Five years ago we never could have imagined that we would be looking for a house to buy in Ethiopia. We’ve been praying and considering how to best help our village teens who are ready for high school. Since there are no high schools in the villages, the girls must go to a city high school. But there is one big hurdle to overcome: where to live. Very few of them have relatives in the city of Bishoftu, so they rent tiny rooms with no bathroom, running water, or cooking facilities. They have to get a mattress, a little camp stove, and utensils. Usually, a mattress on the floor is the only furniture in the room.
The number of students in high school has grown, a testament to our mentors and the tutoring the students receive. The first hurdle is to pass the 8th-grade exam. Suddenly, about one-third of our students are in high school, scattered all over the city, often far from their high schools. More will be coming in September.
Thanks to grants and donations from churches and individuals, there was enough for a house for girls! The tenants will be out by the middle of July, so we can start preparing the house for about 25 girls. That’s a lot of beds, chairs, tables, dishes, and wardrobes!
Our lovely house has a fairly large compound with three buildings: one office and two houses. There are eight bedrooms so bunk beds are on our shopping list.
HMCHA’s Girls’ Future Home
