Ayenalem is a 15 year old girl from the small town of Sheno, two hours outside of Addis Ababa. She has 7 sisters who along with their mother all work as housemaids for menial wages. Ayenalem's father is a day laborer who works when he can.
Ayenalem has never attended a real school and started working as a maid at the age of 12. Her past employers promised to enroll her in school but none ever did. Luckily Ayenalem's most recent employer has agreed to give her the time she needs to attend classes and study.
Ayenalem is eager to get her education and a recent experience with taking care of her older sister's terminally ill newborn baby has made her want to be a doctor.
EBS Inc. will enroll Ayenalem in the 1st grade at an evening program at the local elementary school at a cost of 29Birr ($1.53) a month. This will be the first step in Ayenalem's journey to make a better future for herself.
Zelalem, the older brother of EBS Inc. beneficiary Libona, is a medical student at Gondar University. Like his younger brother who has graduated with a diploma in Nursing and is now working at Alert Hospital dealing with the most difficult cases, Zelalem is eager to become a doctor and make a difference in his country. So much so that as an "A" student coming out of high school, Zelalem turned down a full scholarship to study Economics at the London School of Economics. Zelalem's mother is a housewife and his father's small salary as a local priest does not allow them to support him financially. Although he does not pay tuition at Gondar University there are many costs associated with being a college student such as books, supplies, food, and the occasional trip home.
EBS Inc. will give financial backing to Zelalem's dreams in the amount of 400Birr ($22) a month that he can use for books, photocopies, internet access, and the occasional meal out. EBS Inc. will also make ourselves available in case any unforeseen expenses arise during Zelalem's time in medical school.
Bilen is an 18 year old young lady from the Addis Ketema area of Addis Ababa. She lives with her mother and grandmother who sell food in their neighborhood to support her and her 3 siblings. Bilen has always wanted to enter the healthcare field and dreams of one day becoming a doctor but was only able to attend school through the 10th grade. She is eager to educate herself and change her family's circumstances.
EBS Inc. will enroll Bilen in a 3 year diploma program in Nursing at Kidest Lideta Health College at a cost of 400Birr ($22) a month. EBS Inc. will also cover any school material and transportation costs Bilen may incur.
Abebe, 27 years old, came to Addis Ababa from Debre Markos, Gojam at the age of 12 years old. Abebe was taken in by a local church at the age of 3 when his father passed away. He had not known his mother who was divorced from his father and lived in another town. By the age of 10, Abebe was able to locate his mother who was not able to care for him. He made the long trip to Addis Ababa and began living and working at Rufael Church as an assistant or junior deacon. Abebe used his salary to help his mother and two step-sisters in the countryside. Abebe's mother passed away this past year and he would like to now enter theology school to improve his ability to serve the church community as well as make a better living for himself and his remaining family.
EBS Inc. will enroll Abebe in St. Paul Spiritual College to study Theology and Church Management at a cost of 170Birr ($9) a month with a 350Birr ($19) quarterly book fee.
Bizuwork is a 26 year old young lady who lives in the Yeka neighborhood of Addis Ababa with her younger sister. Both of Bizuworks parents are deceased. Her father who was a doctor passed away 15 years ago. Bizuwork's mother passed just 2 years ago leaving behind 8 grown children. Bizuwork and all of her siblings work low paying jobs. She as an office cleaner making 400Birr ($22) a month.
Bizuwork never got passed the 8th grade but hope to one day be able to learn a trade that will allow her to find better employment, which in turn mean a better quality of life.
EBS Inc. will enroll Bizuwork in a year long intensive Chef training program at Bienvenido Cooking and Language Training Center at a cost of 400Birr ($22) a month. EBS Inc. will also cover any supply, uniform, or material costs associated with Bizuwork's training.
Yerusalem is a 4 year old little girl who lives in the Kazanchis neighborhood of Addis Ababa with her mother, 23 year old, Kidist. Yerusalem and her mother live in a small room that costs 250Birr ($14) a month that Kidist pays for by taking in laundry and doing housekeeping in the neighborhood. Yerusalem's father does not support her or her mother in any way. Yerusalem's mother, a child of poor farmers from a town called Menagesha, came to the capital city at the age of 8 to live with her grandmother, who passed away a few years later leaving Kidist to live on her own ever since. Yerusalem's mother tried entering her into Nursery school last year at a cost of 100Birr ($6) a month but had to withdraw her after nine months due to the financial strain. Yerusalem's mother is a hardworking young woman that wants the best for her little girl and she believes she can only get it through a good education.
EBS Inc. will enroll Yerusalem in Pre-K at St. Gabriel Elementary School at a cost of 210Birr ($12) a month, beginning in September 2012. EBS will also cover the costs of Yerusalems's healthcare, transportation and school supply costs.
Elani is a 6 year old little girl from an area of Ethiopia called Sidamo. She came to live with her uncle in the capital city of Addis Ababa when she was 4 years old. Elani is the seventh of eight children. Her mother has a mental illness that doesn't allow her to take proper care of her children. Elani's father is a coffee farmer with a small plot of land that also contracts himself out to other farms when he can. Elani's uncle takes good care of her but can only offer her the basics, but with the right support she can make the separation from her parents and siblings worthwhile in the long run.
EBS Inc. will enroll Elani in Pre-K at Holy Savior Elementary School at a cost of 380Birr ($21) a month, beginning in September 2012. EBS will also cover the costs of Elani's school supplies, transportation, and healthcare costs.
Tsegazeab is a 5 year old little boy from the Gullele area of Addis Ababa that recently lost his mother to cancer. His father struggles to take care of Tsegazeab and his two older sisters Yemariam and Radiate on his modest income as a security guard. Tsegazeab's father doesn't know how he can manage the day to day costs of putting all three children through school without their mother's support and although he wants them all to receive the best education possible he feels that he may have no choice but to send all three children to the countryside to live with relatives. Tsegazeab and his sisters want to stay home with their father and rebuild their lives after the tragic loss of their mother.
EBS Inc. will enroll Tsegazeab in Pre-K at Holy Savior Elementary School at a cost of 380Birr ($21) a month, beginning in September 2012. EBS will also cover the costs of Tsegazeab's healthcare, traansportation and school supply costs.
Radiate is a 9 year old young girl from the Gullele area of Addis Ababa. Radiate's mother passed away a few months ago of cancer and she lives with her father and two siblings, Yemariam and Tsegazeab. Her father, a security guard, is struggling to support all three of his children on his own and although he wants them to receive the best education possible he is considering sending them to the countryside to live with relatives. Radiate, a very good student, does not want to have her education interrupted and would like to go to a better school where she will be even more challenged.
EBS Inc. will enroll Radiate in Holy Savior Elementary School at a cost of 480Birr ($27) a month, starting in her 5th grade year beginning in September 2012. EBS will also cover Radiate's healthcare, transportation, and school supply costs.
Yemariam is an 11 year old young girl who lives in the Gullele area of Addis Ababa with her father and two younger siblings, Radiate and Tsegazeab. Yemariam's mother passed away a few months ago of cancer and her father who is a security guard in the neighborhood has been struggling to take care of his three children. Although their father wants Yemariam and her siblings to have the best possible education, the financial burden of putting three children through school is too much for him and he is considering sending the children to the countryside to live with relatives. Yemariam has already missed a lot of school while taking care of her sick mother and is worried about falling even further behind.
EBS Inc. will enroll Yemariam in Holy Savior Elementary School at a cost of 480Birr ($27) a month, starting in her 5th grade year beginning in September 2012. EBS will also cover Yemariam's school supplies, transportation and healthcare costs.
Bruktawit is a 6 year old little girl who is in kindergarten. Her father repairs small electronics and her mother is a housewife. Bruktawit's parents entered her into private school last year but due to recent financial hardships will have to withdraw her this school year. Bruktawit's parents understand the importance of early education but just could not keep up with the costs.
EBS Inc. will pay for Bruktawit to continue her education at Hopeland Academy at a cost of 260Birr ($15) a month, starting with her final year of Kindergarten beginning in September 2012. EBS will also cover Bruktawit's transpotation, school supplies, and healthcare costs.
Yared is an 11 year old boy who is the younger half brother of recent EBS nursing graduate Belaynesh. Yared's mother has passed away and he was being raised by his grandmother until her recent illness. Yared is now living with his father who is an alcoholic and very abusive. Yared's adult sister Belaynesh is desperately looking for a place where they can live so she can take him out of that environment. In the meantime, Belaynesh would like for Yared to attend private school and get the educational foundation he needs to one day change his circumstances.
EBS Inc. will enroll Yared in St. Micheal's Academy at a cost of 400Birr ($22) a month, starting in his 6th grade year beginning in September 2012. EBS will also cover the costs of Yared's transportation, school supplies, and healthcare.
Daniel is a 3 year old boy from the Gullele area of Addis Ababa. He lives with his mother and older brother Kalab. Daniel's father passed away a year ago and his mother is struggling to take care of her two boys alone. Without his father's income as a real estate broker Daniel's mother, who took a job as a nanny, can not put him into a good school.
EBS Inc. will enroll Daniel into Holy Savior Elementary School, alongside his older brother kalab, for Pre-K at a cost of 380Birr ($21) a month, beginning in September 2012. EBS will also cover Daniel's healthcare, school supply and transportation costs.
Kalab is an 11 year old boy from the Gullele area of Addis Ababa. Kalab lives with his mother and 3 year old brother Daniel. Kalab's father, who was a real estate broker, passed away a year ago and his mother, who was a housewife, has had to take a job as a nanny to raise her two boys. Kalab is entering the 5th grade this year and has been in a private elementary school since Pre-K, but his mother can not afford to continue to pay the tuition costs and will have to take him out of private school.
EBS Inc. will pay for the remainder of Kalab's schooling, starting in the 5th grade at Holy Savior Elementary School at a cost of 480Birr ($27) a month, beginning in September 2012. EBS will also cover the costs of Kalab's healthcare, school supplies, and transportation.
Etsegenet is a 17 year old young lady from the Gullele area of Addis Ababa. Her mother passed away when Etsegenet was only 2 years old and she was sent to live with an aunt. At the age of 6 Etsegenet returned to live with her father and his new wife. Etsegenet's step-mother treated her badly for many years and she has just recently moved in with another aunt. Etsegenet finished the 10th grade with good grades and would like to study nursing, a field she believes will allow her a good career.
EBS Inc. will enroll Etsegenet in a 3 year Nursing diploma program at Kidest Giorgis Health College at a cost of 300Birr ($17) a month, beginning in September 2012. EBS will also cover Etsegenet's healthcare, school supply, and transportation cost for the duration of her studies.
Nitsu is a 24 year old young lady from the Kolfe neighborhood of Addis Ababa. Her father has passed away and she lives with her mother and younger sister. Nitsu's mother, who gets ill often, raised the the two girls with the help of family members. Nitsu also has issues with headaches and stomach ailments related to the stress of watching her mother struggle. These experiences have made Nitsu want to be a doctor. Nitsu finished the 10th grade but didn't get the placement results to continue on to the medical field and can not afford to enter private school to study nursing, her second choice.
EBS Inc. will enroll Nitsu in a 3 year Nursing diploma program at Kidest Lideta Health College at a cost of 350Birr ($20) a month, beginning in September 2012. EBS will also cover Nitsu's transportation, school supply, and healthcare costs for the duration of her studies.
Ashenafi is 28 years old and live in the Gullele area of Addis Ababa with his older brother. Ashenafi's mother passed away when he and his siblings were very young and his father soon after left and remarried. Their father hired a nanny to take care of the children and supplied them their basic needs. Ashenafi left school in the 10th grade and has not been able to learn a trade to the costs associated with doing so. Ashenafi would like to learn ceramic tiling as the building boom throughout Ethiopia offers many employment opportunities.
EBS Inc. will enroll Ashenafi in a six month Ceramic Tiling certification program with Soda Technical Training and Building Contractors, beginning in September 2012, at a cost of 350Birr ($20) a month. Ashenafi will also receive funds to cover transportation, supply and healthcare cost for the duration of the program.
Yerusalem is a 20 year old young lady who lives in the Kebena area of Addis Ababa with her parents, grandmother and 4 sisters. She comes from a modest family but had the support she needed and the grades required to graduate from the 12th grade. Yerusalem has been waiting for months now to take the placement exams that will determine what she will study and where in the public school system or allow her to enter a private college. She would like to study Accounting and enter a private school so she can have more control over the direction of her education. Yerusalem would also like to take a language course to better her English as she feels it would better her chances in her future college and work environments.
EBS Inc. will enroll Yerusalem in a short term English language program at Promising Language Academy at a cost of 333Birr ($19) a month, beginning in August 2012. Yerusalem will also be able to enroll in the accounting program of her choice as soon as the opportunity to do so arises.
Befikadu is 28 years old and lives in the Saris neighborhood of Addis Ababa with his wife and 6 year old daughter. Befikadu's father passed away when he was young and his mother raised him and his two siblings alone. The financial hardship on his mother forced him to drop out of school and take a job as a waiter. There he met his current wife and they worked side by side until she starting becoming ill. Befikadu later quit his job over the working conditions and began shining shoes to support his family. Befikadu would like to learn a trade that he can use to earn a better living and has chosen Mobile Phone Maintenance, as those skills are in high demand.
EBS Inc. will enroll Befikadu in Satcom Technology Institute for a 3 month course in Mobile Phone Maintenance at a cost of 300Birr ($17) a month, beginning in August of 2012. Befikadu will also receive transportation and supply cost for the duration of the course.
Genet is a 22 year old young lady born in the Aleltu, Debre Brehan area of Ethiopia. Her mother passed away when Genet was only 2 years old and she does not know her father. Genet was then taken to the capital city of Addis Ababa to live with her grandmother who passed away by the time Genet was 10 years old. Genet then went to live with her aunt who was very abusive and at the age of 16, with only a 6th grade education, went out on her own. Genet worked in bars washing glasses and later as a live-in maid. A boyfriend who frequented one of the bars Genet worked at had gotten her pregnant and left her as soon as he found out, and when her employers where Genet worked as a maid found out about her pregnancy they asked her to leave also.
Genet then found a home for pregnant girls, where she could live and safely have her baby, but only on the condition that she agree to give the baby up for adoption. Without many options, Genet signed the contract and stayed in the home until her baby was 1 year old. When it was time to give up the child Genet refused and left with her son without a place to go. She found another group home for girls that bent their rules to allow her to stay there with her baby.
Genet would now like to start a new life for herself and her child by learning to be a Chef. EBS Inc. will enroll Genet in Beinvenido Cooking and Language Training Center for a 10 month intensive Chef training program, beginning in July 2012, at a cost of 430Birr ($24) a month. EBS Inc. will also pay for Genet's transportation, school supply, and health care costs.
