The “DREAM TO SHINE” project continues to make a positive impact in Akako Village through our different programs. We reach out through special events like the recent Christmas celebration, gifting of educational materials and free tuition to students. Our circumstances remain challenging even as we seek to continue our work here. 

 Given all of this, we have developed free tuition class programs for up to 25 students. In what appears to be a desert of opportunities, we hope this offers an oasis of hope for the community. Together with Miss Sayuri, we have commenced a program that provides free classes covering Math, English and Art on the weekend. Our target group are students who are unable to attend school. Even at this early stage, we have seen our children thrive, showing tremendous resilience and hope despite their circumstance of suffering. This is the least we can do to interrupt the cycle of poverty. 

 My personal situation also remains challenging. With the birth of my daughter, I am responsible for providing for my young family. I volunteered to step down from being an employed, paid teacher to allow for other teachers to remain employed, given the limited funds available. I had strong faith and belief in our school’s ideals. However, as a father, I cannot continue to remain unemployed and working on a solely voluntary basis. After deep consideration, factoring in my passion for the school project and the opportunities it affords my community, alongside with the need to provide for my family, I have made the difficult decision to look for employment in the city of Addis Ababa, which is 10km away from Akako Village.

I will continue in my role with the project on a part-time basis, helping to manage the school program on the ground and providing materials as needed. We are very blessed to have found a new teacher who is willing to step in and who has a heart for our students. I will introduce her below:

 Miss Afrase has been part of the community and was a volunteer with our program for a year before we decided to hire her. We know and respect her as someone with admirable qualities, and who is of high moral and ethical values. We fully trust that she is able to fulfill our project’s goals. She has worked as a teacher in the government school and in our summer school. She is married to a church pastor and has two young children who have attended our summer school. We know that she is deeply and personally vested in improving the education for the children within our community. She currently teaches over 20 students during the weekend. She also actively participates in various church ministries. For this and many reasons, she is very qualified to step into this new role.