children and will continue to scrape together funds to support as many children we can find. We need your help.

 This article does an excellent job describing the issue, http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/05/world/africa/mingi-ethiopia/index.html?hpt=hp_c1. Even though only the Karo tribe (part of Hamar woreda), is mentioned here, Hamar also practice Mingi. The article mentions 3,000 children killed/year. The official estimate is 40 children/year.  The discrepancy in numbers is immaterial, one child killed is one too many.

$50/month will support a child and help fund efforts to eradicate the practice

Do you know of an organization willing to raise $20,000 or more to help fund this project?

Would you like to help us stop this practice?