Be A Dream Builder Series. Meet Betsegaw


Recently we celebrated the launch of our Roots Ethiopia Education Ambassador program, in which we took the two top-performing students from each of our partner schools on a trip to Addis Ababa. The week was a game-changer, broadening not just their appreciation of their country, but their sense of access to the wider world. It’s one thing to believe in the power of every child’s dreams. It’s quite another to see them catch fire in real time. The gift of our work in Ethiopia is the promise of children like Betsegaw.

Betsegaw is a 14-year-old 9th grader who lives in the city of Hosanna. His top student marks in his primary school—one of our partner schools that draws some of Hosanna’s poorest students—earned him a spot on our Ambassador programs. And like his exceptional peers, he returned from Addis Ababa with new stars in his eyes. The architecture Betsegaw marveled over on his trip added fuel to the fire of his own dreams.

Roots Ethiopia had the good fortune of visiting with Betsegaw so we could admire some of his own architectural creations; models built using brilliantly scrapped-together materials that he collects from the streets and local stores. Bravely practicing his English with us, Betsegaw showed off his small collection of working tools (scissors, paper, cardboard) and the first model he ever made, a hospital he assembled last year. After he constructed it, Betsegaw took the next step to find a mentor and seek out advice. A local architect suggested to Betsegaw that he next train his focus on building something more personal. So, this young man set about designing a model of a Roots Ethiopia school. After all, school is Betsegaw’s kingdom.

We celebrate this young man who has found his passion and created a way for himself to pursue it wholeheartedly. May he travel far in this world to feed both his imagination and his ideas.

Your donations fuel the amazing success of students like Betsegaw. Thank YOU!

Be A Dream Builder Series: What Gembero Did This Summer (And Why It Matters)


Adventure and imagination are the life source of dreams. New foods, new smells, new landscapes, new voices, new possibilities. Roots Ethiopia’s focus on enriching the hard lives of rural students through education is a core program. And part of our work is showing students the possibilities for where that education could take them. Continue reading “Be A Dream Builder Series: What Gembero Did This Summer (And Why It Matters)”

Meet Barkot – a smart young student with an exciting future ahead of her!


We are so excited for you to meet Barkot Alemu,  a 14 year old girl whose name means “Blessing the World”. What a perfect name for a  shining star in her 8th grade class at Mugunja Primary School in rural Ethiopia. Barkot is the top student in her class, and she’s an amazing leader among girls and students in her village.  Continue reading “Meet Barkot – a smart young student with an exciting future ahead of her!”