PROJECT UPDATES: FURNITURE FOR ALL IN HINTALO WEJIRAT

• Six Months Later – November 17, 2008
• Implementation - April 15, 2008
• One Year Report - June 30, 2009

six months later – November 17, 2008

a cause for celebration six months later

The girls of Debub’s Grade Two Class have a reason to celebrate. Since the furniture delivery that you made possible their school has improved in so many ways. “In the morning all the girls would get pushed by the boys for the comfortable desks…then we would have to sit on the dirty floor to complete our lessons” reports Gotatom, a grade two student at Debub Primary. Gotatom’s teacher confirmed that the performance of the girls in her class never seemed as high and she felt badly as she knew learning was far more difficult without the benefit of a proper desk. This year, Gotatom has not been pushed once, and in the comfort of her desk, she was recently recognized for her exceptional writing skills. “I am now happy to come to school and not worry about fighting and being uncomfortable” explains Gotatom.

“Since the new furniture, the difference in the children is easily observed, they smile, their faces, their posture, their writing, their attention span, their test scores.”
Mobrata Gabrey, Daeritta Grade Two Teacher

enrolment is on the rise

Just over six months ago imagine1day told you about the delivery of the much needed school furniture you provided for primary schools in Ethiopia. School is back in session and we now know the impact the furniture is having. From enhanced enrolment to proper penmanship, the tangible results are mounting.

Previously, children were not keen to attend classes to sit on hard dirt floors or cramped into the few desks that each child coveted. Likewise, parents were reluctant to send their children off to classes they did not see as legitimate or favorable to learning. Teachers lacking tables or chairs had nowhere to create lesson plans or mark assignments and were challenged. Your concern and action has changed all of this. Your tangible gifts have created real results and highlighted the importance of education in these communities. The numbers tell the simple story; going to school is fun!

• Mere’da School – 36 new students, a 17% increase over last year
• Debub School – 280 new students, a 26% increase over last year
• Abada School – 62 new students , a 29% increase over last year
• Gonka School – 177 new students, a 57% increase over last year
• Zegaw School – 136 new students, a 219% increase over last year
• Daeritta School previously enrolled 48 new grade one students last year, this year, 101 new grade one students are enrolled.
• In 24 imagine1day supported schools, the average increase in enrolment this year was 20%

Wazza primary school is feeling the excitement

At Wazza Primary School, enrolment iincreased by 28% this fall. 168 children that had either dropped out of school, or never had the chance to attend are now in class gaining a valuable education. Wazza has never seen this rate of increase. They attribute the surge in excitement about school to the involvement of imagine1day. Mitiku is a smiling, exciting part of this inspiring percentage. Last year, Mitiku’s parents felt it was important for him to stay home and help with household chores like watching the family’s goats and cows. Families in Ethiopia rely heavily on their children and especially boys for supportive labour with livestock. It is common to see boys as young as six years old miles from home for days leading cattle to water or grazing land.

After the delivery of school furniture last May, Mitiku’s whole village was abuzz with talk about education. The newly trained PTA at Wazza Primary was reaching out to all families and explaining how new inputs into their modest school signalled a turning point for their school. Parents began to see that education would be valuable to their entire family and community. As no agency or government assistance had come to Wazza in decades, the presence of imagine1day garnered everyone’s attention and brought about incredible awareness to education. Mitiku’s parents were paying attention. Having no education themselves, they previously did not see the value in sending their children to school. This has changed. Now school has become the hub of the community. This fall, Mitiku, much like the rest of the world’s six year olds is learning the alphabet and looking forward to the football match at recess.

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implementation - April 15, 2008

identify a problem you can solve; make a wise investment; see a real impact. as simple as 1 - 2 - 3

imagine1day knew an organization could remove the layers of complexity and bureaucracy in order to create positve change and have a lasting impact. Together, we've done it. The results are real at imagine1day, and they feel real good too.

In real time, you chose a real place; the Hintalo Wejirat region in northeast Ethiopia. Without places to sit or complete lessons, students and teachers were scattered haphazardly on floors with books and supplies piled on the ground. imagine1day knew that supplying basic furniture would dramatically and immediately enhance the learning capacity of 2,847 boys and 2,732 girls, so did you.

Thanks to your investment, imagine1day was able to get the ball rolling in the Hintalo Wejirat region. imagine1day opened up the bidding to three local furniture manufacturers. The successful supplier, Gebrieal Abadi House & Office Furniture Factory, agreed to complete the first order by December 31, 2007. On December 30, imagine1day inspected 535 desks, 125 shelving units, 140 teacher's desks, and 165 teacher's chairs; extremely happy with the quality, the trucks were loaded. Three days and some bumpy roads later, the first round of eager students and teachers welcomed their delivery. This is just the beginning for the Hintalo region and we're going to keep the ball rollling and keep our investors involved.

But don't take our word for it...

"The woreda Education Office informed us in November and we thought the desks would reach us next year. This is incredible! I have never seen such fast and practical NGO."
- Alamz Woldu, Melbe Primary School Director

"Thank you very much. We thank the NGO named "imagine1day ". We are happy that we get very beautiful desks to seat without the push of the male students. Thank you."
- Zaffy and Tirhaas, Grade 5 Female Students

"We can put our exercise books and text books without problem. We can attend our lessons without suffocation. The new desks are beautiful. Thank you very much."
- Aregay and Zemenfes, Grade 7 Male Students

"My name is Gerbremariyam. I am a parent. I have two children in this school. Today it is a blessing day for our village and to our school in getting all these furniture without any delay. We heard last week and you made it happen today. You are unique. Thank you. We are ready to work with you. I personally is committed to do all my best to improve the school."
- Ato Gerbremariyam, PTA Member

"I personally am extremely happy in such practical intervention within short period of time. This is a valuable lesson to other NGOs! Thank you very much. I am sure this will encourage the schools to do at most effort to improve the education."
- Ato Gebreigziabhere Meles, Hintalo Wejirat Education Office

With imagine1day, every child has a bright future.

By providing something as simple as proper desks and furniture, students can be proud to learn in an environment that allows them to begin to dream of their futures and strive for the greatness they deserve. When the children of the Finote Birhan school received the furniture you invested in, their eyes brightened, their smiles widened and their minds raced as fast as their feet as they dreamed of what they would achieve if they studied hard. Getting children excited about learning can be this simple. Dreaming about continuing your education is difficult for a 7 year old as they complete lessons on their laps while balancing on a stone for a seat. Today, 5,579 children at 13 schools in the Hintalo Wejirat are excited about their educations; they are proud of their school; it is a place of comfort and pride. It is a room filled with big dreams and real possibilities.

Happy teachers make for happy students, and these three teachers of the Finote Birhan school are going to be spreading the joy. Previous to the delivery of the furniture you provided for their school these primary teachers stood in front of a blackboard each day without a table for their lessons; a chair to sit on and mark homework; or a shelf for their books. Teaching is said to be the noblest of professions, and in Ethiopia it is worth saying twice. When imagine1day met the teachers of Finote Birhan they were elated to finally have the infrastructure to build a real classroom, but true to form as good teachers, their first thoughts concerned their students:

• Often these children need to help their families with farm and livestock labour before and after school, it is good that when they are here they can rest, school should be a place where children can be comfortable.
• Stationary and books are valuable and hard to come by, desks, tables and shelves ensure they are well cared for and last longer.
• Children sit very tall and proud in their desks, you can see the change in confidence instantly and the impact on their focus and performance is exciting.

Thank you for being part of this exciting first step.

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a one year update on your furniture

how your desk gave birth to a school

imagine1day has a bold mandate to work in remote areas of Northern Ethiopia where vehicle travel is often challenging. For example, the community of Zeggaw is so remote that even government officials have never stepped foot in the village. When it was recommended to imagine1day that we target the Zeggaw Primary School for furniture delivery, a PTA was promptly mobilized and invited for training.

On our first visit to the village of Zeggaw, imagine1day immediately learned that there was no formal school at Zeggaw, only an open air "dass" school where 176 children sat on stones and learned under the hot sun. With the announcement of the furniture delivery, the newly trained and motivated PTA quickly returned to Zeggaw and communicated to the village the opportunity for their children to learn on real desks and benefit from ongoing support from a new and innovative organization called imagine1day. They took it upon themselves to improve their children's learning environment and within a month they constructed a four classroom school made of local stone and mud. Second-hand tin root sheets were donated by the local government and the surrounding land was donated by community members for a sports field and a tree planting area.

As a direct result of your desks, tables and chairs, a community had the foundation and inspiration to construct an entire school. They recognized that they could go above and beyond with the support of your efforts and provide their children the benefit of quality education that not long ago, seemed out of reach. Today, over 200 children are headed towards a bright future. It all started with a simple furniture delivery that you made possible.

furniture: a launching pad for greater things

The furniture you helped provide does much more than provide children with a comfortable and convenient place to read and write. There are countless things that your chair, desk or table brings to the schools and their communities such as...

seating goals achieved; setting goals ahead

After countless interviews that we at imagine1day had with children across the region, we continually hear of the difference it has made in their day to be seated at a proper desk and not on a misshapen stone without protection from the elements. Teachers tell us how classrooms have become calm and inclusive spaces where the children are eager to learn without the need to fight over limited space.

Enrolment has increased and the occurrence of student drop-out is decreasing. We hear countless stories from the children that they enjoy school much more than before and improvements in their academic performance serves as proof. Children are expressing to us that they feel a new future is now within reach, when in the past it was just a distant dream. Thanks to your investment, our goal of creating access to classrooms and quality education for all children in Ethiopia is one step closer.

Here's a snapshot of some of the schools where overall GPA has increased over the past year since being provided with tables, desks and chairs.

On behalf of every child in each of the 24 schools in which you have created positive change, we would like to say thank you. Your gift was simple and direct. Implementation in Ethiopia was the same; you bought a desk, we delivered it. However, the impact of your actions has been immeasurable and will continue to grow.

Thank you for being a part of providing children in Ethiopia a chance to dream big.

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