Category: Bude Methodist Church

Birhan Melese Belete

BIRHAN-MELESE-BELETE-20152015 Age 17

Birhan was born in Lalibela. Her father died when she was young. This has meant her living, and going to school, in a number of towns in Ethiopia as her mother was looking for family to support them. Recently they have been living in Kombolcha with an uncle of Birhan.

Birhan sat her grade 12 National exams in Kombolcha and scored an incredibly high mark of 569 out of a possible 700.

She made application to St. Paul’s teaching hospital in Addis Ababa, sat their exam, was interviewed and was one of the lucky 100 students accepted for medical training.

She has now settled into her 1st. year of training.

Kiberealem Biset

KIBEREALEM-BISET-20152015 Aged 22

Kiberealem has completed 2 years as a medical nursing student at Arbaminch University. Her goal is to become a retinal specialist.

Her family are very poor and can give her no support. She has been struggling to stay at University and applied for some help from the scholarship fund.

Once accepted for University, accommodation and food is provided but she has no money for things like photocopying.

Bude Methodist Church 2014

The Bude Methodist church in England are continuing their sponsorship of young people studying in the medical field. The Susan Aitchison scholarship fund is managing payments to the students on their behalf.

2015 will see all 3 of these students graduating and, hopefully, finding employment within the Ethiopian health service.

In January, we will display a notice in the local preparatory school inviting applications for support to start in September 2015. If the current currency exchange rate continues, we should be able to support 4 students studying in health related areas.

Yonas Gedamu Tesfaye

YONAS-GEDAMU-TESFAYE-20112013 Age 23 years

Yonas has now finished his fourth year of medicine at Gonder University. He is continuing to do exceptionally well in his studies and scored an average of 3.43 out of a possible 4.

He is now doing practical placements in the hospital in Gonder and is thoroughly enjoying the experience.

He will continue to get his payment of 1,500 birr per month.

Adunga Kefyalew Eridie

ADUGNA KEFYALEW EREDIE 20132013 Age 21 years

Adugna is from Lalibela and is one of 6 children. She is studying for a Bsc. in nursing at the Tropical College of Medicine in Dessie and has also just completed her second year.

As the fees are expensive, she asked if we could give some support. The Bude Methodist church agreed to this and she is given 600 birr every month to help with her expenses.

Almaz Melese

ALMAZ-MELESE-20122012 Age 20 years

Almaz has just completed year 1 of a BSc in Nursing at the Tropical College of Medicine in Dessie. She has to pay fees for this course and was having to give up as her family have no money to pay.

The chairman of the Lalibelan committee met her mother in Lalibela trying to sell her land in the countryside to enable Almaz to stay at College. She is now given 2,000 birr per month, which covers her fees and her expenses.