Building a school is the easy part. Sustaining a quality learning environment that addresses the needs of girls and boys requires vision, commitment and partnership.

A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE GOES A LONG WAY

There are so many amazing stories that have resulted from your Quality Classroom Project. One school that we are particularly proud to be working with is the Zeggaw Primary School. The community of Zeggaw is so remote that few government officials or outsiders have ever visited. When the local government recommended that imagine1day provide Zeggaw's teachers with training, we were told that the children were attending class in a proper school structure, with walls a roof and windows to provide shelter from the hot sun and the cold rains. Upon our first visit to the community we learned that this was not the case. Children were attending class in a dass or open air school made from rough rock and branches. There was little light and children sat on the dirt ground.

However, soon after attending imagine1day's workshops in Active Learning, Life Skills, Science and School Clubs the teachers at Zeggaw were inspired to create a vision for the education of their students. They initiated a campaign with a goal to construct a better learning environment and within a month the community came together to build a four classroom school made from local stone and mud with recycled tin roof sheets provided by the government.

Zeggaw's new school holds incredible energy and spirit. In such a short time and with a relatively small investment, the improvement in the quality of education being delivered is remarkable. Following are some of the amazing accomplishments.

Overall, student attendance at Zeggaw has increased from 115 last year to 215 this year. Performance has also skyrocketed. In national examinations, the students of Zeggaw have earned their highest scores to date. "In my opinion, it is as a direct result of our trainings", noted Zeggaw's School Director Ato Goitom Berhe. Zeggaw is a special example of how a little training and infrastructure can go a long way in a community.

school clubs encourage self-expression

The school clubs program you supported provided materials and training to initiate five different clubs in each school. The goal is to help students explore their areas of interest while gaining new skills and more importantly, having fun. The club activities are integrated with the official curriculum and with children's daily lives. The poem below was written by Tsegaw Abadi a grade six boy who is a member of the Civics and Ethics Club at Melbe Community School. The imagine1day team in Ethiopia has translated it for you.

life skills are a homerun

After receiving Life Skill Teacher Training, the teachers at the Zeggaw Community School built a clay model replica of an energy efficient stove and a sanitary latrine. Children are encouraged to bring this knowledge home to their families. A model stove that uses one fire area to heat two clay ovens is now in use in 65% of the village's homes. Latrines are also underway in most homes. This education not only helps the young students, but their whole family.

We thank you for all your support.