From a young age, Kalkidan has always loved school. When she joined Lelt's assistance program three years ago, she was already the top student in her class at her local public school, which had only one teacher for every 100 students. We recognized how much she would benefit from a focused and advanced curriculum, so Lelt placed her in a private school. Since then Kali, now 15, has continued to excel.
She is the star of her family, her parents' greatest hope to be the first to graduate high school and attend college. Her father is a for-hire day laborer, while her mother is a house cleaner. Her parents never were given the opportunity to go to school, so it is difficult for them to find jobs that pay a living wage.
Like all students in Ethiopia, Kali's education was drastically interrupted by the pandemic. When the first Covid-19 cases appeared in Ethiopia in March, all schools and businesses in the country shut down. Unemployment skyrocketed. Remote learning was impossible as very few families have computers. Children lost their sense of purpose and connections with their peers. During this period of unprecedented hardship, Lelt Foundation provided emergency relief rations to every family in our program. We reopened our computer lab before schools opened their doors, giving students an academic routine and purpose they were craving.
As conditions related to the virus improved, another threat emerged. Civil war broke out in Tigray, the northern part of the country. Plans to restart schools were postponed. Luckily, schools in safer parts of the country were allowed to reopen. Kalkidan’s school, Amanuel Private School, is one of them.
She is the star of her family, her parents' greatest hope to be the first to graduate high school and attend college.
Amid the continuing pandemic and military crisis, the Lelt Foundation continues to distribute rations and support the educations of our students. With your help, Lelt is committed to helping our community recover.