Money, Interview, Music, and the Education System

Process

We did it! The rest of the money needed to cover the final $3,800 program fee came in, and I am sending the check to Amicus this afternoon! Thank you all so much for your generosity. There is no possible way that Amanda and I could have come up with the entire $7,600 fee. To ensure transparency throughout this process, just over $2,500 came in from supporters in Ethiopia, just over $3,000 came in from U.S. supporters, and Amanda and I covered the remainder.

In other exciting news, Rakeb was finally able to set up an interview with the US embassy. As a reminder this interview is the crux of this entire process! The representative she speaks with will be the final word on whether or not she is awarded a visa to come to the US. So please keep her in your thoughts and prayers leading up to that monumental occasion! It will occur on May 1^st at 7am in Ethiopia, May 1^st at midnight for those on the East Coast, and April 31^st at 10pm for those of us in Colorado.

Rakeb

Rakeb loves music! She often forgets about her surroundings and starts singing her favorite song while on the bus, walking down the street, or at a restaurant. She received a guitar from our friend Aaron a while ago, but hasn’t found anyone that can give her lessons yet. Luckily a good friend of ours has already volunteered to help her learn how to play it once she arrives to Colorado! This will be just one of many things Rakeb will finally have an avenue to pursue once she arrives here!

Rakeb chillin'

Ethiopia

As I have hinted at previously, in most instances, the quality of K-12 education in Ethiopia depends on how much money you can pay for it. That all changes when it comes to college though, as all universities are government run and offered to students for free as long as they pass a national exam. Sounds great huh? Unfortunately the government has unchecked power and has taken it upon themselves to determine what each student will study. So, say Rakeb wants to study to become a psychologist. The chances of the government selecting that path for her are almost non-existent. Instead she may be forced to become an oceanographer, a teacher, or a construction worker. You just don’t know until the government decides for you. So at the heart of it, we are hoping to give Rakeb an experience in the United States that opens doors for her future beyond going to the college in Ethiopia, that opens her imagination to what is possible, and that provides her with alternative opportunities for collegiate study once that time comes. 

A presentation at Addis Ababa University