Turning off the main highway that runs through central Ethiopia, our vehicle made it's way down a sandy trail that was obviously used more by donkey carts then it was for automobiles. We were going to spend the next couple of days filming a story about how ADRA has been working in the village of Korme Bojura. Children and adults waved their excited greetings at the unusual site of a car on their road, especially one with two white people sitting in the back. An unexpected rain the night before reduced the amount of dust we would have normally been faced with this time of year in this part of the country. It was the dry season and water in the villages that we passed was scarce.

Even with the rain, we met a number of villagers walking their animals to the nearest river for a long drink. The journey takes about four hours one way, and must be repeated three or four times a week to keep the animals watered. Judging by the size of the herds, I guessed that the responsibility was shared among neighbours and friends, and that each family probably only had to make the journey once a week. Some of the cattle were being driven by children, who should really have been in school instead.



Better educational opportunities was the primary focus of ADRA's work in this community. Because of limited resources, the government of Ethiopia is not able to provide all of the villages with utilities, health clinics, schools or much in the way of social services. Children typically have to walk long distances in order to attend school, and as a result, many opt out and simply help their family with their small plots of land and looking after the family's complement of cows, donkeys and goats.



We made our way down the dirt road about six kilometres passing a mosque, several uniquely ornamented cemeteries, and many small groupings of round houses made of clay with thatched roofs. Our journey ended as we pulled into a large playground of a brand new, two-room school that had been funded by ADRA Norway. Classes were already in session and I was greeted warmly by the students as I entered the classrooms to do my filming. I was impressed with how eager and attentive they were to the instruction of their teachers. After the first few minutes, they hardly noticed that I was in the room, and I was able to capture some excellent shots of children learning.

Even though the school was new, it was already full and the kids had to sit close together with their friends as they soaked up the things the teachers shared. In the back of the room I noticed a number of adults. At first, I thought that some of the parents may have been so interested in our visit that they wanted to observe us documenting their new school. But then I realized that they were taking notes and interacting with the teacher as much as the children were. I later found out that a number of parents, who had never had the opportunity to go to school when they were young, were now taking advantage of the new school in their village. In some cases parents were in the same grade as their children! Learning how to read and write would open up a whole new world for them. It was fascinating to see them take part in all of the activities, including PE and the school yard games.

As part of the school project, a rain-catchment system had been built to provide the students with water. All of the rain that falls on the metal roof is captured by eves on the side of the building, which is directed to a large storage tank. Students enjoy the convenience of clean water right at their school, without having to bring some of the limited resource from home. With no bore hole in the village, potable water must be purchased from the nearest town, and transported in large drums by a donkey pulled cart. The journey takes a good day and must be repeated about once a week.

As part of the story that we filmed we singled out two children, a 12 year old, physically disabled boy by the name of Osman, and Asha, an eleven year old girl. As we interviewed them, Osman told us how difficult it used to be for him to attend school. It used to take him over an hour to walk to school and often by the time that he would arrive, the door would be closed and he would have to wait on the mercy of the teacher to let him in. Now, it is only a ten minute walk from his home to his new school. You could tell by his big smile that he was happy about this new convenience in his life. When I asked him what he want to be when he was older, his quick response was that he wanted to be a doctor, so he could help out other kids who had the same kind of disability that he had. With the new school so close to his house, and the keen eagerness that I saw in his eyes, I believe that there is a chance that this boy might just see his dream come true!



Asha also told us how happy she was with her new school. "I used to have to walk for at least one hour to a nearby village in order to go to school", she said. "I would always get very tired, especially on the way back from school when we would have to walk in the hot sun. We would have to stop many times and take a rest under the shade of a tree. We would get so thirsty that we would have to stop and ask for a drink of water from many homes along the way. We now have a school that is very close to my house. Now it is easy for us to walk straight home from school, without stopping once for a rest. Having this new school right in our home village has made me and the other children here very happy."

We also talked with the children's parents and a number of the village elders. It was so heart-warming to hear their expressions of gratitude for the work that ADRA Norway was doing in their community. "You have come a long way to help us here in Ethiopia", one of the ladies said. "We appreciate you so very much for what you have done. We used to be in darkness, and now we are in the light."


It never ceases to amaze me how such a small, in-expensive initiative can accomplish so much in the lives of so many. ADRA Norway is augmenting the school program with health education, land management and environmental awareness.

With such a great success, plans are being made to repeat the program in other villages in the region.

Labels: ADRA Norway, Development, Education, Ethiopia