Phone: 1.800.775.1797

RHONDA ROORDA was adopted in the 1970s, and will speak about her own journey in navigating questions of identity, both as a child within an inter-racial family unit, and out in the world after she left home. She draws from both her own experience, and the lessons she’s learned from the transracial adoptive families she’s interviewed for her books. She will also speak about her experiences as an African American woman growing up in a relatively privileged environment.

This presentation will shine a light on the complex topic of race and identity in America with respect to the unique strengths and beauty of multicultural and multiracial families. We will also consider the complexities and challenges children being raised in such families must be able to overcome. As with the rest of the Camp’s programs, the aim of this presentation is to help you raise confident, well adjusted, Ethiopian-American children. We are pleased to have Rhonda work with children as well.

BOFTA YIMAM is an award winning investigative reporter at Pittsburgh’s Action News. She has been honored for her work nearly every year in her career, including an Emmy award and the prestigious Edward R. Murrow award. She is the first Ethiopian-American On-Air Reporter to receive an Emmy award for her news coverage.

The Maryland native started her career in Dalton, Ga. Since then, she’s experienced journalism adventures across the southeast, mid-south and now, the northeast. In Memphis, she won a Midsouth Regional Emmy for excellence in “Continuing Coverage.” During her career, Bofta has reported on everything from a law firm explosion caused by a disgruntled client to a police chief who bought off voters to win his election. She covered the 2010 gubernatorial race in Atlanta and tackled Federal court cases, including a local ponzi couple charged in connection with a million-dollar investment fraud

Bofta is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park. During college, Bofta studied abroad in Seville, Spain and interned at WJLA-TV, “Good Morning America,” and WHSV-TV.

When she’s not in front of the camera, Bofta enjoys traveling the globe, playing sports, singing, trying new recipes, cheering on her favorite sports team and spending time with family/friends.

STEPHANIE SCHLATTER “I am a painter of color with a passion for expressing those things that inspire me. My life is a journey that has taken me to many wonderful places. I once captured my memories with photographs. Then I discovered the beauty of painting and began to express the essence of my experiences on canvas. I am driven by the need to give back to the places I visit, both for the sake of helping others, but also to share the joy of my art. All this work, whether “On the Michigan Wine Trail” or Absolutely Art, exists under the one umbrella of making sacred the celebration of art.  Join me on this amazing journey.”

Traveling in the South of Ethiopia starting in Addis Ababa and working down to near both the borders of Kenya and Sudan you experience many forms of the word “home”. It is a fascinating subject both intellectually and visually. The homes from region to region are markedly different from each other in their visual expression. Many of the tribes of southern Ethiopia are known for their artistic house paintings. The children will create paintings that are reminiscent of the house paintings of southern Ethiopia. Stephanie Schlatter, who was stimulated and moved artistically by the painted homes that would appear throughout her journey to southern Ethiopia, will lead this program.

JANE KURTZ Award-winning children’s book author Jane Kurtz spent most of her childhood in Ethiopia. Many of her 30 published books are ways she has been able to show the beautiful land of her childhood. In addition, she is giving back through volunteering with Ethiopia Reads, a nonprofit organization devoted to starting children’s libraries and providing other reading opportunities in Ethiopia. Jane now has two Ethiopian-American grandchildren who are just learning to read.

The southern part of Ethiopia includes mountains, forests, wide rivers, and vast savanna lands. The cultures, languages, and traditions are quite different from northern Ethiopia. Children’s book author Jane Kurtz spent most of her early childhood in southwest Ethiopia. Last January, artist Stephanie Schlatter took a trip to southern Ethiopia with two Ethiopian artists on a journey to do art with children and also paint their own responses to what they saw. Jane and Stephanie will show pictures and talk about their journeys, about the history and geography of that amazing place, and about how they have captured and shared its beauty through art and story in ways that your families can, too.

MAHELET G. FIKRU, PHD came to the US in 2007 and currently works as an Assistant Professor of Economics at Missouri University of Science and Technology. She lives with her husband and daughter in Rolla, MO. In her spare time, she enjoys healthy cooking.

Learn the foundation of Ethiopian traditional cooking with your fellow campers, and then take the recipe home with you with the essential spices for day-to-day Ethiopian cooking.

Although Ethiopian cuisine is known the world over for its vegetarian dishes, our cooking lessons this year will focus on “Tibs”.  When you want to eat Ethiopian, but want to get your Ethiopian fix quick and simple, there is nothing better than this quintessential go-to meat dish.  We will teach you how to prepare various types of Tibs from the simple “Zilzil Tibs” to the more complex”Quanta Tibs”.  In addition to preparing Tibs, we will give you ideas about the kinds of sidedishes that go very well as accompaniment to your Tibs main course.