{"id":5955,"date":"2023-02-15T04:21:53","date_gmt":"2023-02-15T04:21:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/imagine1day.org\/?post_type=avada_portfolio&p=5955"},"modified":"2023-02-15T04:21:53","modified_gmt":"2023-02-15T04:21:53","slug":"sinana-district","status":"publish","type":"avada_portfolio","link":"https:\/\/imagine1day.org\/portfolio-items\/sinana-district\/","title":{"rendered":"SINANA DISTRICT"},"content":{"rendered":"
The only school Manderina, aged 9, and her friends have ever known was made of wood, mud and straw. There weren\u2019t enough desks or chairs, so they sat on dirt floors.<\/p>\n<\/div>
\n\u201cI BLAME MYSELF FOR NOT ATTENDING SCHOOL, SO I WISH FOR A BETTER FUTURE FOR MY CHILDREN. THIS IS WHY I INITIATED OUR COMMUNITY\u2019S CONTRIBUTION.\u201d\u0003
\n\u2014 DESSELENY BEYENA<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>Then in November 2012, leaders from Manderina\u2019s hometown of Gamora attended an imagine1day workshop on the importance of community leadership in education. Inspired, Gamora\u2019s leaders left the training determined to see a new school in their community.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s when an unexpected philanthropist stepped to the forefront. Desseleny Beyena, a school security guard, was amongst the first to make a contribution towards building their new school. He donated a whopping 1,000 birr out of the 6,000 birr he earns annually from his subsistence farm. Beyena\u2019s generosity inspired his community to pitch in towards raising the 200,000 birr (almost $11,000) they needed as their contribution to build a new school in partnership with imagine1day.<\/p>\n
\u201cI blame myself for not attending school, so I wish for a better future for my children. This is why I initiated our community contribution,\u201d says the father of four.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, Manderina is busy attending her brand new classroom and doing her homework so she can fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor. \u201cWhen I first heard from my teacher that a school was going to be built, I was so excited, but I wasn\u2019t expecting something like this. We are eager to get to our classrooms tomorrow morning,\u201d she says.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>
This Year\u2019s Game Plan<\/h3><\/div>
In this third and final year of this project in Sinana, our focus is on working with the community and district leaders, as well as school principals and teachers to ensure they have the confidence and capacity to carry their schools forward.<\/p>\n<\/div>
WE\u2019RE TAKING SOME FINAL STEPS TO MAKE SCHOOLS COMPLETE<\/strong>
\nWe\u2019ll build playgrounds for the schools we just completed in Sinana. Classroom reading corners and library books will be distributed across the district.Students will express themselves through creative writing and art programs.<\/p>\nA FINAL YEAR OF TEACHER TRAINING WILL REINFORCE CAPACITY<\/strong>
\nLife Skills, Active Learning, Science, and Literacy are hot topics for teachers. PTA members and School Principals will train in succession and transition. All 35 schools will share their experiences and lessons to contribute and learn.<\/p>\nTEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS WILL SET GOALS FOR THE FUTURE<\/strong>
\nTeachers from 35 schools will be guided setting their vision and goals. The Project Advisory Council from the district will evaluate the project status. We\u2019ll phase out and hand over ownership of their schools that are ready.<\/p>\n<\/div>Project Overview<\/h3><\/div>
Located in the lush highlands of southern Ethiopia\u2019s Bale Zone, Sinana is one of the Oromia region\u2019s largest districts. The surrounding mountains are home to the endemic Nyala, the infamous red wolf, warthogs and baboons.<\/p>\n