The Tesfa Foundation Newsletter Volume 1 spring 2006

Welcome to the first issue of the Tesfa Birhan, electronic newsletter for the Tesfa Foundation. The mission of the Tesfa Birhan (which means Light of Hope) is to keep you -- the donor, supporter, volunteer, or merely curious -- up to date with the rapid developments among Tesfa programs. We plan on releasing three issues per year, in spring, autumn, and winter. Remember, further information on Tesfa is always available to you at www.tesfa.org, or www.tesfa-uk.org. If you would like to join or be taken off our mailing list, please follow this link:
http://tesfafoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/newsletter_tesfafoundation.org.

School Successes in Ethiopia

Tsegereda

The kindergarten Class of 2006 at the Tsegereda School in Addis Ababa is graduating!! Our first class of 4 year-olds were enrolled in the fall of 2004 from among the poorest families in the district. Two years later, they are ready for the first grade. The Tsegereda School's first graduation ceremony will take place July 30, 2006 at the school. It is sure to be a joyful ceremony, attended by proud parents, local officials, the staff and volunteers who have made our success possible. Photos will be available at www.tesfa.org. The past two years are certainly worthy of celebration. We opened our doors in 2004 with little more than hope, good intentions and a staff ready to give it their all. Two years later, we have a classroom well-stocked with donated supplies. The walls are colorful with posters, photos and student drawings -- and with the letters, photos and drawings from our sister school children in Bath, England. The library is full. And our children are happy, healthy, well-behaved, and ready for the next level -- many thanks to our dedicated teacher, Wogayehu. Most of our children will qualify for enrollment in local private schools, the best in the district -- bypassing the public school path that would have been their fate without us -- a path that would have left them far behind their peers with money. A few of them will qualify for the best academies in Ethiopia. With the support of our post-kindergarten sponsorship program, our kids will have a real chance at college and economic success. They have been prepared with fundamentals in English and Amharic, math and science, and even some basic French. They have had European tutors who volunteered to help with language instruction and story-telling. Their curriculum has reached far into the standards for first grade. The last two years have been a great success in testing our model of school development -- providing high quality education for a budget of $5,000 per school -- introducing our children to Western children at the Widcombe Infant School in Bath, England -- attracting enthusiastic support from Ethiopians, as well as Western visitors and donors. Let's wish our graduates the best and welcome in the Class of 2008. These new 4 year-olds will be chosen from among the neighborhood's neediest families, as were the current class. Another 30 lives we hope to change.

New Schools

Scouting is underway for sites for our three new schools, opening in the fall of 2006. We have narrowed the search to half a dozen promising locations -- one in Addis Ababa, and the rest in outlying rural areas. Some of those are northwest of the capital city, over the crest of the Entoto ridge, near the regional center Chancho. Others are in the southeastern hills in the Nazarit area. Our rural schools will be built in areas devoid of any educational opportunities at all. The children are from farming families spread among the hills. The programs will be 'non-formal,' adapting facilities and schedules to the needs of children who still have to work. We will serve up to 100 young children per school, providing the first three grades of curriculum. Come autumn, children in the UK will be watching the entire process as we build and open these schools -- as their future pen-pals enroll and begin instruction -- learning an invaluable lesson about the power of education! UK children will learn firsthand about life and culture in Ethiopia -- with organized visits from UK Ethiopians, who will bring storytelling, dance, costume, food and music to the classroom. UK teachers and Ethiopian professionals will mentor our teachers and school coordinators in Ethiopia -- providing a mentoring role, developing their skills, knowledge base and confidence.

Announcements

Sponsorships

For $16 (or L10) per month, you can ensure the success of one pre-schooler in Ethiopia, paying his or her way through one of Tesfa's early childhood education centers for the poor. It's a way to make a profound difference in the life of one child, while becoming acquainted and charting his/her progress through the first years of education. For more information, please check online at www.tesfa.org.

Great Ethiopian Run

Join Team Tesfa-UK on its trip to sunny Ethiopia this November. They will be tackling the 6th annual Great Ethiopian Run, the largest run in Africa at approximately 25,000 participants. The race is a 10K through the heart of Addis Ababa. Included in the package are room and lodging for a week, training with local athletes, and visits to Tesfa schools. If you would like further information, please visit us at www.tesfa-uk.org.

Tesfa 5K

On Saturday, November 4, the Tesfa Foundation is sponsoring a 5K run/walk event at Fort Snelling State Park in Minneapolis. It's a beautiful course, certified by the Minnesota Distance Runners' Association. It's a fun and healthy way to contribute to the support of children's education, so please fit us into your race season. More information at www.tesfa.org.

Forging Ahead in the West

Learning Partners

This autumn, the Tesfa Foundation is proud to launch its pilot Annenberg Learning Partner Program. This project will twin Western Learning Partners, (LPs) or sister schools, with Ethiopian counterparts, linking children through pen-pal letters, video, and coordinated lessons.
What it means for Ethiopia is three new schools in areas where children currently have no opportunity for education. What it means for Western children is a chance to make friends on another continent, and a chance to learn about poverty and the value of education firsthand.
Learning Partner schools in England have been selected and are eager to begin preparing for the coming school year. Teachers and staff among the three LP schools will collaborate on writing exciting new curriculum for the program – lessons to make the most of the intercultural exchange.
Each of the British schools – the Widcombe Infant School in Bath, Meadlands Primary School and Lovelace Primary School in the outer London area – are award-winning institutions, acknowledged for their innovation and quality. We are very pleased to have them aboard.
Our guiding philosophy in implementing the LP Program is that charitable work –particularly in education – cannot be a one-way stream of benefits. No one gives while another only receives. Rather, all parties in Tesfa programs profit from the experience.
Some of the British children in our program will begin their school year by watching their partner schools in Ethiopia being raised from the ground up – literally. They will be introduced to Ethiopian children and families who are gratefully waiting for their chance at education. UK children will actively participate in creating that opportunity for their new friends. It is a remarkable learning opportunity for Western children who often take their advantages for granted.

Fundraising the Fun Way

Meanwhile, Tesfa volunteers in Minnesota wrap up the Second Annual "Bowling for Kids" fundraising event at Elsie's in Minneapolis. Thirty bowlers attended the event, having a lot of fun while raising over $800 for the children at the Tsegereda School in Addis Ababa -- and picking up a few more individual sponsorships for Ethiopian students.
Many remarkable performances were turned in. Tesfa-US board secretary Eman Ausman broke her personal record of 87, restricting herself to five gutter balls. Prizes for best and worst teams, first strike, and highest scores were awarded -- prizes donated by such local merchants as Blue Nile, Queen of Sheba, and Dashen Restaurants, Theatre in the Round, Chipotle, Conoco, and Noodles and Co.
It was a memorable evening, and we are all looking forward to next year's event -- especially Eman, who has pledged to practice throwing the ball with one hand.
In the spirit of making fundraising fun, Tesfa committees in both America and England are plotting out many great activities for the coming year.
This November will see running enthusiasts in both countries sweating for dollars and sterling to advance our school programs -- in honor of Ethiopia's reputation as a powerhouse in the world of long-distance running.
The Brits are organizing a team to make an expedition to Ethiopia and compete in the 6th Annual Great Ethiopian Run, a 10K in the heart of Addis Ababa. Participants will not only be raising funds for our schools, but will be spending time visiting each school site, meeting our children and their families.
The Americans will be staging the First Annual Tesfa 5K at Fort Snelling in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Saturday, November 4. It's sure to be a good time for the hundreds of runners braving Minnesota's first cold, and taking in one of the most beautiful courses in the city.
Heading the project -- and sure to head the pack on race day -- is US board member Andre Renfro, already well-known among national marathon circles. Come cheer him on.