Back to School

We thought Monday would be our first day teaching at Fasiladas but were suspicious, as we hadn’t received the English textbooks and teacher’s guide over the weekend. When we got to the school around 9:00 AM we met with Temsegen and the principal. Temsegen had produced a schedule for us. It was disappointing – one period a day, four days a week. It also looked like Ari and I would be sharing classes.

As the principal, Temsegen, and Alemu spoke animatedly in Amharic, I started calculating in my head...  One period a day for four days amounted to 42 minutes a day, or 2 hours and 48 minutes a week. Luckily, the three men finished speaking, and Alemu informed us that Temsegen would draft a new schedule. We were to have two to three of our own classes each day.

We left the school and headed into the countryside to visit a number of schools the JDC has constructed for the local communities. The landscape was breathtaking, rolling hills that stretched as far as the eye could see. At each school, the children ran out from their classrooms to greet us, shrieking, "Hallo! Hallo!" and grabbing our hands to shake. They were eager to show off their English and ask us a few questions. The teachers were very humble and appreciative of the JDC's work in the area.

Shumargie

Old classroom

Children outside the new school, which has two classrooms 

First grade students

Second grade students

Sera Warka

Walking through corn fields to get to the school

Class used to be held under the large acacia tree on the right.
Since the new school was built, the number of students has
doubled.

There is only one classroom. The first grade class and
second grade class alternate using the classroom weekly.

Second grade students

Saleaj

Students outside the main building

Students in front of an additional classroom, which will be
demolished once the new building is complete

New cement, rather than mud, building being erected

Children playing basketball outside the school

In rural areas classrooms make all the difference. Students are excited to attend school every day in a real classroom with benches, desks, and a chalkboard. They no longer have to travel long distances to the next nearest school or sit on stones outside while enduring the heat and other natural elements. The classrooms also appear to legitimize education in farming communities where children are needed to help support their families. In a country where 46.3% of the population is under 14 years old, and 42.7% is literate (CIA World Factbook), these rural schools are necessary in educating isolated Ethiopians and preparing society's next generation of leaders.