From Hopeless to Hopeful

In Ethiopia, attending school is often extremely difficult or impossible to do. Many children must walk several hours each morning, leave their families to live closer, or not receive an education at all. Ganet Tesfaye, a 17-year old resident of Tercha town in the Dawro Zone, dreams of finishing school and becoming a doctor but there is no high school near her village. She knew her family would not be able to afford to send her away to live near a high school in Waka town and the closest high school was 17 kilometers, a four hour walk, away. Between how much her family needed her and the dangers of such a commute, Ganet understood that her chances of continuing school were small.

"In our culture, it is not only the economy that makes parents unwilling to send their daughters away from home to go to school, but also concerns about their safety," Ganet said. The nearby school served 1st through 8th grade, but A Glimmer of Hope and the Netri Foundation helped fund two new school buildings with four classrooms each. This included furniture, six latrines and clean drinking water.

With a high school now built in her village, Ganet’s life has suddenly been filled with the kind of potential that had once seemed impossible. She is thankful to be at home with her family and knowing that her dreams are now a possibility. Such accessible education is not only empowering for the youth, but the community as a whole. To learn about the next phase of development in this community, click here. On behalf of her classmates and herself, Ganet expressed deep gratitude for the people who have transformed their lives with the opportunity to receive an education.