Two New Schools!

Old Sarum in Ethiopia

On September 23, 2009, the ‘Old Sarum School’ opened its doors in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, admitting a small initial class of 35 students from one of the poorest districts in the capital city. This kindergarten is the sixth school funded by the Tesfa Foundation in Ethiopia, and it has been a year in the planning. We are overjoyed to see children in the classrooms!

Why ‘Old Sarum’? The primary fundraisers for this project have been Nathalie and Gareth Allexant-Rowland from Salisbury, England, an area that historically was called ‘Old Sarum’. Nathalie and Gareth have been so committed to this project that they encouraged friends and family to donate to the school rather than buy wedding gifts to celebrate their marriage in August of last year.

New students, new books, new school!

The Old Sarum School will serve the Mercato district of Addis Ababa, one of the oldest and one of the poorest districts in the city. It's a fascinating area with a rich history. The school's neighborhood is largely Muslim, and is known traditionally for its grain markets. The district is also one of the most dangerous and challenging of environments for children. Crime rates are high, and safe space for play is scarce.

We quickly discovered that space was one reason there aren't too many programs for children in the Mercato. The district is very densely populated, packed with small, ramshackle houses. Open lots and large structures are rare and expensive. It took months of diligence among our partners in Ethiopia to find the right location.

Congratulations to the children, teachers, families, and funders of the Old Sarum School!

Ekodaga

Even as the Tesfa Foundation's sixth school opens for classes, we are working on the seventh. The Salam School is scheduled to open in the spring of 2010, in a farming village called Ekodaga that lies about an hour north of Addis Ababa. The school will serve 200 children, providing primary education to children who have no school in the village currently. This project will also endeavor to provide adult education for parents, and to bring light and water to the school and community.

In the U.S., the Salam project is a partnership between the Tesfa Foundation and the Schumacher family from Green Bay, Wisconsin. Mike Schumacher, recently retired and eager to use his time to make a difference in the world, is spearheading the fundraising for the school, working closely with his church in the Green Bay area.

Watch for further news in the winter. School buildings will probably go up in January.

Team Tesfa Cafe

In the same week as the Old Sarum School opened in the Mercato District of Addis Ababa, in another district of the capital city another Tesfa-funded project opened to the public: the Team Tesfa Cafe.

Team Tesfa is a program designed to support teenage girl athletes at risk in Addis Ababa. For two years, it has provided safe housing, education, and training to girls and young women who would like to compete as long-distance runners but who are living in vulnerable situations.

In Ethiopia, runners are the role models and sports heroes. Teenage girls all over the countryside flock to Addis Ababa, the capital, in hopes of fame as runners. But these dreams often fall short. At best, the girls find shelter and employment as servants or waitresses. They work in bars, or they end up living on the streets with no support systems at all. Team Tesfa is a professional track and cross country team, within which girls can train and compete, but can also find safe environments and support in developing their lives outside of athletics.

Even though many athletes in Ethiopia work, they make little money. Many train twice per day on diets consisting of little more than bread. The first priority of the team-owned cafe is to provide Team Tesfa athletes with nutrition. It will also be a forum for young athletes to learn business skills. If the cafe generates enough profit, then funds will be available for proper healthcare for the athletes.

This is a great opportunity for the young women on Team Tesfa, a chance to take more control over their destinies. Let's wish them well. And on your next trip to Addis Ababa, drop in for a buna, or Ethiopian coffee.

L4 Concerts In London

by Felicity Thomas

In June, a new fundraising event was held in the UK. L4, also known as The London Four, is a series of music shows run over four consecutive nights in four different areas of London. Each night, five up-and-coming bands put on great performances, showcasing their music, rousing the crowds and showing their support for the Tesfa Foundation. 25 bands played in all, and any of them may well be stars of the future. In particular, the bands Inland Empire, Ich Bin Finn and The Moonjets impressed the crowds.

£1000 was raised, but the most rewarding part of the event was being able to spread the Tesfa word! Every night was great fun. The second evening in South London was a particular success with the venue at full capacity and enjoying a fantastic atmosphere.

A big thank you on behalf of the Tesfa Foundation to all those who helped out and to Christine Toner who signed up the fantastic bands and did a terrific job of stage management. L4 is to become a Tesfa annual event and we’re already looking forward to L4 2010! If you would like to help out (or indeed, if you have any musical talent) please get in contact with Felicity Thomas via the Tesfa-UK website.

Announcements

With two new schools opening this year, it is even more important that the Tesfa Foundation recruit sponsors for the children in our schools. Several of our schools are funded solely by sponsorships, and these monthly fees are devoted exclusively to school budgets in Ethiopia – facilities and maintenance, salaries, and school materials. Please consider donating in this rewarding way. Get to know one of our children and his or her family for only $21 or £10 per month. Sponsorships make excellent Holiday gifts! Find details on the Tesfa Foundation websites: Tesfa-US or Tesfa-UK.

The Twin Cities Marathon

- by Scott Wolf

We pulled it off! Tesfa's first Twin Cities Marathon team was a success! As with all new endeavors, we were uncertain we could pull it off. Nonetheless we fielded a great team and raised funds for the children in Ethiopia!

In 2008 the Tesfa Board proposed that we field a fundraising team for the Twin Cities Marathon. Sounds great! But where do we find runners? We started with just the captain of the team, board member Andre Renfro, who is an expert and experienced runner. Some asked if I would run. I have a bad knee, sorry. But I'm willing to help recruit!

Tesfa runners along beautiful Summit Avenue in St. Paul

I work at a gym, so many of my co-workers are athletes. One is Nicole, who is an elite runner and has won marathons in the women's category. She loves running and training runners. She agreed to join in, and brought more runners. One by one, we collected a good collection of runners, from first-time marathoners to front-runners. What united them was a desire to help.

Once we had a team in place we needed volunteers to cheer the runners from the sidelines. Hey, I can do that! That would be fun! I first caught the "sideline fever" in 2001 at the New York City Marathon, less than two months after 9/11. I was in New York City on holiday, and found myself in Central Park on the day of the marathon. I happened to encounter the race at the 25th mile. People all around me were cheering on their friends, relatives, and co-workers. And when a New York City firefighter ran by, well it was magical!

When marathon day arrived three of us from the board of directors plotted out several cheering locations. In Minneapolis, at mile 8 at Lake Harriet, and at mile 14 next to the Mississippi River. In St Paul, at mile 24 on Summit Ave, and at the finish line by the State Capitol building.

It was a chilly morning but we couldn't complain, considering we were just bystanders. Our job was to race from spot to spot on the course, trying to catch sight of our runners. They were running at a wide variety of paces, so it was no easy feat, especially with Tesfa Executive Director Dana Roskey at the wheel.

Tesfa runners Moe and Tom rehydrate after a great race.

But we made it to each station in one piece. We cheered our runners and snapped photos. Our support extended to all the runners. I spotted a team from Mexico, another from Chile. Many runners had their names on their shirts. So I yelled "Go Bob!" or "Go Jennifer!" Several dressed as Uncle Sam. There were people in wheelchairs, and couples running together.

At mile 24, you see how worn out and yet how determined everyone is. Instead of the cheerful smiles we saw earlier on, the most that runners could manage here was a quick nod of thanks when we cheered. "Almost there! Almost there!" I would chant to anyone who needed it.

At the end, we found some of our runners among the thousands. They were beaming with triumph. We took them out for breakfast, listened to the marathon war stories, and laughed. All in all, well worth the Sunday morning. Congratulations to the athletes, who have the double thrill of knowing they finished a marathon AND they raised thousands of dollars toward young children's education in Africa.