Dudmegn Elementary School is situated in the northern Ethiopian town of Woreta. Around 2255 pupils from Grades 1 to 8 (ages 7-15) are taught in a shift-system, whereby half attend school for four hours in the morning and the other half attend in the afternoon. The northern Ethiopian climate is dry and hot, and many of the children walk for more than an hour to reach the school.
Just two functioning water taps for this many students was clearly not sufficient. Funding from the Mandala Trust enabled Link Ethiopia to build a robust water station with several taps, providing the teachers and students of Dudmegn Elementary with clean running water . Even though the actual water supply is intermittent, the school has noticed that the number of children going home for water at break and not returning has greatly diminished. Attendance and concentration have also improved. Check out the photo gallery below to see the joy that water brings.
Dudmegn School has since used its new water supply to start an income-generating activity to increase their financial stability. A small orchard of sixteen mango trees has been planted and fenced. The crop is carefully tended, and when harvested it is sold to augment the school coffers. Some local farmers have even visited the school to learn about good mango-farming practice.
