I have just returned from another very rewarding trip to Ethiopia. It was wonderful to travel with the team and be part of their presentations, discussions, and negotiations. It was also wonderful to see, first-hand, the respect and reputation that Partners has garnered throughout the education sector in Ethiopia since we opened our first school ten years ago.
Among other activities, we visited sites for two new 2025 school construction projects in zonal administrations where we will be expanding our reach this year (South Wollo and North Shewa). We also participated in meetings with government leaders and Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Deans and Faculty members of several Universities and Teacher Training Colleges. As a result, we signed Memoranda of Understanding with both Wollo University and Debre Birhan University to collaborate on various initiatives, including learning assessments, teacher training, e-learning, and pedagogical research projects.
I was not able to attend the openings of our 2024 projects, but the pictures from last week show the grand, colorful event that was held to celebrate the official inauguration of the new Lai Windigi Primary School. Construction was completed on-time and on-budget, despite challenges of inflation and occasional security issues.
The beginning of the school year was delayed in some of our schools because of those potential security issues, but we are very pleased to report that they have now begun classes and programs are getting back into full swing.
Yehalem, our Executive Director, and I also had a lovely, productive meeting with the Canadian Ambassador to Ethiopia, Joshua Tabah and the Embassy’s Head of Development Cooperation, Ashley Mulroney. We really appreciated their time and their interest in Partners. Through them, Yehalem has already been invited to network with other Canadian NGOs in Ethiopia, with a view to sharing experiences and collaborating on funding efforts.
Finally, our Board and Yehalem held a full day meeting and Strategic Planning session last week, primarily focusing on ensuring the sustainability of our organization. With your continuing support, we look forward to moving ahead with our plans and achieving an even greater impact on the education system in Ethiopia and on the lives of Ethiopians.
