Winter 2019 spotlight: Aschalew
Aschalew manages our project at the LIgaba Bayene Primary School and those that
have proceeded to high school by supporting these students with natural supports and
mentorship . Aschalew just announced that he is getting married November 28! A big
congratulations! We are so happy for him. Aschalew writes-My current project with
Making the Grade is supporting visually impaired students in Ligaba Beyene primary
school that are from a poor families. Making the Grade has helped me by paying my
undergraduate cost charing payment so I could attend graduate school where I received
my Master’s Degree in Aquatic Engineering. They also clothed me and encouraged me
to move forward in my life. I have accomplished things in my area by participating in
designing offices, meeting halls, culvert and road design from pre-planning to
completion of these projects. I am now working as a custodian at the Ligaba Beyene
primary school in Soddo, Wolaita and as a volunteer for Making the Grade.
My hope for the future is that we can develop strong communities who can understand
the need for sustainable support for visually impaired students. The students at my
school are from rural areas and have nobody who honestly cares about them. They are
not attending class regularly and go to street to beg. My hope is that we can minimize
students from going to streets.
Congratulations to Aschalew and Dibora on their new son, Nathan Aschalew! We are
glad to say that the entire family is doing well.
Ethiopia's government sends letter thanking mTG
[translation] The Ethiopian government thanks MTG for our work in Lalibela.
The date is recorded in Ethiopian calendar years and translates to
the year 2015 in the Western calendar.
This award thanks MTG for your kind work towards children in making their lives better through
education, food, clothing and housing.
the beauty of teamwork in one smile
11/19/2014
Everyone loves a success story; This one begins with a chance meeting, involves life-saving surgery, and ends with a wedding. No, it’s not the plot to a movie — it’s the real story of what can happen when organizations work together to help people in need.
In Ethiopia, Hanan was a 13-year old orphan with a fatal heart condition. Surgery could save her, but money for travel and surgery was well beyond anything she or her family could muster. Over seven thousand miles away, Shelly Dollar was gathering supplies to ship to Ethiopia to support Making the Grade’s student houses. There she happened to meet Hirwet a Goodwill tralier, who told her about her cousin Hanan.
Making the Grade reached out to Dr. Rick Hodes, and together with the JDC Hanan’s story ends with a smiles all around, including her own.
But what about the wedding that ends the story? In a true example of “coming full circle”, Hirwet — the woman Shelly met gathering supplies to send to Ethiopia — is getting married this (2014) December, in Ethiopia. And is bringing supplies for Making the Grade with her.