The COVID 19 health crisis, even if so far has not hit African countries too hard and Ethiopia in particular, nevertheless has a strong impact on the progress of the work. Indeed, the movement restrictions put in place by the Ethiopian government have made it difficult for artisans and entrepreneurs to obtain materials and access the Sona school construction site. The social tensions that the country has been experiencing for a few months are of course not helping matters ...
The pandemic has also forced us to cancel our spring trip and that of the fall already seems compromised. We must therefore rely on 100% to our team on site and in particular to its director Mihret Mitiku and his deputies Agere and Bayu. Fortunately, the team works perfectly well and manages to ensure an effective follow-up, which we had already mentioned in our March 2020 situation update.
A moderate delay in view of the context
Supply difficulties, particularly in cement, penalized the keeping of the construction schedule and caused a delay estimated at three months to date. That is to say, a delivery of the completed buildings by the end of 2020 instead of the start of the school year in September. The addition to the initially planned program of the construction of 15 housing units for teachers also made the project heavier and more complex, but for good reason! Sona's teachers follow and support this worksite as much as possible!
Whatever the case, the Foundation Board expresses its confidence and its great gratitude to the Mihret team, which knows how to face the difficulties encountered with professionalism and dedication. And with success since this three-month delay is very reasonable - and has not generated any additional cost - given the scale of the challenges faced and to come. And remember that independently of the work of the school, the local Children in the Cloud team managed the Children in the Cloud managed l’aide alimentaire d’urgence for families in difficulty in Sona.
The Sona school site - remote visit!
Thanks to the photos taken by Mihret during his visit last week (September 22-24), we offer you this virtual tour of the Sona school site ! As a reminder, remember that in 2019 2 buildings with 8 classrooms in total were built, and two sanitary blocks for girls and boys. And that the work in progress includes an “administrative” building (teachers' office, infirmary, communal room), a study library and accommodation for 15 teachers.
More ambitious than ever!
These difficulties have not only affected our morale, but on the contrary stimulated our motivation and strengthened our determination! From a distance, we ensure close monitoring of the site to support our local team. In Europe, we are doing everything we can to raise funds - more necessary than ever - as for example with the great success of the l’exposition des photos d’Ignacio Larrain in Divonne-les-bains, the 1000 CHF allocated by l’Ambassador Club de la Riviera Vaudoise and many other donors in France and Switzerland. May they be warmly thanked here!
New needs are appearing, linked to the crisis or not. Beyond food aid, the total and abrupt cessation of tourist activity has plunged the Simien into a severe economic crisis. The Foundation stands alongside its employees and partners to provide them with the help they need for their simple survival. In addition, a sponsorship program for the most deserving children will be set up to allow them to continue their studies in town, in Janamora or Debark, in boarding schools. We will talk to you about it in more detail.
For now, we still need your loyal support and we thank you in advance for helping us save these children!