Shomo Boyo Primary School has a great library and some pretty amazing students! When Roots Ethiopia started working with Shamo Boyo school, the remote location posed some challenges. Nonetheless, the team and the community joined together to improve the school, encouraged by the enthusiasm of a successful peer-to-peer campaign.  Today, all the hard work and perseverance are shaping how girls are pursuing success using the school’s first library!

Meet Girumnesh, a girl on a mission! Her favorite subject is biology and physics and she wants to be a doctor when she grows up. She says, “Books at my school library are my weapon to prepare for my future. I spend most of my time in the school library and I found all the books I need.” Girumunesh has a lot of support from her family and her teachers as she focuses on her education.

Selamnesh is a friend of Girumnesh, and she’s a new student at Shamo Boyo school. She was a student at a different primary school, but with her interest in physics and math, her former school could not support her strong desire to learn. Selamnesh learned that Shomo Boyo school has a library stocked with textbooks. She knew it would be worth walking the long distance to change schools. She says, “I am the eldest daughter in my family and I do all the housework. I clean the house, fetch water from a far place, cook wat, wash clothes and make injera. My family relies on me, and I have to take care of my brother and my 3 sisters. Even with all these burdens, I am studying hard and ranked 2nd in my class. Shomo Boyo Primary School will help me succeed so my life can improve.”

Girls like Girumunesh and Selamnesh are seeking out the best opportunities to achieve their goals to improve their lives. We wish Girumnesh and Selamnesh the BEST of luck on their national 8th-grade exams and we can’t wait to hear about their success in secondary school!