Kirsty, LUCIA's placement in Ethiopia, sent us this lovely story...

Saturday 26th September 2009 was the religious Meskel celebration for many Orthodox Ethiopians. The holiday marks the discovery of the 'true cross' and it is usually celebrated by family gatherings at which large bonfires are lit and special meals are eaten.

Little Voice Foundation celebrated in style with their own bonfire set up and a feast of celebratory food. When I arrived I was immediately summoned to the kitchen where I was shown the special meal of Doro Wat (spicy chicken stew) and the famous Ethiopian Injera (pancake staple) being made. The cooks at the home are very accommodating and they make enough food to allow for extra guests if they come.

We ate the delicious meal they had prepared after all the children had settled and washed their hands. It was great to see people feeding each other food from their plate, as it's a sign you love someone and care for them. These children have special bonds between themselves and the staff who work at the home and you almost forget that sometimes these are the only people they know and trust as family.

It is hard to tell how a child will develop when they first come to the home- most build confidence quickly and act as any other child would. However, some of the children have a history that stays with them for a long time and they may build confidence and develop slower than others. These children are very fortunate to end up somewhere such as the Little Voice Foundation, as the staff love and treat the children as their own and give extra support to those who find it harder to integrate at first.

Most of the children find it easy to greet new people that come to the home. A lot of them have problems with trust issues when they are recovered from a bad family or off the street and so it is important that you build relationships with them slowly and help to overcome their insecurities. The dedication of the staff is imminent to the success of the child's development, and as the Little Voice Foundation has proven, there is hope for every child found even in the worst positions.

The sun had just set as the bonfire was lit. The bonfire is built very tall and with fast burning wood, so in minutes, before us lay a raging inferno. The singing and dancing around the fire commenced and we were later visited by a group of men from the countryside who came wearing wigs made from monkey hair and carrying long sticks. They performed a few lively traditional songs for us before leaving to a roar of appreciation from all the children and adults alike.

We spent the night laughing and having fun. Despite the bonfire that would never pass health and safety checks back home, everyone had a great evening and the night was a success. These children would have had very different memories from Meskel if they were not living at the home, so we can not forget the importance of keeping the Little Voice Foundation alive.