Niyamgn, 14, On my way to become a Doctor!

Niyamgn, 14, is a grade six student at Pagak primary and junior high school located in Lare district of Gambella Region, Ethiopia. Last year, Niamgn had to drop out of school because of her family’s financial problems. However, this year, Save the Children through its Educate A Child project provided Niyamagn and other children who are unable to attend school due to economic and other factors in her village with uniform and other school supplies that enabled them return to school. Now Niamagn is able to pursue her education with more ease from financial troubles that proved troublesome in the past.

Niyamgn’s story in her own words :

My name is Niyamgn.I’m 14 years old, a grade six student at Pagak Primary and junior high school located in Lare district of Gambella Region. I would’ve been in seventh grade but I had lagged behind since I discontinued my education for a year.  I live with my family of two male brothers and two female sisters, very close to school so I try to help out my family in the morning. Every morning I wake up early, before I go to school I do household chores and clean up our house as well as our compound. Then I change into my school uniform and set off to the communal water supply nearby. If things are good and there are no long queues I’m usually back home with the water in 10 minutes or less. However, sometimes early risers like me form long lines so I’ll have no other options except leave my can there and go to school. When school is over in the afternoons I rush back to the place, collect my now full, water carrying can and set off home at once. I always make lunch to our family so going back with no water is unthinkable. My family doesn’t have much but we make do with what we have. My father has a small garden where he grows simple food items like maze and other small items. We get our food from there. But sometimes edibles are in short supply that we’re forced to skip a meal or two. In those days, I’m pretty much okay and I can handle it for the first 1 or 2 periods. But, after then the hunger starts to sink in and I feel tired. Especially when the teacher is explaining certain topics at length I find myself losing focus. Learning is hard on an empty stomach. It’s not all bad though, because once I’m finished at school I hurry back to school and eat porridge. It’s my favorite food. We eat it with a stew made of artificial food seasoning or Mare (a local wild plant that resembles cabbage) based on what we’re able to afford. I want to succeed in my education and help out my family as much as I can. My favorite subject is social science. I like how the teacher is using things that are very accessible to us when he’s lecturing. I want to finish my primary and secondary education. I want to become a doctor. however, last year I couldn’t continue my education and I was forced to drop out because my family couldn’t the learning supplies. I’m grateful for the bags, uniforms and education materials I had received. I’m happy that Save the Children and Educate A Child project were there for me when I was not sure if I was going to continue my education.

What Save the Children is doing to help Niyamgn and others like her:

Save the Children Ethiopia country office and Save the Children Korea in partnership with Educate A Child (EAC), a global programme of the Education Above All Foundation (EAA), launched a project that aims to increase access to quality basic education for out of school children in Gambella Region.The program started on 1 April 2019. Proceeded by Save the Children’s host community activities since January 2020. The project has provided 5,624 out of school children with education services, educational kits and uniforms, and constructed classrooms and sex segregated latrines and wash facilities.