The secondary school in Chirolaba resumed classes in September 2023, and ten new children from Sona are looking for a godmother or godfather!

The Children in the Cloud Foundation offers you the opportunity to sponsor a child from the Sona school in Ethiopia. We offer you the opportunity, for 50 CHF per month (tax free), to change the life and destiny of these children. (see the charter of commitment and detailed terms and conditions at the bottom of the page).

We have built a primary school that offers quality education up to the age of 14, i.e. Grade 8, but many pupils have the ability to continue their studies! But due to a lack of funds, their families are unable to send them to secondary school in the town of Chirolaba, as the accommodation costs are too high for them. An insurmountable effort for the vast majority of families in Sona... So, thanks to your donations, we have built a dormitory and kitchen for 40 students at the Chirolaba secondary school to accommodate the sponsored pupils.

Dormitory of the school of Chirolaba
Dormitory of the school of Chirolaba - Ras Dashen (4550 m) is in the background.

Each year, the teaching staff and the school council of Sona select 10 children who have the ability and the will to continue their studies, but whose families do not have the financial means. We present them to you below.

We are renewing this initiative for the beginning of the school year in September 2023, hoping to help more children after this year of implementation. You can communicate your interest to us by by using this dedicated contact page.

You can also contribute to the construction of additional dormitories within Chirolaba High School by making a donation.

MAKE A DONATION


Tena Birhanu Alemu

Name Tena Birhanu Alemu (daughter)
Grade : 9

SPONSOR a child

Tena and her mother

Selam Adane Berihun

Name Selam Adane Berihun (daughter)
Grade : 9

SPONSOR a child

Selam and his parents

Kidist Habitie Ayalew

Name : Dinkinesh Akililu (girl)
Grade : 9

I have found a sponsor. Thank you so much!

Kidist and his parents


Zufan Moges Adisie

Name: Zufan Moges Adisie (daughter)
Grade : 9

SPONSOR a child
Zufan and his father


Enattihun Mesafint Tamirat

Name : Enattihun Mesafint Tamirat (girl)
Grade : 9

SPONSOR a child
Enattihum and his parents

Tewodros Endale GeZieyhun

Name : Tewodros Endale Gezieyhunt (boy)
Grade : 9

SPONSOR a child
Tewodros and his parents

Endalik Asifaw Alene

Name : Endalik Asifaw Alene (boy)
Grade : 9

SPONSOR a child
Endalik and his mother

Moges Thihayu Getu

Name : Moges Thihayu Getu (boy)
Grade : 9

SPONSOR a child
Moges and his mother

Eyob Mesafint Tamirat

Name: Eyob Mesafint Tamirat(boy)
Grade : 9

I have found a sponsor. Thank you for your help!
Eyob and his mother

Daniel Meseret Waka

Name: Daniel Meseret Waka (boy)
Grade : 9

SPONSOR a child
Daniel and his parents

Sponsor a child in Ethiopia

Sponsoring a child from Sona in Ethiopia is particularly useful. These children are among the most deprived in the world and nowhere else can your money be better invested if you think that the future of humanity will be common or not! Here are some details on what we propose.

The Ethiopian school system

The school in Sona provides schooling for children up to grade 8, which is called the "primary school" in Ethiopia. This corresponds to the primary school in Switzerland, regrouping the elementary and middle cycles. In France, it corresponds to elementary school and junior high school, from CP to 3ème. Pupils leave Sona's school, on average, around the age of 14. They then go on to secondary school, the equivalent of gymnasium for the Swiss and lycée for the French. In Ethiopia, as in Switzerland and France, secondary school ends with a national diploma such as the maturité-baccalauréat.

The Ethiopian secondary school includes 4 years of study. The first two represent the secondary school. The next two, called "preparatory school", are intended for students who wish to continue their studies in higher education. This is the logical path for students who continue their studies in secondary school. Going to the secondary school is therefore a multi-year project and we propose that you accompany the children of Sona by becoming their sponsor for a period of 4 years!

Commitment Charter

By accepting to sponsor a child, the sponsor makes a moral commitment for the duration of the child's secondary school studies, i.e. 4 years. This is not a contractual commitment, of course, and the sponsorship can be interrupted at any time by the sponsor in case of force majeure. It is a moral commitment, in keeping with the importance of the future of the children we support. 

The Children in the Cloud Foundation is committed to ensuring that your entire donation is used for the children's board and tuition at the secondary school.

How to sponsor a child from Sona

In order to guarantee an exemplary schooling to the children of Sona who will be sponsored, we have defined with our partners the following working and living conditions:

  • children are enrolled in the secondary school of Chirolaba. It is a recent school, built in 2018, with excellent facilities (laboratories, library, computer room...) on a large and welcoming site.
  • The children are housed and fed in a dormitory built inside the school campus. This construction is co-financed by the Children in the Cloud Foundation because it is the best way to ensure their safety and school follow-up. They are autonomous in their daily tasks.
  • the safety of the children is guaranteed by the municipality of Chirolaba. The Mayor of the municipality is an ex-officio member of the committee managing the sponsored students.
  • the school work of the sponsored students is guaranteed by the teaching staff, under the responsibility of the school Director, who is an ex-officio member and President of the committee managing the sponsored students. A daily tutoring is set up under the responsibility of the Director of the secondary school of Chirolaba.
  • The Children in the Cloud Foundation ensures the follow-up of the children, the payment of their school costs via the committee and is an ex-officio member of the committee where our local director sits. The Foundation reports regularly to the donors.
  • The sponsor pays CHF 50 per month (CHF 600 per year) for all the school fees of his or her godchild. These costs include accommodation, food, school supplies and books.

International Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

The United Nations General Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. The CRC was voted unanimously. It aims to guarantee the rights of children under the age of 18. The Convention has 54 articles, stating that every child has :
- the right to have a name, a nationality, an identity
- the right to be cared for, to be protected from diseases, to have an adequate and balanced diet
the right to go to school
- the right to be protected from violence, maltreatment and all forms of abuse and exploitation
- the right to be protected against all forms of discrimination
- the right not to make war, nor to be subjected to it
- the right to have a shelter, to be rescued, and to have decent living conditions
- the right to play and have leisure time
- the right to freedom of information, expression and participation
- the right to have a family, to be surrounded and loved

This Convention is the basis for action by UNICEF. It is also our overarching reference document and guides our action for access to education. In particular Article 28 which states that every child has the right to education and to quality learning opportunities. We also feel committed to the full range of rights set out in the CRC for the well-being and development of the children of Sona.

en_GBEnglish (UK)