Paper long abstract:

I grew up in a typical rural village in Ethiopia. During my childhood, among others, I became aware of two major problems the people from my rural area (Azena), its surroundings and the woreda people at large faced, namely the threat of drowning when crossing the local Ayo River and the lack of access to elementary and secondary schools within a reasonable distance. After moving to Addis Ababa, where I obtained my university education, I decided to help Azena and its surrounding residents to safely cross the Ayo River and obtain better access to education. I have been working with non governmental organizations (NGOs) and the community since 2006 to address these problems. I wrote project proposals and identified international NGOs which agreed to support the construction of a bridge and two high schools, two elementary schools and one preparatory school. I played a key role in mobilizing the community, serving as a liaison between the community and the NGOs and facilitating the smooth implementation of the projects. Currently, I am raising money for a high school under construction in remote low land area and expansion of Elementary School from grades 1-4 to K-8. Using self-reflective accounts /personal recollections and pictures as primary sources of data, this presentation examines the implementation process, community engagement strategies, impacts, challenges, and lessons learned from these community development projects.