Educate and Empower 800 Ethiopian Girls

Thanks to the generous donations from GlobalGiving donors, five female students – Helina Kebede, Samrawit Engdashet, Rediet Abebe, Yematawork Bezawork, and Chekolech Tegegne –have been given the opportunity to complete their secondary school education. These girls were selected because they are all either orphans, disabled, or from a single-parent family. They are also from resource-poor families that would not otherwise be able to pay the school fees for their daughters to continue attending, and the girls have proven themselves to be smart, ambitious students. Beginning in May 2008, Pathfinder’s Ethiopia Office has provided each student with a 6-month allowance of US $94.20. Pathfinder will continue making payments every 6 months to support the girls’ education for the entire three years of secondary schooling. The Addis Ababa Women’s Association has helped the scholarship recipients open bank accounts, into which Pathfinder’s payments will be made. The Addis Ababa Women’s Association is monitoring the accounts to make sure that each student is using the funds appropriately – for tuition, school supplies, housing, and/or food.

By finishing their secondary education, these girls will have more economic and educational opportunities available to them, and will avoid early marriage. In addition, because university education is paid for by the Ethiopian government, Pathfinder hopes that, by helping these girls complete secondary school, at least some of them will go on to the university and achieve even more success. Below are profiles of the young women who have been selected for Pathfinder’s scholarship assistance program, made possible by the generosity of GlobalGiving donors (Photos by Azeb Feleke).

Name: Chekolech Tegegne Age: 14 Grade: 9 School: Karaaalo, Yeka Sub-city Class Rank: 2nd out of 65 students Background: Orphan, living with her caretaker.

Name: Yematawork Bezawork Age: 18 Grade: 9 School: Dilber, Gulele Sub-city Class Rank: 3rd out of 56 students Background: Disabled, with no relatives; she boards with a woman she knows.

Name: Rediet Abebe Age: 15 Grade: 9 School: Yekatit 66 Secondary School, Arada Sub-city Class Rank: 3rd out of 57 students Background: Comes from a very poor single-parent home; her mother works as a maid in another household.

Name: Samrawit Engdashet Age: 13 Grade: 9 School: Millennium Secondary School, Kolfe Sub-city Class Rank: 4th out of 45 students Background: Orphan, living with her aunt.

Name: Helina Kebede Age: 16 Grade: 8 School: Kolfe Junior, Kolfe Sub-city Rank in class: 1st out of 57 students Background: Orphan, living with her brother.

• From left to right: Rediet Abebe, Yematawork Bezawork, Samrawit (PDF)