More About Tsigabu
Tsigabu Kiros Gebremariam
Tsigabu is excited to go to high school because: “It is very crowded in my elementary school and there are very few resources for us to use. In high school I think there will be more room for me to learn and grow. I am excited for electricity because then I can study at night instead of just during the day.”
Name: Tsigabu Kiros Gebremariam
What his name means in Tigrigna (local language): “Satisfied” or “complete”
Gender: Male
Age: 14
Birthday: (DMY: 05/01/1989 E.C.)
Hometown: Meidakebedom
Former elementary school: Wazza Grade 1-8 Community School
Distance between hometown and nearest high school: 26 km
High school he is attending: Adigudom Senior Secondary School
Academic record: 1st in was class in Grade 8 and had an academic average of 92%.
Favorite subject(s): English and Biology
Extracurricular activities and leadership positions in Grade 8: Secretary of the Environmental Protection Club, Member of Student Parliament, Classroom Monitor.
Challenges encountered during elementary school: “My mother died and my father remarried and moved to a different community. My brother and I were left to take care of ourselves and run our own lives. It has been challenging to balance doing our household work and our schoolwork. This year my older sister sent one of her daughters to come live with us to help with chores and preparing food. She has helped us a lot. It is hard to study a lot because we have no electricity and no candles so we can’t study after it gets dark. The other challenge is that we have very little extra money so it is often a struggle for my brother and I to purchase notebooks and pens.”
In 10 years Tsigabu wants to be a doctor because, “maybe if there were more doctors in the rural parts of Ethiopia my mother wouldn’t have died.”
Favorite quote: “United fingers will break a strong stick.”
Role model: “Anyone in the world who can answer all of the questions that I have.”
Favorite celeb: Keneneesa - the Ethiopian runner.
Hobbies and interests: “I really enjoy playing soccer and volleyball because I am interested in Biology and sports explain a lot about body movement and muscle function. Sports are also fun.”
Family: “My mother died and my father remarried and moved to a different community. My brother, Hagos, and I were left to take care of ourselves and run our own lives. My older sister, Welet, has five children of her own but she does different things to help us and take care of us. My brother and I will move to high school together next year. We will be the first in our family to attend. We will have a new life.”
His sister’s skills for potential income generation activities: Micro-irrigation to grow peppers, tomatoes and onions.
What his sister thinks about her brother having the opportunity to go to high school: “After our mother died I encouraged Tsigabu to let me support him so that he could stay in school. He has been the top student in his class for many years and I knew that he needed to continue. It has been three years that he has been on his own but I believe that going to high school will show him how to be independent in a new way. I am excited for him to grow and achieve his vision. He already is a role model for our whole family and I know now he will be a role model for this community.”
What his Principal, Mebrahtu, is saying about him: “Sometimes students end up in very challenging situations that are beyond their control – this is the case for Tsigabu. I think that this opportunity for him to go to high school without having to worry about how to survive is going to change his life – I believe it will give him the chance to step into his life and grow into a strong, well-rounded man. Because of his perseverance through challenges and his continuing success in school, he is a role model for students in our school because he has showed them that they can overcome anything to achieve anything.”
