Metego Full Elementary School

September 2013 will see us open our ninth school at Metego about 10 miles north of our local base in Mekele City. It is replacing a temporary Grade 4 Junior school that is now dangerously close to a recently upgraded main road. All our schools are built in cooperation with the local Bureau of Education who provide the teachers and material and are built with paid community labour who are involved in the project. All our projects stress community participation, a sense of ownership and future sustainability. Metego will have FREE places for 800 students from Grades 1 to 8 in two shifts. A-CET through local partner EYES built its first rural elementary school in 2006 and we have now built and furnished country elementary schools with places for six thousand youngsters where before few places existed. All our schools have either mains or solar electricity for “extension” (evening) shifts for those unable to attend during the day due to farm work. Class sizes are about 50 and all our schools have a library. All schools have dry latrines. School access to pump water is provided by other local specialist water charities. Funds are still needed to complete some of the building work and for the mains electricity transformer and installation.

Student profiles

449 Yeabsra Gebremedhin
15 months ago a thin malnourished ragged and downcast little boy used to “watch” our car as we took lunch. The car was safe so eventually he joined us for lunch. Through other students we found out that he was born in the North West near Gondar, had then lived for a year in the capital Addis Abeba and in 2010/11 had come to Mekelle - effectively travelling over thousands of miles and now in a region with even a different language. He said he was about 12 or 13. Eventually we found out that his mother had re-married and, as is often the case, he was or felt “unwanted” by the new stepfather. Through Social Services he was accepted for an EYES scholarship. In Sept 2012 he was given a rented furnished room and admitted to Grade 2 at the Church School (just opposite our local office). He promised us he would be “top boy” in 2013. In July 2013 he was, amazingly, presented with the Grade 2 top prize. A changed young man, now weighing 40 kilos, walking tall, full of big smiles, confidence and humour, smart and clean. His life has changed totally, thanks to that help and love he has received from those of you who support A-CET.

393 Haftom Desta
For over six years this young man trained with our circus & dance troupe. Last year he was selected (with another young lad and girl) to represent the region at the National Gymnast Championships in Addis Abeba. But his real out of school interest was football and in 2012 he collected a group of under 15's and began to coach them for the Mekelle City League competition. Ethiopians are nothing if not competitive (at everything) but whilst placed a credible fourth, Haftom was disappointed not to get the League champions cup. He promised us that in 2013 he would get the “big cup”. This year 2013 Haftom formed and coached two teams: A new under 14s team and last year’s team, now competing as under 16s. Not only did the under 14's win their cup but also Haftom was awarded “Top Coach” (the youngest) and was selected to attend a special football coaching course. Of particular note is that Haftom did all this voluntarily and entirely on his own initiative organizing over fifty boys who became actively engaged in a sport they love whilst developing a high morale and team spirit. Materially A-CET/EYES only provided the teams’s strip and footballs, but probably more importantly created that positive environment to help develop and encourage these initiatives. Haftom, now 16, lives with his grandmother and is awaiting his National Grade 10 results prior to college. [The Mekelle City Youth League has well over forty competing teams, many well established and supported by well-endowed commercial organizations. EYES are very much the ”new kids on the block”].

A-CET CEO/Chair is honoured by Mekelle University

For the first time in Mekelle University’s 21 year history, it conferred honorary doctorates and David Stables was one of only three candidates to be so awarded. On 7th July 2013 at a ceremony when nearly 5,000 graduates received their degrees, David was awarded a “Doctorate in Community Services”, fittingly with whom he has been working for 21 years. (Four with the Red Cross and 17 with A-CET). “A great honour and a great responsibility” said David who said he “accepted it on behalf of all his students, past and present”.

After 10 years as our student and five years at Adama University, Nazret; disabled Kokob graduates as an Architect with a GPA of 3.43. He has been appointed as a tutor at Addis Abeba University next year. Our congratulations for his hard work and perseverance.

Scott Sherman of www.bookrescuers.com has been supporting A-CET since 2006. In our last financial year they have donated over £20,000 to us. Seen here with Trustees Dr Sammy Ayalew, Dame Dr Claire Bertschinger, Scott Sherman and Chairman David Stables.

16 year old Grade 10 students Meron & Haftom, winning at the National Gymnastic Championships in Addis Abeba March 2013 with Rufael Assefa, our Liaison Officer

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NONE of this work could be achieved without the continuing vital support of our all our dedicated and fully committed donors. Can you help please?

Ways to help.