More About Mola
Mola Nega Haile
Mola is excited to go to high school because, “my focus has always been to learn as much as possible and at high school I know I will learn lots. There are more resources like books, TVs and computers at high school and I want to use all of it. High school will lead me into university, which will help me achieve my vision of being a doctor. The most important reason why I want to be in high school is because then I can be a role model for my brothers. Maybe they will see me learning and doing well there and will be inspired to study hard as well.”
Name: Mola Nega Haile
What his name means in Tigrigna (local language): “full or complete”
Gender: Male
Age: 14
Birthday: (DMY: 21/05/1989 EC)
Hometown: Sourdaero, Tigray, Ethiopia
Former elementary school: Angua Grade 1-8 Community School
Distance between hometown and nearest high school: 38 km
High school he is attending: Adigudom Senior Secondary School
Academic record: From Grade 1 to Grade 8, Mola was the first in his class. His Grade 8 academic average was 92%.
Favorite subject(s): Biology and English
Extracurricular activities and leadership positions in Grade 8: Head of Library Club, Head of English Language Improvement Program Club, secretary of Science Lab Club, secretary of the Pedagogical Center Club, member of Sports Club.
Challenges encountered during elementary school: “My father died when I was 3 years old from Malaria. From then on I had more and more responsibilities at home. When he died we also had less income, which also meant that my brothers and I had to work harder. Having this workload at home meant that I didn’t have as much time to study but I overcame this challenge by staying up late into the evening and studying using a lamp.”
In 10 years Mola wants to be a doctor because, “Ethiopia is developing but its people are often left behind. For example, my father died of Malaria but if there were more doctors he could have been saved.”
Favorite quote: “Books are our backbone.”
Role model: “My uncle because he has been like a father to me. Whenever I have a problem that I cannot overcome by myself he will help me. I appreciate his generosity and hope I can show the same generosity to someone in the future.”
Favorite celeb: Keneneesa – an Ethiopian runner.
Hobbies and interests: “I love to create new experiments in the Science Lab and then share them with my teachers and other students. I also enjoy art – especially making collages or papier-mâché models.”
Family: “I live with my three younger brothers and my mother. My father died from Malaria when I was very young. Two of my brothers are learning in elementary school but my youngest brother is too small to be in school yet. We have a small piece of farmland that we use to grow cereal crops.”
Family’s skills for potential income generation activities: Making and selling tella – local beer, micro-irrigation to grow vegetables, animal breeding and fattening, cereal trading.
What his mother thinks about her son having the opportunity to go to high school: “I am very happy that Mola will be able to attend high school even though it is very far away from here and I will miss him. He is very clever and has always understood things quickly. My dream is that he will be a role model for my other sons. I want them to see how hard he works and his success and then create it for themselves.”
What his homeroom teacher, Kahsay, is saying about him: “Mola is an excellent student and a great person inside and outside of the classroom. He has respect for others and cooperates which makes him a good leader of different clubs and group activities. He is very creative and finds unique solutions to problems. He is a role model for his brothers and the whole community. I truly believe he will achieve his vision for his life.”
