Adera is a heart wrenching story about an Ethiopian refugee’s struggle to survive in the city of Johannesburg. Life in South Africa is dangerous and earning money is difficult. She quickly discovers that Johannesburg is not the promised city of gold.

Marlam struggles to provide for her two children back home and through a series of twisted circumstances ends up as a surrogate mother for a wealthy Ethiopian couple, Tiru and Fre. Their fate is tied to that of Biru’s, the shady middle man who is only interested in money.

As this unique African story unfolds, the true cost of dreams is revealed and each life is changed forever. Adera is a story of love, hope, deception and the human will to survive.

Adera raises questions about old traditions and how they affect the lives of modern Ethiopians. One of the critical issues Adera confronts is adoption in Ethiopia. The culture in Ethiopia, as in most of Africa, is not to adopt children. With so many orphans left behind and the numbers always growing, it is high time to take fresh look at these conventions.