h2 Empower’s 20th Anniversary
As I think about the past years, it is hard to believe that 20 years have passed since I first went to Ethiopia to volunteer for a year in the Hosanna Teacher Training College. The summer before I left, I was trying to imagine what life would be like there. Then I met an Ethiopian from Hosanna who worked for the World Bank in DC. I asked him, “What is Hosanna like?” He paused and said, “It is as different as the earth is from the sky.” Stunned, I had nothing to say. I found it was, in a sense, true.
A Traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony in Lalibella, Ethiopia.
The history, culture, language, and education system was very different from what I knew as an American. Culturally, I had to throw out everything I knew and be open for an entirely new way of being. However, I also discovered we are all similar. Everyone wants the best for their family and children, from illiterate farmers to leaders and scholars. My struggle then transformed into searching for solutions like how to raise people out of poverty. The questions I had kept on flowing. How can we improve the quality of education? How do we bridge the literacy and digital divide? What will empower women and girls? How do we share the great achievements, fascinating history and beauty of Africa with the rest of the world? Each of these will take more than one lifetime to answer, but I can say I have personally been transformed and enriched by my experiences in Africa.
In the scheme of things, 20 years is both not long and a surprisingly long time. Looking back, I can proudly say we at h2 Empower have accomplished a lot, while looking forward to building on our achievements.
Primary school students outside thier classroom in Ethiopia.
Building a community library, a small local library, and a community center
Constructing 14 classrooms in public schools to cut the size in half
Financing scholarships for countless gifted students to achieve university degrees, supported students to complete trade school and helped entrepreneurs start small business.
Training hundreds of librarians and teachers to increase their impact and support learning and personal growth.
Delivering tens of thousands of books to schools, colleges, and universities across Ethiopia.
·Supporting girls’ empowerment for personal transformation and academic achievement.
Providing clean water in 6 schools within 6 communities.
Now I am excited to expand these efforts with the local communities we collaborate with. It has been a source of pride that we have created a beautiful triangle consisting of African communities, h2 Empower and YOU!
Join us in our next episode of Growth and Empowerment!