Ethiopia forty-fifth day - 09/11/13 otherwise known as 01/03/2006 in Ethiopia!

After my week off from sickness, I've been back in the grade school most of the week. I've had a little guy on my radar since I got here but this week, he moved to the next level. His name is Abraham and I’m sponsoring him to go to English Alive Academy because I can’t believe how much of a superstar he is. Last year his ancient grandma walked miles with him to EAA to ask if he could have a place. She explained that he had lost both of his parents and was living with her. Stephanie and Dawit immediately accepted him as one of their ‘free’ places as his story was so touching. He has been attending school ever since but recently his grandma has been very ill and has had to be taken to the clinic – sometimes in the middle of the night. This, you may think, is standard practice for an older person, but it’s Abraham’s situation that is not normal. He was left at home alone (he’s six years old) every time his gran had to go, never-the-less, he managed to get up, dressed and walk miles to school each day without complaint or tears. This week I saw him sitting under the tree at break time, while all the other children were eating. I asked one of the teachers what was wrong and she said he had no food. I immediately gave him my biscuits, only to find out that he had had no breakfast and brought no lunch. Since that day we have been taking him a little lunch box and snack from the house to make sure he is fed and looked after at school. He obviously sees it as his safe place because no matter what, he shows up on time everyday.He only has one set of clothes and one set of uniform and he's not a smelly child, which means he's washing his clothes each week. His gran is apparently on death's door and currently at a hospital in the next town, so he's been home alone for a while. I can't imagine being in this situation at six and still coming to school with a smile on my face, for me he is a legend! (he's the boy in white below)

On an even sadder note, a teacher at the KG school lost her husband yesterday, they were heading for the hospital because he was in a bad way and he never made it. So ICT training was cancelled yesterday afternoon and all the staff went to pay their respects at the teachers house. I went to the grade 3 teachers house for lunch and coffee and to meet her four month old baby Fikr. She is a beautiful baby and even though I don't drink coffee, Ethiopian coffee, prepared home style was actually really good! I think I was buzzing all afternoon from it!