Lifesong-Ethiopia

A hungry student is not able to concentrate in the classroom and has a difficult time learning. We found many of the students in the Ziway Meserete Kristos School were coming to school hungry and brought no food for lunch. Teachers complained of lack of attention on the students’ part.

Misgana Ministries initiated a school feeding program in November, 2009, for all 300 students at the school. Participation is not dependent on family income or any other factor; each student is fed a free and nutritious breakfast and lunch each school day.

For breakfast each receives fafa, a porridge-like food that provides the nutrients that each growing child needs. The lunch menu rotates through a cycle of fish soup, the national foods of shiro and injera, vegetable beef soup, and pasta.

During the semester break in 2010, the feeding program facility was upgraded. Cobblestones were adding in the dining area, a ceiling and a window were added, better hand-washing facilities were added, and the storage room was “rat-proofed.” But the biggest improvement, for both convenience and the kitchen workers’ health, was the change from cooking over wood to new gas burners.

This ongoing program will continue as the school is enlarged and more classes are added. The outpouring of expressions of gratitude by students and parents are heartfelt for both the improved health of the student body and the ability of the children to focus on their lessons in the classroom.

A student enjoying her shiro and injera for lunch.

These young students are enjoying their breakfast of fafa.

About Ethiopia

Ethiopia

Location
Eastern Africa, west of Somalia

Capital City
Addis Ababa

Area
1,104,300 sq km (slightly less than twice the size of Texas)

Population
85,237,338

Languages
Amarigna 32.7%, Oromigna 31.6%, Tigrigna 6.1%, Somaligna 6%, Guaragigna 3.5%, Sidamigna 3.5%, Hadiyigna 1.7%, other 14.8%, English (major foreign language taught in schools) (1994 census)

Religion
Christian 60.8% (Orthodox 50.6%, Protestant 10.2%), Muslim 32.8%, traditional 4.6%, other 1.8% (1994 census)

**data from www.cia.gov