A Year Like No Other! January 2020
On Tuesday, December 18th we finally opened the first phase of our school - the first four classrooms and the loos! Kit bags of resources were carried in by truck - the 40km journey from the nearest main town. The UK flag was raised above the heads of 212 pupils wearing their smart new red and black uniforms.
The Opening Ceremony was attended by over 100 of the community, complete with AK47 Kalashnikovs, six sheep, two donkeys and a herd of goats. Also present were The Ministry of Education, the local priest and the mayor of the nearby town.
After many speeches, a coffee ceremony was held for dignitaries and everyone else was given a bottle of sprite and a small hunk of bread.
A day like no other.
My recent visit to Ethiopia has been spent working with the NGO (Link Ethiopia), the school director, teachers and children, and meetings with the local community and Ministry of Education Advisors. New plans were hatched and the next steps in our journey agreed. In 2020, two original classrooms will be refurbished and a water station built. Training and support will be given to teachers and the school fence will be built.
And so to 2020; to the children of Gendit and to a brighter future!
A huge thank you once again, to all those who have and still are are supporting us along our journey.
