Daniel Yibrah’s eyes were opened two years ago, when he experienced Lightyear Leadership training through imagine1day.
“There is no impossible. Everything is possible if you are committed, if you are ready for change.”
Leadership training is a core part of our programme. We know that by investing in people, we can create transformative, sustainable change.
Adishumhafti Principal Daniel Yibrah.
Daniel, the Principal of Adishumhafti, set a huge goal: for his school to be one of the top performing schools in the region. At the time, students studied in open-air classrooms, attendance and enrollment rates were poor, and the school only catered up to Grade 6 – two years’ short of full elementary school.
Today the school is on a new pathway – education outcomes are improving across the board, new classrooms and a library have been built, and the school extended to Grade 8.
Daniel has been rallying his teachers and students to enroll them in his vision – particularly the Grade 8 students, 34 of whom were the first students in the community’s history to take their primary school national examination.
Daniel explained the principles of leadership and goal-setting to the year group, and had them all describe their visions for their life. Each then identified the mark they would need in their national exam – and set this as their first goal.
“If you have a plan – a plan is a way you can change your life,” says Daniel.
Students went to work, making use of the new library to study extra hours after class. Teachers, with whom Daniel also shared Lightyear Leadership principles with, volunteered their own personal time to run tutorials.
Tekleuleyni points out his national exam goal.
Tekleuleyni, 15, was one of the students. He dreams of being an engineer, and set a goal of 86 in his exams. Results are marked between 0 and 100, with 50 a passing grade.
He is determined to take advantage of the opportunity: “I am very happy that imagine1day built this school.
“If it did not, I would not have been able to finish my primary education. The nearest grade 8 school was far away from my house – four hours walk one way. It is too long, I would have spent the whole day walking.”
Lightyear Leadership is critical to our success and impact in Ethiopia. Learn more about their work.