“I want to be a Gynecologist to make up for the incident that took my mom while she was giving birth to me. I feel bad that I have neither a mother nor a sister to turn to for support whenever I need it but having imagine1day in my life consoles me a lot. I have not worried about sanitary pads or MHM-related issues since imagine1day came to my school,” says Radiya Hussien, an 18-year-old 8th-grade student in Awuchecho Awlijana Primary School.
Awuchecho Awulijana Primary School is one of EAC’s Leaders Educators and Parents (LEAP) project target schools in Oromia. Awareness creation and community mobilization about the value of education, school construction that encompasses classrooms, including Early Childhood Education (ECE), library and gender-segregated latrines, capacity building training at varied levels, scholastic and Menstrual Health Management (MHM) material provision and Orphans and Vulnerable
Children (OVC) support are all part of imagine1day’s interventions in Awechecho Awulijana Primary School.
Radiya is an orphan who lives with her elder brother, has received imagine1day’s OVC support.
Radiya says, “I am provided soap, sanitary pads, an exercise book, a pen, as well as sheep so I can attend my education without any problems. This means the world to a person like me, given I don’t have anyone to support me except my brother who sacrificed his education to keep me in school. I lack words to express how grateful I am to EAC and imagine1day. Afan Oromo is my favorite subject because the teacher is so supportive of me.”
Waliyi Hussein, a teacher in Awuchecho Awulijana Primary School, says, “Radiya is a very strong student who is a role model to the rest of the girls in her community. The fact that she doesn’t give up despite all the challenges she has been facing has inspired countless people to rise above their problems. She is a disciplined and outstanding student at our school.”