imagine1day is a growing, global community of people making passionate contributions to ensure every child in Ethiopia receives a quality education.

 

Girmanish Teame Hadush

In 10 years Girmanish wants to be a doctor because, “if I am a doctor then I can help many people. My mother is sick often and if I was a doctor I could cure her as well as many other people. I also want to be a doctor who can train other doctors so that they can also help more people.”

 

Name: Girmanish Teame Hadush

What her name means in Tigrigna (local language): “Beauty”

Gender: Female

Age: 15

Birthday: (DMY: 01/10/1989 EC)

Hometown: Kebakib, Tigray, Ethiopia

Former elementary school: Wazza Grade 1-8 Community School

Distance between hometown and nearest high school: 25 km

High school she is attending: Adigudom Senior Secondary School

Academic record: Girmanish was in her Grade 8 class and her average for Grade 8 was 82.2%.

Favorite subject(s): Biology and English

Extracurricular activities and leadership positions in Grade 8: Vice Chairperson of Environmental Protection Club, member of Girls’ Club, leader of Peer Group Education.

Challenges encountered during elementary school: “My mother was often sick and whenever she was I had to stay at home and fulfill her household responsibilities and care for her. I would be absent from school during these times and would struggle to catch up. We have many challenges at my home because my father died ten years ago. These challenges worry me constantly and often distract me while I am at school.”

Girmanish is excited to go to high school because, “at my elementary school we have very few reference books. I heard that at high school there is a big library with lots of books and dictionaries for students to use. When I come home at night I study using a candle. Sometimes we can’t afford to buy a candle so I can’t study after it gets dark. At high school there will be electricity so I can study all of the time.”

Favorite quote: “Family comes first.”

Role model: “My mother because she is both my mother and father. She has had many challenges with our family and with her health. She has had a lot to overcome but she still cares for me and takes time to really understand me.”

Favorite celeb: Abebe Bakela – Ethiopian runner.

Family: “I am the youngest child in my family and I have two older brothers and one older sister. My sister is in university studying math and my goal is to be like her. My father was wounded in the war with Eretria and when he came home he got an infection and died. That was ten years ago. My family works hard to grow cereals on the ¼ hectare piece of farmland that we own.”

Family’s skills for potential income generation activities: cereal trade, micro-irrigation to grow vegetables, poultry, animal fattening.

What her mother, Arife, thinks about her daughter having the opportunity to go to high school: “I am so happy that she will be able to go to high school. One day soon she will be able to support herself. She will be independent and will not rely on anyone to help her. All I want for my children is for them to be independent – going to high school is Girmanish’s first step towards that.”

What her homeroom teacher is saying about her: “Girmanish is a high achiever in academics and she is an active leader in our school. Her peers support, respect and admire her because she is an exemplary student. We believe that she will succeed in her future. She is a unique student and is confident so she freely expresses her thoughts. She is confident to share and spends her time building up her peers so that they have confidence as well.”