If you’ve been following Lelt’s community over the years, you probably would be familiar with Yohanes, an exceptional student who has been a Lelt scholar since Spring 2013. Throughout his journey with us, Yohanes has actively participated in our after-school tutoring programs and engaged in various extra-curricular classes. Additionally, his family has been a recipient of monthly household necessities and food rations, providing crucial support to pave the way for Yohanes's aspiration to attend college. Currently in his final year of high school, he stands at the threshold of an important milestone — the Ethiopian National Exam, a pivotal test that determines students' admission into esteemed colleges and universities nationwide.
However, Yohanes's life is deeply rooted in the love story of his parents, Hussein and Abebech, which began four decades ago in their small village in southern Ethiopia. Facing opposition to wed from Abebech's family, Hussein's devotion to her led them to elope and settle in a neighborhood on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, where they continue to reside to this day. Although they experienced the heartbreaking loss of three children in infancy, their fortunes changed when their youngest daughter survived and eventually married, leaving Hussein and Abebech yearning for another child — seemingly impossible given their age. Yet, fate intervened 18 years ago when they came upon a church, drawn in by the cries of a newborn left abandoned on its steps. Without hesitation, they agreed to raise him as their own, giving him the name Yohanes.
At the time of Yohanes's adoption, Hussein was approaching retirement, and the couple faced significant challenges in raising a child with limited resources. To alleviate their struggles, they sought governmental assistance and found respite in Lelt’s programs a decade ago. Yohanes has since participated in numerous classes at Lelt's community center, discovering his true passion for Computer Science in our IT program. Over the past year, he has demonstrated remarkable proficiency in multiple computer programming languages, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Java, MySQL, and Python. Leveraging these skills, Yohanes has created an impressive array of applications such as calculators, games, and currency converters. Additionally, he has delved into the realm of website development and played a role in designing a school website. As he prepares to embark on the National Exams, Yohanes dreams of pursuing a major in Computer Science at Addis Ababa University — an aspiration that would make him the first member of his family to attend college.
Yohanes's journey is a testament of his dedication to creating a brighter future, the love and support of his adoptive parents, and the transformative power of Lelt's programs. With his passion for technology, Yohanes stands on the cusp of realizing his dreams, poised to make a significant impact in the field of computer science while forging a path of achievement and success for future generations of his family.
