SIUE Psychology Alumna Offers Ethiopian Women Hope for a Brighter Future
While she’s unsure of exactly what her future holds, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumna Amanda Jondro is certain: “I want to keep standing up for those who do not have a voice.”
After earning a bachelor’s in psychology from the SIUE School of Education, Health and Human Behavior in December 2019, the St. Jacob native is now in Ethiopia for her fourth visit to offer hope to vulnerable women aging out of the country’s overpopulated orphanage system.
“I could not just sit at home and ignore the heartbreaking things I have seen and experienced there,” Jondro explained. “Ethiopia has an estimated 4.5 million orphans. International adoption is illegal. While domestic adoption is still available, it is extremely taboo in their culture. When these children age out of the system, they are dropped off in the city with little to no resources or life skills.”
For the next six months, Jondro will work with America World Adoption (AWAA) in its new transition home, Bete Hosanna. The two-year program is for 18-year-old females who are aging out of the government-run all girls orphanage.
While in the program, the women will get to finish school, go to a trade school of their choice, learn money management and budgeting skills, engage in a bible study, and learn how to cook and clean. The goal is to equip them with the life skills and resources needed to be successful in society.
“I will be teaching the girls English, while also using my psychology degree to help them talk through some of the trauma they experienced growing up in such a harsh environment,” said Jondro. “I pursued psychology, because I was eager to learn more about how our brains work and why we do what we do as humans. At SIUE, I spent time learning and studying how the brain develops, trauma, emotions, and how they all relate.”
With a heart overflowing with goodness, background in psychology, and a determination to help others, Jondro will surely provide stability in uncertain times, making the world a bit brighter for those lucky enough to cross her path.
“Bete Hosanna translates to save/rescue/savior house,” Jondro added. “Wherever God leads me in life, that’s where I want to go.”
Photo: SIUE psychology alumna Amanda Jondro at December commencement.
