School offers new world to students and women
Considering the fact it is named for A Glimmer of Hope’s founder, it comes as no surprise to learn the Donna Berber Primary School in Amhara is setting a new benchmark for educational opportunity in that region.
Built in 2002, the school is possibly the only one of its kind in all of Ethiopia as it has more girl students (353) than boys (322) and 14 out of its 15 teachers are women – including the principal.
These statistics are remarkable considering the level at which the country’s teaching profession is dominated by males and the cultural tendency of families only sending their sons to get an education. Girls are usually kept out of school to work alongside their mothers.
During a recent visit to the school, Donna was excited to see the role it is playing in its community and in helping change attitudes towards women.
“Women have always been the workhorse of Ethiopian society and never really considered as being equal with men,” she said.
“It’s just fantastic to see these women playing a part in educating all these young women to go out and do more with their lives than fetch and carry water.”
According to principal Rebkma Zegeye, another unique aspect of the school is the 120 of its students are orphans. Thanks to the funding provided by A Glimmer of Hope, the school is free to attend making it possible for these children, and many others from destitute families, to attend.
“This is a very poor part of this region and this school has been a great boost to the peasant families that live around here. It not only gives them a chance to get an education, it is also providing them with a very nice place to go to school. It’s nice for the teachers, too,” she said.
“We treat these children as if they were our own. we are mothers too and we take providing these kids with a good learning environment very seriously. We are all so lucky to have this school.”
Built to provide an education to children living on the outskirts of the rapidly expanding city of Bahir Dar, the school’s six classrooms accommodate students in grades 1-4 (seven to 14-years-old) in two shifts – morning and afternoon. Due to demand, there are plans to add a third shift which will be held in the evening.
Without this project, it is likely none of these children would ever have had a chance to get an education due to the cost involved and the distances to the next nearest schools.
Subjects taught include Amharic, English, Math, environmental science and aesthetics which includes art, music and sport.
A second Donna Berber School was completed in time for the 2003-04 school year in Dembi Dollo in the Oromiya region; it is currently accommodating 1,120 students (grades 1-8).