With grateful thanks to everyone who has supported.
You are giving us the chance to make our dreams become reality.
We are now into year 3 of the fund.
Please accept my apologies for the delay in writing the annual report. Nothing happens quickly in Ethiopia and I have been waiting to see where all our young people will be this year.
In year 2 the equivalent of £4,476 has been distributed to the students. The official University results for semester 2 are not given out until the students return to University. I am still waiting to be sent the results for 5 students, which will mean additional bonus payments of approximately £50.
We made the decision to take on no new students this year as we still had the 16 students from last year. This is the last year of support for Getenet and Tarko. Desta may also finish this year. This will mean we can probably take on new people to support next year. We will issue application forms at the end of January. The Lalibelan committee will screen and check the validity of the applications and select the most deserving 10. These applications will be sent to the Scottish committee who match the applications with the bank balance and choose those to support. There will be positive discrimination towards young girls who show the potential to benefit from education. The number we can support is directly related to the money in the bank.
I am delighted with the performance of the young people. They have been taking full advantage of our support. Yonas was home during the summer and was fêted by the whole of his village. His achievement is something they perhaps don’t fully understand, but they are so proud of him. We nearly didn’t give Destaw support and he has turned out to be such a lovely young man. He is just so grateful for our support.
The bank balance is looking healthy thanks to everyone’s generosity. I hope that everyone has received a personal thank you. If not, please accept my apologies and my thanks. A special mention must go to Hamilton Bridge Club. They have ownership of the fund, as they were responsible for the first money that set it up. They continue this support every year. A special thank you must go to Joan and Jack who donated the £760 they received in wedding presents to the fund. This money alone keeps 2 young people in the education system for a year.
In August we held a meeting in Lalibela for all the students we support. 13 of the 16 were able to attend. They asked if they could form an association in order to keep in touch with each other. Fiker agreed to coordinate this association. Realistically, as the students are now all over Ethiopia, they will only be able to meet together every summer.
Be assured that 100% of the money given reaches the young people. Both committees give their time with no charge to the fund. I am taking this opportunity to give my personal thanks to:
Tefera, Habtamu and Mamo from Lalibela and June, Margaret and Maureen from Scotland. All your time and effort is much appreciated.
I am the lucky one as I get to meet the young people and I receive all the thanks from them. These thanks are due to all of you who have given support and I would like to pass them on to you. If you have not yet visited Lalibela, I hope that you will soon have time to come and receive in person the thanks you are due.