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During funeral preparations for her grandfather, four sheep are sacrificed the night of the vigil. Grassland Phase II, Bloemfontein, South Africa, 2004.

Nine-year old boy kicking a bottle dangling on a string in the wind and dust. He is visiting his mother during school vacation, but will return to his grandparent's home in a town several hundred kilometers away at the end of his two-week stay. His mother is unemployed and his father is in Johannesburg looking for work. Grassland Phase II, Bloemfontein, South Africa, 2004.

Dusk. Grassland Phase II, Bloemfontein, South Africa, 2004.

Braiding her boyfriend's hair. Grassland Phase II, Bloemfontein, South Africa, 2004.

Mother of seven, Elsie lifts her 3-week old son in front of the entrance of her home. Grassland Phase II, Bloemfontein, South Africa, 2004.

Despite a shack's outside appearance it is not uncommon to find modern appliances filling its interior spaces. In some homes these appliances are used, but for the majority they prove too expensive to actually plug in. Grassland Phase II, Bloemfontein, South Africa, 2004.

Sun, dust and other elements of weather pass through holes in corrugated iron sheets and burlap that make-up this family's shack. Grassland Phase II, Bloemfontein, South Africa, 2004.

Margaret, 7 months pregnant, in her shop where she sells fruits and vegetables, snacks, paraffin, and other staple goods. Grassland Phase II, Bloemfontein, South Africa, 2004.

The embrace. Lesedi la Bophelo Cultural Group, a dance and drama group for children, perform a "white wedding ceremony" for the residents of Grassland Phase II. Grassland Phase II, Bloemfontein, South Africa, 2004.

Dikeledi, 16, lives with her grandparents after being orphaned a year ago. Grassland Phase II, Bloemfontein, South Africa, 2004.

A child's shadow falls on a patchwork floor. Grassland Phase II, Bloemfontein, South Africa, 2004.

When I asked Tesfaye what he wants to be when he grows up, he answered that his dream is to be a doctor. The next day, a group of doctors came to the home to do check-ups, and Tesfaye received his first medical lesson.

Salam slips off into a daydream as she comforts the group home mother who is HIV positive and feeling sick. Salam aspires to be a doctor when she grows up so she can cure her beloved group home mother.

After washing her face, Addis patiently waits for her group home mother to fix her hair for school.

Alem and Mesfin (seated) are surrounded by the neighbors who took care of them. I accompanied Yewoinshet when she went to get the children to take them into HFC. I could see that the neighbors loved them dearly but could not be their caretakers.

In addition to running Hope for Children (HFC), founder and director Yewoinshet Masresha serves as a parental figure and confidant for many of the children.

When at all possible HFC allows children to stay in their own communities and families. Sarah's aunt, and primary caretaker, points to a photograph of Sarah's mother who passed away from the virus several years ago.

Alem shows off her mother's identification card, one of the only items she brought with her to the group home.

Margaret, a group home mother, explains to me her sorrow at the departure of two of the children. Although the children's needs were met, they were unhappy in a controlled environment and decided to return to the streets of Addis Ababa.

Muslim and Christian children living together in the group homes has not caused a problem other than the different cooking requirements. When asked if they would rather live in separate homes, the children responded, We don't want to be separated, we are brothers and sisters. At present, living together seems to create understanding and tolerance, but I sensed that HFC staff members worried about what will happen when the children enter their teenage years.

Rahel and Kaleb have been raised by Nazanet since they were both a few weeks old. They are inseparable and have a very special love for each other. Over the years the relationship between these two children has become an inspiration for people in the HFC community. When someone is having a bad day, the remedy is to go and visit Rahel and Kaleb.

During an impromptu photo session, Abebech asked me to take her picture and struck a pose for the camera.

Days after joining her new family Mary has begun to interact with the other children but is not yet ready to join them in the daily routines.

While playing outside her house Sarah suffered a terrible fall. The subsequent gangrenous infection took such a hold that she had to have her arm amputated. Hope For Children is currently raising money for a prosthetic arm. Medical attention for amputees in Ethiopia is limited, and many of them end up using their disability to beg on the street.

After their parents passed away Tesfaye and his older brother lived with their blind grandmother. Although the grandmother is no longer able to look after the two boys she visits them regularly. During this visit Tesfaye's grandmother touched his shoes, clothes, and face to make sure he was being well looked after. With my basic Amharic I was able to understand that she was whispering to him to study hard, mind his group home mother, and become an important person.

Each HFC group home is different, but the love and support the children give each other exists in every one of them. I was amazed to observe the empathy and understanding between children who were not born siblings but have become family.