Dear Friends,

This is a long overdue update on Jihur Secondary School Project and a fresh appeal for donations.

You will recall we announced last August that the school will be open for Grade nine students for the current academic year. Grade nine classrooms are now up and running and you should be proud to have made the enrollment of 260 boys and girls possible and to have given them hope in their future. There however remains a big challenge to have Grade ten classrooms ready for the next academic year. Failing to do that would cause a big disappointment for the many boys and girls, and their families, hungry for education.

In the last six months, both the Executive Committee and the Diaspora support group worked hard to raise funds for the construction of Grade ten classrooms but did not manage to raise the amounts needed. As early as March, there was great uncertainty for the completion of Grade ten classrooms in time for the next academic year. We are now very pleased to report that one of our biggest benefactors and great supporter has generously advanced 300,000 birr to the project. Additionally the beneficiary community has started a big fund raising campaign. With some additional donation from the diaspora the Executive Committee is now very optimistic that Grade ten class rooms will be ready for the next academic year.

We are therefore now appealing to you for a second round of donations to supplement the fund raising activity of the community. We know these are difficult times but remember it is even more difficult for folks back home. Please try your best. No donation is small and don’t forget all donations to HtE-Jihur School Project are tax deductible. You can send us a check or make an online donation through our PayPal account.

Your donation will help break the cycle of poverty of the community by keeping over five hundred boys and girls in schools where they belong. Education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. Let us give our kids this opportunity.

Thank you for your cooperation and generosity.

For the Diaspora Support Group