At imagine1day, any school we build is done in partnership with the community: right down to the financial costs. To ensure local ownership and pride, we ask the communities themselves to contribute at least 10% of the construction costs.The burgeoning community of Hora Boqa – with 1,696 school aged children – did just that, and
At Sheni Kondala School, there are no earthquake drills or fire drills – but the students are well-practiced in what to do when it rains.First comes the deafening noise of the rain bouncing off the corrugated-iron roof, drowning out all noise in the classroom.“Usually, I am forced to quit teaching,” says Mathematics Teacher Ahmed Hussein.
Dumey School has seen a roll explosion over the past three years: with 466 previously out-of-school children signing up to learn.Excitingly – in an area of Ethiopia with unequal gender roles – almost half of the new students are girls.“We are very much happy about the growth in the number of children we managed to
The community of Adishumhafti took their children’s education into their own hands.At a meeting two years ago, the school’s PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) – armed with mobilization training from imagine1day – preached the value of education. They ended by asking parents to commit to educating their young through a simple vote.Slowly, hands rose in agreement. Adishumhafti
At imagine1day we believe in the power of people to be leaders, who can create new futures never before possible.That belief has been the cornerstone of our success and, over the next three days, we begin putting it into action on our largest scale yet. With our partners Lightyear Leadership, we are training 370 people
Hiwot’s daily routine is something few people ever experience, let alone 12-year-olds like herself.At 6am, the sun rises and she starts the long two-hour walk to school. For four hours, she sits on a rock in her open-air classroom. At midday, school ends and she begins her return hike home.In the afternoon she completes her
Twice a week, under the shade of a tree, Fakia and Jemila meet with their female classmates to discuss everything from menstruation to marriage. This is the Caro School Girls Club, led by these two vocal young leaders. Fakia and Jemila are young – just 13 and 11 years old – but in Ethiopia they’ve
Aberash Deriba was just 12 years old when she stood up in court and begged them to stop the marriage her mother was forcing her into. Thankfully, the court ruled in her favour. “I can’t imagine what my life would have been like now, had I been married. I know there are girls who struggle
Participants cycling during RIDE vs ONE In June last year, the halls of the Vancouver Art Gallery echoed with cheers as 40 cyclists took part in RIDE vs ONE. Their mission was simple: one ride, one hour, one school.On Sunday, more cheers were heard – on the plains of Ethiopia where 3,000 people turned
Ten years ago, Mekenisa School was born. Just 20 students attended, taught by one teacher under the shade of a tree.Abdulnasir was one of those children, a young eight-year-old boy attempting to get an education. He remembers the school well, but not fondly, recalling the discomfort of spending long lessons on the ground, constantly keeping
