Happy New Year!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all our readers ( even though it is a non event here as it is still 2003 and the New Year isn’t until September ! )

There are two good pieces of news this week – the first is that we have another volunteer coming ( Paula ) – two weeks In February ! Not the longest time I know, but it will be great to have someone else ! The teachers are all so much more motivated when a volunteer is around and the kids really gain so much from hearing a different accent and experiencing new and active teaching methods !

The second is that Fraser ( our first ever male volunteer – the one who helped out with the last bit for the van ) and his family have decided to give the school a Christmas present so will soon be investing in a computer !!!! Despite all the power problems, everyone is keen on computers and it will be incredibly exciting to have computer lessons ! The only problem is that none of the teachers really knows how to use a computer so somehow we will have to train one of the teachers first before they can teach the pupils ! The good thing is that the level of instruction will be pretty basic, simply parts of the computer , how to use word and draw pictures as well as playing educational games on the machine !! It will be a very exciting development – a computer is just what we need in our little lives !!!!

On a personal front, things aren’t so great ! – At long last managed to leave the paid job ! The trouble was that at the last minute, our son decided that he didn’t want to be homeschooled ( we can’t afford a decent school for them ) – he didn’t realise that it was permanent and thought that he could choose on a daily basis – when he wanted to go to “ real “ school then he could and when he didn’t want to go, then he stayed at home and was home schooled !! The worst bit was when he talked about his little friends and asked that when he was in the classroom, who would make him laugh !!! He is slowly getting over it, but it is hard for him to understand why he can’t go to school like all his little friends !!!

Still trying with the writing to get in a bit of an income but things are slow ! - there are agencies which pay 2 dollars for an article but you need a lot of 2 dollars to support two schools and a family of four !!! Still plodding on with the fundraising but it is all time consuming and requires a clear and thoughtful brain ! – Something that with all the stresses at the moment – isn’t available !!!

Still – roll on Christmas and who knows what God will provide for us just around the corner !!!

Donate to English Alive for a Christmas Gift to someone you love

Life in Ethiopia certainly does seem to be a never ending round of ups and downs ! – unfortunately at the moment we seem to be on a little bit of a down since I have now decided that there is no alternative but to leave my paid job in Addis Ababa ! I have been unhappy there for a long time, with the school going in one direction and me going in the other, but it seems to have now peaked with the school not only having no holidays all year but now taking away the grade classroom assistants since they think that they do nothing ! In addition, there seem to be weekly arguments where the owner just lets loose with all his thoughts and accuses and insults me ! – It really is too much to take and I was coming home almost everyday in tears !

The decision to leave is a great one on a personal level but has meant HUGE problems relating to finances ! – Dawit has a small income coming in with the shop and I am making a little bit doing writing but even combined it is not enough !!! As a result, we cannot afford to send the children to a decent enough school and thus will attempt to home school them !!! – could be fun or could be nightmare ?! – Who knows ? – I suppose we wont know until we try !!

With English Alive to support as well it is problematic to say the least !!! We have thus decided to attempt to fundraise as much as possible so that the school is financially secure and then we can sort out ourselves out somehow !! – thus have sent the following to as many people as we can in the hope that if everyone just gives the price of a cup of coffee - two pounds or so and there are a hundred people reading it then we can raise two hundred pounds ! – Which will keep the school staggering along for a bit longer !!??

Thus, anyone reading this blog please try to best to encourage people to give at this festive season and rather than buying a cup of coffee to keep themselves warm for five minutes, they can give and feel the never ending warmth of doing the right thing !

Fed up with the commercialism of Christmas ? Feel that you are spending out and not really getting much of the good spirit back ? Then help is at hand ! – take a little bit of time and energy during this Christmas period to help others.

As the band aid song from the 1980’s goes,

“ There won’t be snow in Africa this Christmas time,

The greatest gift they’ll ever have is life. “

Although this song referred directly to life and death, you can also take it as quality of life. At ENGLISH ALIVE ACADEMYwe are giving pupils the opportunity of a life that without us will be a consistent struggle. Without an education, our pupils would be left with the prospect of sustenance farming, working as a maid or begging in the streets.

So take the time this Christmas to think of pupils at ENGLISH ALIVE ACADEMY and remember what the spirit of Christmas is all about.

HOW TO HELP.

There are many ways that you can help.

The following are suggestions only to get you started:

1/. Give a present to the school – a cash donation

2/. Do something to raise funds – e.g. have a dinner party where everyone makes a cash donation to attend / go carol singing / sell your unwanted Christmas presents on eBay / have a movie night where everyone makes a donation to attend etc.

3/. Sponsor a child ( please contact stephanddawit@yahoo.co.uk for further details )

4/. Approach your work organisation for workplace sponsors.

Since we will shortly be a registered charity, then this donation is TAX FREE – your employers take the money from your wage packet each month. Since it is tax free then you are e.g. giving £5 to ENGLISH ALIVE ACADEMY but in fact you are only charged £3.50 – so everyone wins !!

WHAT DO I DO WITH THE DONATIONS ?

Funds can be paid in in various ways :

1/. Directly into the English Alive Account ( located in the UK )

HSBC bank

Account name : English Alive Academy

Sort code : 402503

Account no : 21484613

2/. Payment made to the founders of English Alive to be passed on to the school :

PayPal account name : stephanddawit@yahoo.co.uk

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!!!!!!!

************ Please forward this email to as many people as you can – if everyone you know donates just £ 1 then that will be more than enough – when you have nothing every little bit counts !! ************

Don’t forget to keep up to date with the goings on at the school on the BlogSpot :

http://englishaliveacademy.blogspot.com

or on our website :

http://www.englishaliveacademy.org

'Tis the Season!!

Fed up with the commercialism of Christmas ? Feel that you are spending out and not really getting much of the good spirit back ? Then help is at hand ! – take a little bit of time and energy during this Christmas period to help others.

As the band aid song from the 1980’s goes,

“ There won’t be snow in Africa this Christmas time,

The greatest gift they’ll ever have is life. “

Although this song referred directly to life and death, you can also take it as quality of life. At ENGLISH ALIVE ACADEMY we are giving pupils the opportunity of a life that without us will be a consistent struggle. Without an education, our pupils would be left with the prospect of sustenance farming, working as a maid or begging in the streets.

So take the time this Christmas to think of pupils at ENGLISH ALIVE ACADEMY and remember what the spirit of Christmas is all about.

HOW TO HELP.

There are many ways that you can help.

The following are suggestions only to get you started:

1/. Give a present to the school – a cash donation

2/. Do something to raise funds – e.g. have a dinner party where everyone makes a cash donation to attend / go carol singing / sell your unwanted Christmas presents on eBay / have a movie night where everyone makes a donation to attend etc.

3/. Sponsor a child ( please contact stephanddawit@yahoo.co.uk for further details )

4/. Approach your work organisation for workplace sponsors.

Since we will shortly be a registered charity, then this donation is TAX FREE – your employers take the money from your wage packet each month. Since it is tax free then you are e.g. giving £5 to ENGLISH ALIVE ACADEMY but in fact you are only charged £3.50 – so everyone wins !!

WHAT DO I DO WITH THE DONATIONS ?

Funds can be paid in in various ways :

1/. Directly into the English Alive Account ( located in the UK )

HSBC bank

Account name : English Alive Academy

Sort code : 402503

Account no : 21484613

2/. Payment made to the founders of English Alive to be passed on to the school :

PayPal account name : stephanddawit@yahoo.co.uk

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!!!!!!!

************ Please forward this email to as many people as you can – if everyone you know donates just £ 1 then that will be more than enough – when you have nothing every little bit counts !! ************

Don’t forget to keep up to date with the goings on at the school on the BlogSpot :

http://englishaliveacademy.blogspot.com

or on our website :

http://www.englishaliveacademy.org