-
Period: to
Mawi's Father's childhood
Haileab born in 1934 in Seraye, Eritrea. Haileab's father died shortly before his birth and soon after his mother grew sick. Mawi's father living in monastery until he was nine and left to live with family that was only survival for he was a servant orphan among family. At the age o 14 Haileab went from homeland to deeper heart of Ethiopia. The people were generous and big of heart. Not knowing when he would eat, when he had food he ate as much as he could. He begged for work. -
Hard Work
Mawi and his brother hated seeing their parents struggle, and they wanted more than anything, to be able to help them someday. They worked hard in school. They were blessed with great teachers. Over 10 years of school they missed fewer than 10 days of school combined. -
Transformation
Tewolde and I thought more about how we could help our family. Tewolde at 13 really started to change, an emotional maturity that their people call "libee migbar", or developing heart. His transformation changed not just him but all. -
A Stranger met, never forgotten.
On a trip to the library in 1989 they meet a homeless man and give him their lunch. Mawi thinking they would never see him again but one year later, his brother who was always getting free things asked Mawi for help and they end up in this dark, desolate building and they bring this same man some weight equipment. This frail man sees Tewolde and burst with gleaning joy. Tewolde helped this man get job, housing and encouraged him, without anyone knowing. -
Determined faith and then fate.
Tewolde strong heart was inspired by his faith in God and believed that God wanted him to try "impossible" things, So he set high goals to make more money in his cleaning business, but fate came when a drunk driver killed him midway through his senior year. -
Making our through hard work.
Mawi and his brother worked for $5 per hr. through hard work in the hot sun. Then one day their good friend Jim Settacse gave them jobs making $7 a hr. and then helped my brother start his own business cleaning at the age of 17.
