The Anglo-Ethiopian Society
Ethiopia Education Aid
Author - Maurice and Susan Clarke
Our vision for Ethiopia Education Aid is to promote the advancement of education and training, relief of poverty, sickness and distress, the promotion of good health and to advance the Christian faith. A tall order!
Our journey to Ethiopia began in 2005 when our eyes were opened to the needs of the people in this beautiful country, and we began to raise funds to help young people continue with their education. Since that time we have become a registered charity with a wide vision to help many people.
The possibilities are endless and each time we visit new opportunities arise to help those in need. We returned from our sixth visit with a desire to support some of the widows in a Baptist Church in a very poor area of Addis Ababa. Also during our planned visit in October 2010 we will be taking sewing machines to women in Lalibela giving them the opportunity to earn a living.
Our main focus, however, is to help young people receive an education and reach their full potential. We encourage students to gain a qualification or trade which will enable them to earn a living and use their skills to benefit the local community.
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| A group of the EEA sponsored students Photo © Ethiopia Education Aid |
Mokyalew Ababu, Alene Zewdu, Yeshambel Asmar and Ayanew Haymanot are just some of the sponsored students EEA are educating. In the beginning we struggled just to pronounce these names! Now we know them well, and have had the privilege of seeing these young people move from the depths of poverty without future hope, into happy young men growing in confidence and maturity as this picture shows.
The tales of Mulugeta and Meseret present some typical case histories.
Mulugeta, our first sponsored student, grew up in a rural area without education having lost both parents. Aged 15 he travelled to Lalibela looking for work to help his brothers. There he began school and in order to support himself and family he worked and slept in a small tourist shop. Ethiopia Education Aid supported Mulugeta during his final two years at school and in October 2006 he transferred to Addis Ababa to study English language and computer studies. He is currently at the Lion Tourist Management College and has gained enormous confidence and great leadership skills since we first him.
Meseret is just one orphaned young woman who has suffered greatly in poverty and distress. Any teenage mother faces serious difficulties but Meseret had to cope not only with the death of her baby, but also with her own severe health problems after she was diagnosed with typhus, typhoid, and pneumonia. The freedom and horror of living on the streets is well known to Meseret, but living with a new family is still a challenge. Mulugeta, our oldest student, has provided help and guidance and we pray Meseret will soon begin at an English Language School. We continue to pray for her recovery and thank God for all the funding raised, and for giving received in many ways, which enables EEA to support young people like Meseret.
I recently read a quote by Mother Teresa to encourage all of us who run a charity: "Love has no meaning if it isn't shared. You have to love without expectation; do something for love itself not for what you receive".
More stories and information can be found on our website and please do consider supporting us. Donations can be made directly through the website.
Postal address: Ethiopia Education Aid, Oakfield, Dartington, Totnes, Devon TQ9 6DH
Website: www.ethiopiaeducationaid.org