After not venturing outside Europe for 50 years, Cindy, the Link Coordinator at Linton Park Primary School in Kent, alongside her colleague Nigel, had the opportunity to finally visit her link’s school, Enfraz Elementary in Gondar Zuria and to visit the northern part of the beautiful country of Ethiopia. This was made possible through our first discounted School Link’s Tour!
Understandably nervous on arrival she soon discovered the wonders of this beautiful country; whether it was the fantastic places or the incredibly warm people. Consequently she urges other teachers to go and experience this “wonderfully rich and exhilarating place”.
Cindy’s eyes had opened up to a culture full of resourcefulness in the backdrop of stunning landscapes. Cindy’s most vivid memories include;
• Seeing Gondar’s inhabitants taking their produce to market by donkey.
• Experiencing frenetic shoulder dancing – called Eskista – in an Ethiopian Nightclub.
• Taking part in coffee ceremonies which, in people’s houses with mud walls and floors.
Most importantly, she & Nigel learned that the schools and teachers need our help. They saw classes of 70 children with barely a book or a resource in sight; they met children determined to learn – who believe that ‘education saves lives’. This understandably has reinvigorated them both for the challenges ahead and has made them even more committed to doing more fund-raising for the school and spreading the word for Link Ethiopia and the work that we do across schools in Ethiopia.
Cindy feels a sense of unfinished business! She consequently would love to make a return in the near future and with Link Ethiopia encouraging this through introducing discounted rates for teachers going on our School Tours, this is becoming more accessible than ever to achieve!
A big thank-you to Cindy, Nigel and the Linton Park team for your support and we hope it has contributed greatly to your school linking activities in your school.
If you’re interested in visiting your Link School in Ethiopia, and seeing all the vibrant landscapes and culture Ethiopia has to offer, have a look at our Tours Page and get in touch with [email protected].
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