Coronavirus Update May 2020

All the schools, colleges and universities are closed in Ethiopia. This means that our students are not accessing education at the moment and are back home with their families until the lockdown is eased.

We have made the decision to continue their monthly payments during this time, as often this will be the only source of income for the family.

We have been supporting 45 students during session 2019/2020. Five of these students were due to graduate in July 2020 but this is now not going to happen. All the other students are going to have missed at least 6 months of education and may not be able to progress to their next stage.

As we will be continuing to support the 45 students into session 2020/2021, it has been decided not to accept any additional students for this new session.

As soon as the virus is under control and we have information from the education department on their way forward, we will be able to make plans on how best to support the young people.

As always, many thanks for your continued support, which is a lifeline for these young people.

Susan Aitchison

Fund Report 2019

Once again, we held a meeting in September 2019 and most of our students were able to attend. This gives the students a chance to meet, discuss and share their experiences.

We started with 46 students in September 2018. During the year 2 students left the programme. Mekonnen Chane got the opportunity to go to Canada and is now continuing his studies there. Unfortunately, Teddy W/Gabriel decided that university wasn’t for him and he left the programme. This meant that we supported 44 students throughout the year. The money distributed was £12,200.

9 students graduated from University and college this year. Yengusie successfully completed her degree in accounting in addition to the engineering degree she was awarded in 2018.

Thanks to everyone’s generosity, we have been able to accept 10 new students into the fund. This means we are supporting 45 students in 2019-2020. Please accept the grateful thanks of all the students. You are making a huge difference to the hopes and aspirations of these young people. We had great fun in May with Ben Fogle and the film crew. Ben spoke with 4 of our students, Dr Yonas, Yengusie, Yohannes and Lidia. I was hoping to show our starting point and what we hoped for their future. Unfortunately, it was not included in the programme. We set up a ‘just giving’ account in anticipation of the programme. In spite of them not being shown, more than £800 has been donated through the account. Many thanks to all who made a contribution.

The fund could not operate without the team of people who give their time to ensure the smooth operation. Many thanks to June, Margaret and Morag who keep everything running in Scotland and to Tefera , Habtamu and Teshale who look after everything in Ethiopia. Thanks also to Simon, in London, who donates his time and his computing skills to keep the website updated.

Susan.

You can download the full SASF Fund Report 2018-2019 as a PDF for printing or offline viewing

If you are able to help us then please use our Just Giving fund raising account to contribute.

Fund Report 2018

Once again, we held a meeting in September 2018 and most of our students were able to attend. This gives the students a chance to meet, discuss and share their experiences. In 2017-2018 we supported 46 students and paid to them the equivalent of £12,600. The students have been receiving 600 birr per month since the fund started which is approximately £18. It has been agreed that the payments this year are increased to 700 birr (£21).

6 students graduated from University this year. One has been privately sponsored through the fund and has achieved his Masters degree in Management. Many thanks to Pat who has agreed to keep supporting the other young people on the fund. 4 students have been awarded their BA degrees. Yengusie has graduated with a BSc in Construction Technology after 5 years of study. In her spare time, she has been studying for a degree in accounting! This won’t be completed until June 2019 and we have agreed to continue her support for this year.

3 of our grade 10 students were unsuccessful in gaining a place in preparatory school. Habtemarium Ezra decided not to continue education and has now left the fund. Mengistu Yiman and Lemleme Shumye have both started at college and we will continue to support them.

Thanks to everyone’s generosity, we have been able to accept 6 new students into the fund. This means we are supporting 46 students in 2018-2019. Please accept the grateful thanks of all the students. You are making a huge difference to the hopes and aspirations of these young people.

The fund could not operate without the team of people who give their time to ensure the smooth operation. Many thanks to June, Margaret and Morag who keep everything running in Scotland and to Tefera, Habtamu and Teshale who look after everything in Ethiopia. Thanks also to Simon, in London, who donates his time and his computing skills to keep the website updated.

Susan.

You can download the full SASF Fund Report 2017-2018 as a PDF for printing or offline viewing

If you are able to help us then please use our Just Giving fund raising account to contribute.

Continuing Undergraduates 2018

20 of our continuing students are in the University system this year.

It has been agreed that all these students will get a monthly payment of 700 birr with 2 performance related bonuses paying up to 400 birr each.

  • ABAY TESFAW GESESE AGED 21 years MEDA WELABO UNIVERSITY Nursing 4th Year
  • ADNA HABTU Aged 22 Years DEBERE MARKOS UNIVERSITY Economics 3rd Year
  • ANGUACH FENTIE Aged 22 Years JIJIGA UNIVERSITY Engineering 3rd Year
  • DAGNACHEW MELKNEW AGED 23 years HARMAYA UNIVERSITY Software Engineering 5th Year
  • DEMEKE TESFAW Aged 21 Years WOLLO UNIVERSITY Engineering 2nd Year
  • DINKU AYENEW Aged 25 Years ADIGRAT UNIVERSITY Agriculture 2nd Year
  • EZRA TSEGANEW Aged 24 Years AMBO UNIVERSITY Management 2nd Year
  • FIKRU GETA BAYE Aged 23 years ADIGRAT UNIVERSITY Civil Engineering 5th Year
  • GETACHEW ZEMENE Aged 23 Years ARBA MINCH UNIVERSITY Engineering Science 1st year
  • GETAHUN FENTAW Aged 25 Years GONDER UNIVERSITY Engineering 2nd Year
  • GETNET ADANE Aged 23 Years DEBRE MARKOS UNIVERSITY Software Engineering 3rd Year
  • MAREG ABEBE Aged 20 Years RAYA UNIVERSITY Mathematics 2nd Year
  • MEKONNEN CHANE Aged 24 Years GONDER UNIVERSITY Law 2nd Year
  • MULUGETA SETEYE Aged 21 Years ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY Electrical Engineering 2nd year
  • NURUHUSIAN UMER Aged 22 Years WOLLO UNIVERSITY Engineering 2nd Year
  • SALEAMLAK BISETEGN Aged 20 Years BAHIRDAR UNIVERSITY Management 2nd Year
  • TADESSE BIRHANU Aged 27 Years SEMERA UNIVERSITY Accounting 3rd Year
  • TEDDY W/GABRIEL Aged 22 Years WOLLO UNIVERSITY Architecture 2nd Year
  • TIBEBU AMHA Aged 22 Years BAHIRDAR UNIVERSITY Engineering 2nd Year
  • TILAYE BISET Aged 21 Years MEKELE UNIVERSITY Vetinary Medicine 3rd Year

Continuing College Students 2018

8 of our students are at College this year.

2 of the students we supported at school, Lemleme and Mengustu, unfortunately did not achieve the required mark to move to University. They have both joined college and we will continue their support.

All the students will get 700 Birr per month.

  • ASHENAFI YIMAN Aged 20 Years LALIBELA VOCATIONAL SCHOOL Front Office 3rd Year
  • CHERNET GETAY Aged 21 Years ALAGE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE Plant Science 2nd Year
  • GASHAW MEKONEN Aged 19 Years LALIBELA VOCATIONAL SCHOOL Front Office 3rd Year
  • GETAYE BELAY Aged 27 Years ALKAN COLLEGE (BAHIR DAR) Accounting 2nd Year
  • LEMLEM SHUMYE Aged 20 Years ALKAN COLLEGE (BAHIR DAR) Accounting 1st Year
  • MALEFIA MERSHA Aged 22 Years ALKAN COLLEGE (DESSIE) Accounting 2nd Year
  • MENGISTU YIMAN Aged 18 Years DEBRE TABOR FEKEDE COLLEGE Economics 1st Year
  • TEWOLDE MELKAMU Aged 21 Years LALIBELA VOCATIONAL SCHOOL Tour Guiding 2nd Year

Continuing Students 2018

We have 7 continuing students still in the school system.

  • BETHLEHEM DEBASH Aged 20 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GRADE 8
  • BIMREW DEBASH Aged 16 Years ADDIS ABABA CISTERCIAN SECONDARY SCHOOL GRADE 9
  • BIZUYE TSEGAW Aged 19 Years HIGH SCHOOL GRADE 10
  • LIDIYA TADDESSE Aged 12 Years ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GRADE 7
  • RAHEL BIRHANU Aged 15 Years HIGH SCHOOL GRADE 9
  • TIGIST ADNEW Aged 17 Years PREPARATORY SCHOOL GRADE 12
  • YOHANNES SHAMBLE Aged 12 Years ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GRADE 4

Addis Birara

2018 Age 18

Addis is from a poor farming family in Galasot which is a small village about 35 Km from Lalibela. It is a family of 8 boys. The oldest 6 boys have not had education and all work as farmers. Addis is in grade 10 at secondary school in Lalibela.  He scored good marks in grade 9. His ambition is to study medicine.

It has been agreed to support him with 700 Birr per month.

Birhan Zewdu

2018 Aged 21

Birhan is from Bilbala, 30 Km. from Lalibela. He has 3 brothers and 3 sisters. He is the middle child. His parents divorced when he was 5 years old. The father gives no support and the mother doesn’t keep well and cannot work. Birhan had a year out of school due to financial problems. The school then offered support with uniform and school materials.

He has now reached Bahir Dar University and has completed first year of a degree in civil Engineering. He is struggling financially at University and is asking for help. He passed the school national exams with ‘great distinction’ and has passed his first exams at University ‘First class with distinction’.

It has been agreed to support him with 700 Birr per month.

Hana Bedru

2018 Age 20

Hana lived in Addis Ababa but when her father died, 6 years ago, the family moved to Lalibela. She has 1 brother and 2 sisters. All the children attend school. Her mother works as a daily labourer and struggles to support all the family. Often, they go to school without having had any food.

Hana has been finding it financially difficult at University. Hana is studying Textile Engineering at Bahir Dar University and is now in her second year.

She relies on her friends in the dormitory giving her old clothes and materials for University. It has been agreed to support her with 700 Birr per month.

Tadiso Fentaw

2018 Aged 20

Tadiso is from the village of Degosach and is disabled from the waist down. He started his education in the village and after grade 2 moved to Lalibela.

He passed his grade 10 national exams with ‘very great distinction’. He is now in grade 12 in the preparatory school and hopes to go to University next year. It has been agreed to support him with 700 Birr per month.

Yirga Habte

2018 Age 13

Yirka is the 4th. of 5 children. There are 8 people in the house—5 children +parents +grandfather. They had a farm in a village called Lewz, close to Lalibela. The government took a lot of the land and the farm is now too small to support the family.

They were given compensation, but this is now all gone. The older children have had no education. They work on the land and as daily labourers when the work is available. Yirka sometimes must miss school if work is available for him. He wants our help to stay in the education system.

He was ranked 2, in his class, in the grade 4 exams. He is now in grade 5. It has been agreed to support him with 700 Birr per month.

Zuriash Abebe

2018 Aged 15

Zuriash’s parents are divorced and the father gives the family no support. The mother works as a daily labourer. There are 9 staying in the house. Zuriash is obviously very clever and has an ambition to study medicine.

She is now in grade 9 at the High school in Lalibela.

It has been agreed to support her with 700 Birr per month.