Published Wed, Jul 22, 20.
Written by Scott Chleborad.
Nobody likes to be "on-hold". Being stuck in the queue of a call center can make it seem like time is standing still.
In Ethiopia, life has been on-hold for weeks and months and circumstances just don't seem to be getting any better. The COVID pandemic initiated a restrictive 5-month state-of-emergency. Double-digit inflation continues unchecked. Heavy rains, erosion and flooding in addition to desert locust infestations are setting the stage for famine. And the internet was just shut-down for the 13th time in 4 years due to political violence and bloodshed. Good news has been hard to find in most parts of Ethiopia.
But thanks to the prayers and support of our partners and friends, the Adams Thermal Academies in Hosanna and Ottoro continue to make progress amidst all this paralysis. Families are being fed and protected from the virus, students have continued to study diligently at home and the realization of a goal to create full K-12 education programs for the "poorest of the poor" continues to materialize. One example of this progress is the construction of a new kindergarten classroom and bathroom facilities in Hosanna.
The logistics of a K-12 school on a centralized campus require the physical separation of kindergarten, elementary and secondary grade students. Construction crews at Adams Thermal Academy in Hosanna recently launched a building program to create an entirely separate space for kindergarten students, including classroom space and bathrooms. This phase of the building program also includes new bathrooms for the high school as well as fencing to subdivide the campus according to age and grade. If all goes according to plan, all the new buildings and fence will be completed in six months.
In addition, progress continues on the new high school buildings in Ottoro. We'll share more about that in the coming weeks.
We've seen it again and again in our Ethiopia programs - human barriers are not God's barriers regardless of how large or how pervasive they may seem. His plans and His purposes for the most vulnerable souls in Hosanna and Ottoro are moving forward. While the rest of the world seems to be on-hold, we rejoice in this progress that can only be attributed to praying people and a faithful God!
To our supporters, our heartfelt thanks go out to each and every one of you.