One of the charitable causes Hampstead Parish Church regularly gives to is the Asra Hawariat School Fund. The fund exists to support the Asra Hawariat School in Addis Ababa. The Fund has no paid staff and is run entirely on a voluntary basis so that all donations go straight to where they are needed most. The school is the life’s work of Asfaw Yimeru, a most remarkable man.
Asfaw discovered his life’s work very early on. In 1965 he was a student at the General Wingate School, a British Council supported school for Ethiopian boys in Addis Ababa, where my husband, John Hester, was a teacher. John wrote in a previous magazine: “I was privileged to know Asfaw when I taught at the Wingate in the ‘50’s and ‘60’s. I remember very well trying to persuade him not to miss classes so that he could complete his schooling and proceed to university. I was unsuccessful and I am not ashamed to admit I was wrong. Asfaw was missing classes in order to teach groups of destitute children under a tree in an adjoining churchyard. He also arranged for leftovers from the school boarder’s meals to be given to these children to save them from crime and becoming street beggars.”
From this grew the Asra Hawariat School. There is a Kindergarten in the city. The school works from two campuses 10 km from the city centre. The first, the ‘Old Land’ houses grades 1- 4. The second, the ‘New Land’ houses grades 5 – 8. The education is free. Children are admitted on the basis of need. Orphans and children of single parents are given first priority; then the children of parents with no job and finally those on low incomes. Currently there are 1246 children at the school. Priority is given to girls. Asfaw believes strongly that education of girls has significant long term social and economic benefits for the whole country. The average class size is 30, significantly less than the national average. The school once again gained a 100% pass rate in the 8th grade national examinations. The school’s academic results are among the very best in the country. It receives no government money and is totally dependent on donations.
Asfaw developed the Child and Family Aid scheme as an alternative to the residential orphanage. Currently there are 652 children on this scheme of whom over half are orphan children placed with local foster families in which they grow up. The rest are from single parent families, who are supported in cash and kind. There is a farm which acts both as a demonstration farm and as a source of fresh milk and vegetables for the scheme.
I visited the school in December 2006. It is difficult to explain in words just how remarkable it is. I will place some copies of the report at the back of the church. Do have a look and take one if you like. I think even a cursory reading will show that our money is being put to excellent and worthwhile use, and there are some lovely photos of the children included in the report. You might like to read about Asfaw’s work on the website www.childrensworld.org. Further details about the school and the fund are available on the website www.asrahawariat.org.uk. I will be pleased to give more information about the school to anyone interested.
Asra Hawariat School, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Sara Hester