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KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOMS IN ACTION
We have 4 classrooms completed, built with our own hand pressed bricks. Our 116 full day kindergarteners and 34 first graders know all their letters and every word of the national anthem. Our 4 dedicated teachers from the Ministry of Education have their hands happily full with little children who have never been to school before. The children are learning their academics, sanitary protocols, how to plant trees and vegetables, and how to work together in the classroom and on the playground. Their uniforms were lovingly made by ADK members and their friends in Pennsylvania.
VEGETABLES, SHADE TREES and APPLE ORCHARD
With the support of the Israeli nonprofit, CultivAid, together we planted 1000 broccoli, tomato, lettuce, cauliflower, and cabbage plants. The children learned to plant shade trees and a beautiful apple orchard at our school. The apples will bring high nutrition and economic benefit as they are a valuable crop for our region and not yet commercially developed.
BAMBOO
The Bamboo Initiative is a bamboo propagation research project at our school to supply the local farmers with a new crop variety viable in our cold climate. Dr. Abiyou, our plant biologist and biodiversity expert has identified several varieties he is propagating and will train farmers to grow. He brings his children to help and learn. It will be a huge economic benefit for our region.
COMPOSTING TOILETS and HANDWASHING STATION
Our composting toilets are finished. They recycle waste, as compost, back to the nutrient poor soil as fertilizer. In the years to come, our 10 acre site will be thriving with vegetation. Our handwashing station funded by ADK and constructed with Engineers Without Borders, is adjacent to the toilets. We are very proud of this center of hygiene for our children, which supports good health and gives them more days in school.
THE BIG NEEDS
Our children need classrooms to move up to the next grades. They are faced with leaving our campus to go far from home to the next grades at overcrowded schools. This journey requires older children, usually girls, to escort them, thus missing their own classes.
We are deeply grateful to our generous donors and skilled team for the life changing work you do for the children and community of Debre Birhan. Thank you for empowering the community with knowledge and the materials to build a prosperous and sustainable future for their children.