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.

THE FUTURE IS TAKING SHAPE

Today your investment has come to life and your school, latrine and water well are near completion. The newly trained Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is ensuring every stone and roof beam is used to create the centre of a very deserving community.

On four acres of land in the village of Harnet, masons, carpenters and bar benders are working diligently to build a school that will last for generations to come. The whole community is behind this project. Every day 11 local women make 30 trips to the river to bring water for construction. Local men are mixing cement by hand and children are clearing the future school grounds of rock and rubble.

With your support the Harnet community succeeded in building eight kilometers of road to the new school. The road has allowed materials to be brought into the community so new classrooms, a new sports field and access to clean water can be built. This road has resulted in the opportunity for fruit trees and micro-irrigated vegetation to be planted providing a new source of income for the school. You provided the materials; imagine1day is on the ground overseeing a bright future beginning to take form.

the homestretch

Construction in Ethiopia can be very challenging at the best of times. When building a school on a rural mountainside the construction team was faced with unique challenges. The hardworking construction team was pushed to adapt their construction processes to successfully build the school. After each hairpin turn off the new eight kilometer road was assessed and reworked the construction trucks started to roll in. But the construction team soon realized a rural mountain road is not ideal for a heavy truck full of sand and cement and the decision to switch to smaller more frequent trips happened right away.

Next came the challenge of where to house the team of 30 masons as a daily commute was unrealistic. Up stepped Salamawit Berhan. She is the head of one of two households that have become home to 15 masons. She provides the mason workers with breakfast and dinner daily and a crowded but comfortable place to sleep. Salamawit told imagine1day that she is happy to have her family of five a bit crowded in the adjacent shelter for a short time as she is earning valuable income from the contractor.

In the last two months Harnet construction has faced many more challenges including fuel shortages, food shortages and even a shortage of labour as the community takes time to celebrate holidays. Still, construction is on track and in just over a month the children of Harnet will be sitting in desks with a roof over their head for the first time. This is the homestretch. The dedicated construction team has adapted and we have overcome many challenges and completion of the Harnet Community School is on the horizon.

an interview with Daniel Amare, principal of Harnet Community School

The first time imagine1day met Daniel Amare he was leading a procession of singing children down a mountainside to meet us. Due to the lottery system teachers are entered into after graduation in Ethiopia, many of the keenest and progressive teachers are found in some of the most remote communities. This is definitely the case in Harnet. Two years ago when the community built a tree shade school and asked the local government for teaching staff, 26 year old Daniel Amare came to the rescue. In rural Ethiopia, a good teacher can make a world of difference. Hidden away from the rest of the world, a rural school can provide essential education and it can begin to mobilize an entire community. Daniel has exceeded the community's expectations. Trained in both law and teaching, he chose his passion to teach and work where he can make the most amount of difference. We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Daniel who was eager to communicate his passion for his work.

Why do you love teaching in Harnet?

I love teaching. Teaching, especially in Harnet helps me to develop my creativity; you have to be innovative and develop new styles every day. I am also constantly updating my own knowledge because I learn from everyone I teach as well. Mostly, I can see change that I have created and it motivates me more.

What are the main barriers you experience that prevent children from attending school and how do you go about convincing parents that education is important?

Generally, there is a lack of awareness about the benefits of education. But there is also a real need for child labour to help with herding and agricultural activities. I try to approach parents with respect for their survival needs. I don't ever want to jeopardize their livelihoods, but I can help them understand that education will help them to be better farmers and have better health. I also agree with them to be flexible with class scheduling and try to always make lessons relevant to home life. Once they understand they become very supportive. If they need to keep their children at home they will talk to me and we work out how children can compensate with time lost. Becoming a part of the community is important.

In such a rural area do you find there are still harmful traditional practices? If so, how do you combat them?

Of course, early marriage is one. Education is a big part of stopping this but it needs to come from more people than me. People think I just want to increase enrolment. Religious leaders are very respected in the community. Last year I spoke with them and they committed to sending all of their children to school as a positive example. As well, they have agreed not to condone marriages of children under 18. I feel that teaching is not just in the classroom. I feel I am obligated to the whole community to help eradicate harmful traditional practices.

Girls education in Ethiopia can present special challenges. Inside and outside of the classroom how do you encourage girls' attendance?

The new school will have a separate latrine for girls and this will help solve many problems with privacy and maturing girls. In school I work hard to prevent bullying and encourage girls to first report it so I can intervene with families. This usually helps. In classes girls tend to be shy. I have separate tutorials for girls sometimes so they can read aloud and answer in a group they are comfortable in and gain confidence. After practice they learn not to fear making mistakes and their scores improve.

You are the most educated person in Harnet, How do you think the community sees you and in what other ways are you involved?

I feel very welcome here, the community provides me with a home and I am always invited to be part of many family gatherings. I am proud that the community always remarks about how clean I am and I have made an effort to make hygienic practices part of what I contribute. I hold coffee ceremonies which are very important social gatherings and during this three hour ritual I give lectures about sanitation and prioritizing education. I also teach informal adult education classes, am active with the PTA and attend village meetings to give advice and share information.

What do you think Ethiopia and the World can do to improve primary education in schools like yours?

The biggest problem is quality. Teachers should be given more training and resources. Also improving the capacity of principals and the frequency of supervision and follow up so problems can be reported and solved. In rural schools, sometimes there is no communication with government. As well, all community problems like agriculture and water scarcity needs to be addressed, it is directly related to the success of education.

The work of imagine1day as interpreted by the Sparks of Canada.

new opportunities for a family embracing change

At Harnet groundbreaking imagine1day introduced you to the hard working Halefom family. You learned about Asqual and Gria, mother and father of five children, and read about their oldest son Gerense and his first year of school. Now we'd like to introduce you to their eldest daughter, Meselu. She is an intelligent, shy girl who is hesitant to have her photo taken but eager to tell imagine1day her goals.

Being the eldest daughter in a Tigrigna family comes with more than its share of responsibility. At just twelve years old Meselu knows this well. At seven each morning she rises to make her family breakfast and start her first of two, thirty minute trips to gather water. In the afternoons she helps her mother in the family grain fields before she begins her dinner duties. Though Meselu has very long days she is happy to tell imagine1day that she is a strong student, ranked third in her grade three class. "l like going to school very much and I will not get married until I am much older because I will be in school to be a doctor," boasts 12 year old Meselu.

For some children in rural Ethiopia, they would never have the opportunity to realize their goals of finishing school. Because of your generous contributions Meselu's dreams are going to be a reality. As a result of your investments Meselu will be attending the new Harnet Community School. The momentum of this new school has motivated the Harnet community and teachers to expand the school to a grade one to four school and have built a temporary grade three structure until the new classrooms are completed. In anticipation of the school opening the regional government has sent a new teacher and textbooks to this remote area. This will be the first time that the Harnet community has had the opportunity to gain an education beyond grade two.

For Meselu, the new school will open doors to her that were previously out of reach. For many girls reaching maturity like Meselu, attending a school without a latrine presents many cultural and health barriers. It is estimated that 10 per cent of girls in East Africa skip or eventually drop out of school when they start menstruating due to school distance from home, lack of sanitation, water and privacy. Harnet's new school, latrine and water well will eliminate all of these barriers allowing Meselu to continue her education with confidence. In addition to bolstering her sanitation and health, the new Harnet Community School water well and school water point will mean Meselu will no longer spend hours each day gathering water for her family. Suddenly being the eldest daughter has all sort of benefits, now Meselu's parents have vowed for her to be the first women in her family to complete a full education.

you are the catalyst for change

Your investment does not end with school construction. You are the catalyst that is opening up the whole community of Harnet to create opportunities and sustainability for generations. Because you committed to building a school, a road was built. The ball is rolling in Harnet. The opportunities are building faster than the school itself. Change is happening and it all started with you.