The Parish Church of St John-at-Hampstead

One of the charities supported by the parish

A brief history taken from their Annual report
“The Asra Hawariat School is a non-fee paying, non-religious and non-political voluntary organization working with those children and families who could not otherwise afford to get an education. The school began in the late 50’s when Asfaw Yemiru, the founder, was a 9th grade student at the British Council-run General Wingate School. When his classes were over, Asfaw started to teach local street children under a tree in the next door church yard. These children were fed on left-over food from the Wingate, and slept in the Church yard. This was put on a more permanent footing in 1961, owing to a grant of land from the then-emperor Haile Selassie.”  To understand this better it is useful to know the Wingate was a boarding school for Ethiopian boys. Ethiopians NEVER fail to leave some food on their plates! It would be the height of rudeness. When Asfaw arranged with the Wingate staff to let the street children come in after the Wingate boys finished their meal, he knew there would be food left for them. Asfaw got the grant of land by throwing himself in front of the Emperor’s car wrapped in an Ethiopian flag to hand Haile Selassie his petition for land to build a school.

“When the number of students reached 1000 the school was officially recognized by the Ministry of Education in the late 60’s. Since then the school…has run a number of additional humantarian projects: an orphanage, child and family aid, including fostering children with local families, a vocational farm, a feeding centre for malnourished children, a kindergarten and various training programmes. Since its foundation it has reached out and helped over 120,000 of the poorest citizens of Ethiopia’s capital city. “

This is where our money goes – The Asra Hawariat School Fund exists to support this work.

I last visited the school in December 2006 which seems a long time ago. But my daughter Sian, and her Swiss husband, Rolf, were in Ethiopia recently. She has kindly shared their experience of visiting the school which you can read about below.                   
Sara Hester

My visit to the Asra Hawariat School, Addis Ababa in November 2015
It was such a pleasure to return to the city of my birth after 49 years. Even more so that I could finally meet up again with Asfaw who told me that he used to babysit for me as a child. The school and farm that he has built up is remarkable. Our taxi driver kept asking us how someone could have so much land in the middle of Addis.
We first went to the younger students in the school that Asfaw built up, ‘over the wall, and under the tree’ (as the story goes) near my childhood house. The school children met us with smiles and were delighted to practise their English on us; ‘what’s your name?’, ‘which country are you from’ ‘ah Switzerland, capital city Bern’. The boys loved it when my husband sat beside them and explained their work to him. Outside under the trees another class sang some Ethiopian songs for us.

After a delicious Ethiopian meal made in honour for us by Asfaw’s wife, and a coffee ceremony, we went to the senior school. Unfortunately school was just finishing so we couldn’t visit a class in session, but we were waved to by the students with big smiles lightening their faces. Asfaw was on his tractor when we arrived. He showed us the farm where the students learn about farming, and looking after the cows and other animals. In exchange for their work they are encouraged to take their products to their homes,  to plant and grow in their small homesteads.       

As Asfaw showed us around the grounds, the library (with books in it that he had saved from my father’s teaching days), the classrooms and the new hall being built, he explained his philosophy that everyone at the school is taught to do the gardening, clean up and help each other. All for one, and one for all. He expects all students to work hard and it seems to work. And the smiles continue to light up the school.
As we were there we saw young women (students and ex-students) carrying big loads of building materials on their back, carrying them up the stairs to the new hall. They were helping to build the new hall. As they passed us, they stopped to say hello and shake hands, with the weight still on their backs. And they still kept on smiling.

Unfortunately our time was limited. We left Asfaw and his school with lifted hearts, knowing that the money we donate is in the hands of a good, honourable and self-less man. His school and his students are very important to him. May he keep up the good work.

I hope to return there sooner than the 49 years it took for this visit.

Sian Enderli Hester