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 Story from Laelay Wukro

Principal Gebre Medhin explains the importance of a new school for Laelay Wukro. “It was most important for this community to establish the dass open-air school three years ago. The next closest Grade 1-4 school is five kilometers away and over the years five students died either from cars hitting them along the road or drowning in the marsh during the flood season. Parents became very fearful that their children would suffer a similar fate and so many kept their children at home to protect them. This high drop-out rate is what gave the community reason to build these two dass classrooms and since then enrollment has been steadily increasing and drop-out slowly decreasing. It is important that regardless of whether it is a 'dass' school or the beautiful school you are giving to us, that the community is given priority and that their children can stay close to home when they go to school. This is for safety and it also respects the adults because it acknowledges that their children play a major role in day-to-day household responsibilities. Building a school here allows children to become educated while not putting a burden on their parents.”