Frequently Asked Questions
(Teacher Sponsors)
To ensure an exceptional standard of education for our students, we have sought qualified local teachers and teacher assistants, with all staff working on minimal local salaries.
Our teachers have very heavy academic workloads and their responsibilities are to their pupils, their academic colleagues and leaders. As such, we do not encourage our teachers to communicate with their sponsors because we do not want to add to their workload. We believe it is the responsibility of the school manager to keep the sponsors updated about their sponsored teachers. Please keep us informed of your correct email address at: englsihaliveethiopia@yahoo.co.uk
Q1: What does a sponsorship of a teacher include ?
Sponsorship of a teacher covers the teachers wage , teaching gown and stationary for a whole year as well as covering teacher training costs.
Q 2 : Can I write letters/emails to my sponsored teacher?
You can communicate with your sponsored teacher. To send a letter by post, use our postal address with the teacher’s first and last name.
Dawit Hailu
English Alive Academy ( teachers name )
PO Box 170222
Addis Ababa
ETHIOPIA
If you would like to send an email to your sponsored teacher, please send it to englishaliveethiopia@yahoo.co.uk. However, we do not have internet access at the school and have to go to a local cafe so posted letters are preferred. You will receive an acknowledgement from our Sponsorship Team for any gifts sent to your sponsored teacher, but as explained above we do not request our teachers to communicate directly with sponsors.
If a teacher wishes to reply, he/she will need to go through the Sponsorship Team as our policy keeps all your details confidential at all times. Teachers therefore cannot email you directly, and this is explained in the next Q2. We thank you for your understanding.
Q3: Do you screen communication with my sponsored teacher?
We read all sponsorship communication to and from the teachers. Confidentiality of sponsors' contacts is a priority for the school. To prevent unscreened communications, sponsors are not allowed to give their postal or email addresses to teachers. The teachers are not allowed to ask for gifts from their sponsors. Currently, we have wonderful teachers who adhere to our rules, but as our school grows and more staff come on board, we need to consider contingencies and put policies in place to protect both our teachers and our sponsors, in case in the future a teacher abuses having your contact details.
Q4: Can I send a present to my sponsored teacher? To which address?
You are not expected to, but you can. Please send it to the following address by normal airmail:
Dawit Hailu
English Alive Academy ( First and Last Name of your sponsored teacher )
PO Box 170222
Addis Ababa
ETHIOPIA
To make sure parcels arrive and incur no expenses for the school:
Ø Please do NOT register or insure any mail as it costs the school at least US $ 25 in taxes at our end.
Ø Mark all parcels as being “second-hand goods” or “personal gifts”.
Ø Ensure the description of goods written on the parcel matches the actual items inside as customs and postal staff frequently inspect contents of parcels.
Ø Please label all parcels clearly with the first and last name of the teacher and your full name.
Ø Please put the value of the package at no more than US $5 (the lower the better).
Tax-free items
Ø Books
Ø Personal goods
Ø Anything that is used. Used goods, used clothes, etc… (please remove labels/packaging from all items before sending them)
Keep in mind that parcels sent by airmail can take up to 4 months to get here (sea mail takes even longer – often 12+ months!), so don’t worry if it takes a while for us to let you know the parcel has arrived. In any case we will let you know by email when the parcel has been given to your teacher.
Q5: What can I send to my sponsored teacher?
Again, this is not required at all nor is it expected, but some suggestions include;
Ø stickers for their students (particularly those with encouraging words, such as “well done”,“try again”, etc);
Ø teaching aids relevant to the subjects your teacher teaches – for example: wall charts with times tables, alphabet, solar system, human anatomy;
Ø teacher training/development literature.
Q6: Should/can I send a Christmas present?
Christmas presents are generally discouraged. Please keep in mind that your teacher may be Muslim and therefore he/she will not celebrate Christmas.
Q7: Can I send money to support and provide assistance to my sponsored teacher and his/her family, or what else can I do to help?
As much as we appreciate your generosity and offer to help even more, our staff have discussed this extensively and have decided not to allow monetary contributions to teachers or their families. Along the same line, sponsors are not allowed to contribute money towards other expenses the teacher or their family may have such as medical care, housing, and market bills.
It is not plausible for us to become involved with our teachers beyond their role as educators of our students, or we are taking the school away from its Mission Statement and stretching the manpower resources of the school beyond its limit. We have to enforce the policy "teaching/education-related assistance only" or we would become a hospital, marriage guidance association, dispute resolution council, AIDS clinic and bank.
Q8: Can I meet my sponsored teacher?
You are always welcome to visit the school to meet your sponsored teacher. Please contact us well in advance to make sure we can accommodate you at the school. Our email is englishaliveethiopia@yahoo.co.uk / stephanddawit@yahoo.co.uk
Q9: What does half and full sponsorship mean?
Sponsors have two choices when sponsoring a teacher. Full sponsorship means the fees are US $525 / £ 324 per year (for other currencies visit www.xe.com). If you choose this option, you will be the sole sponsor of one teacher. For half sponsorship, the fees are US $ 262.50 / £ 162 per year and the sponsor will share one teacher’s sponsorship with another sponsor who the school will find.
Q10: When are my next sponsorship fees due?
Your sponsorship renewal fees are due 12 months after commencement of your sponsorship. A reminder email will be sent to you at least two weeks before the next fees are due. This email will remind you of the methods of payments as well as the amount of the sponsorship fee.
Q11: Can you please explain the classes and semesters at English Alive Academy?
The Ethiopian school year is from September ( after Ethiopian New Year ) to July. We have two semesters a year, with a week’s mid-semester break. During the long summer holiday ( July – September ) English Alive Academy runs an intensive English programme which is run by foreign volunteers and is open to all children in the town.
Kindergarten Primary School
(located on the outskirts of the town )
This school accommodates :
Nursery class ( currently 2 classes )
KG 1 ( currently 2 classes )
KG 2 ( one class )
( Each class has one teacher and one assistant teacher )
Grade School
(located in the centre of the town )
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
( all single classes )
( In addition to the main class teachers there is a teacher who teaches Amharic and works as an assistant )
Q12. Are my sponsorship fees tax-deductible?
We are currently in the process of being a charity at which time sponsorship will be tax – deductible. Until then, the tax free status is not available.
