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What her name means in Tigrigna (local language): “bright"

Gender: Female

Age: 15

Birthday: (DMY: 07/08/1988 E.C.)

Hometown: Gerabered, Tigray, Ethiopia

Former elementary school: Gerabered Grade 1-8 Community School

Distance between hometown and nearest high school: 18 Km

High school she is attending: Adigudom Senior Secondary School

Academic record: She was ranked 5th in her Grade 8 class.

Favorite subject(s): English and Physics

Extracurricular activities and leadership positions in Grade 8: Girls’ Club leader, Student Parliament member, Literature and Culture Club member, Anti-HIV/AIDS Club member.

Challenges encountered during elementary school: “My parents wanted me to get engaged and even brought a man to our house to meet me. I rejected him even though everyone in my family disagreed with my choice. I was 13 when this happened. I wanted to continue with my studies.”

In 10 years Beriha wants to be a doctor because: “There are many people in Ethiopia who suffer from basic health problems. They die because they cannot get help, but their problems are so simple. If there are more doctors then this won’t be an issue.”

Favorite quote: “The one who learns to save money and resources is the one who will prosper.”

Role model: “My father because he has always advised me to study. He works with me to set goals so that I can achieve my vision. He pictures my life differently than his and does everything he can to help me get to where I want to go.”

Favorite celeb: Keneneesa – the famous Ethiopian runner.

Hobbies and interests: Reading, playing volleyball, tutoring other students, taking care of her fruit tree at her school.

Family: “We have 10 people living in our house. There is my mother, father, brothers and sisters, and my grandmother and uncle. We are very close to each other. My oldest sister studied until Grade 4 but dropped out because she became sick. My older brother studied until Grade 9 but dropped out because he decided he would rather be a farmer. My father used to be a soldier in the war but he was injured so he learned how to be a tailor. Today he farms our small piece of farmland. My parents also work for the Safety Net food program and get 15 kg of cereals each month for the work that they do.”

Family’s skills for potential income generation activities: Breeding hens, selling eggs, raising goats, breeding animals.

What her mother thinks about her having the opportunity to go to high school: "Sending Beriha to high school means we will not have her help around our home but it also means that, in a few years, she will be able to support us and help us. At high school she will get the knowledge and skills to be independent. She will achieve her vision and have her own life. It will be worth it.”

What her homeroom teacher, Desta, is saying about her: “Beriha is a model student in many ways. She has perfect classroom behavior and is honest. She is very active in classroom learning as well as in extracurricular activities. She regularly attends tutorial classes and looks for new ways to improve her studies and grades. I look forward to following her as she moves into high school and hopefully into university. I believe that she will work hard and have the opportunity to lead her own life, her family, her workplace and one day she will lead her country. At high school she will be challenged to change.”