Mawardi

This is Mawardi. She's 29 years old, married, with four children. Two were born in the same year, which she bashfully calls her "Irish twins". She is a proud Ethiopian, and even prouder Oromo.

Mawardi is shy, unless she's speaking about her love for America. She has dreamed of coming here since she was a little girl and learned of Christopher Columbus and his discoveries. Coming here in the plane, she says she looked out the window and felt like she was Christopher Columbus discovering a wonderful new land. She loves to talk about how beautiful the green country is, and how great the snow is, too. However, she prefers Colorado to Minneapolis where she doesn't have to experience as much cold.

This sweet, devoted Muslim woman experienced such difficult births that she is sure both she and her babies would have died had they been left in Ethiopia. Her gratitude is boundless, and she is encouraging her daughter to become a doctor to help people in the same way.