Dawit’s Dreams for the Future

A small, rural town called Yirgalem lies in the heart of Southern Ethiopia, and is home to a 17 year old aspiring scientist named Dawit.

Dawit’s journey has been nothing short of laborious. His father is no longer in the picture and his mother, deeply affected with mental illness, lacks the necessary healthcare and resources to provide for her family. As a result, Dawit and his three sisters share the hardship of managing the home and their mother’s illness. The family receives 450 birr ($15 USD) per month in aid to cover rent and food expenses, but the remainder of the financial burdens fall on Dawit and his three sisters.

In addition to assuming financial responsibility, Dawit is also expected to maintain the household; he washes clothes, collects firewood and prepares meals when he can. Completing these responsibilities is debilitating to his mental and physical health—something as simple as walking to get water for his family requires a near 2 mile walk.

Despite his unfortunate situation, Dawit excels in schooling. The periodic table pinned proudly to his wall prompts him to share his aspirations for the future. His eyes glimmer with enthusiasm and he says that he dreams of becoming a scientist; he wants to study space, satellites and the universe. He wonders if he might one day find a whole new world. Although he seems optimistic at this moment, he adds that his hope is dwindling.

“When my mother’s illness began, I lost my studying time and my inspiration to change my life,” he says.

Dawit is learning to write in English, and uses his journal as a way to practice outside of the classroom. This journal is Dawit’s escape to privately express his frustrations—a single hung bed sheet separates Dawit’s area from the rest of his family in their one bedroom home.

His entries detail fears for his family’s future and serve as a stark contrast to the hopeful boy who spoke of the dreams he hopes to one day achieve. He writes that lack of food, water and firewood leave him starving and distracted from his school work. He often goes upwards of 28 hours without a meal, and has turned to his equally helpless classmates for advice on ways he can help his family survive.

Dawit’s classroom attendance is suffering; he relies on natural light which results in tardiness, he’s hungry and lacks water to bathe himself. Above all, Dawit is plagued with worries that the depression and anxiety his mother and sisters face may have fatal outcomes, and is growing depressed in the face of his family’s troubles.

In May, Dawit’s school was equipped with one of Dream For The Future’s e-learning labs which allow him and his classmates to access the internet and a digital library of educational resources. By improving the quality of education in Southern Ethiopia, children are afforded the opportunity to make their dreams a reality. Dawit is already using these new resources to learn about becoming a scientist—his dreams for his future are being restored. He is just one of the children who will see their ambitions materialize through having a connection to the digital world.

Intelligent, inspiring young children like Dawit need access to education and technology in order to break the damaging cycle of poverty. Despite Dawit’s present challenges, Dawit remains optimistic about what’s possible if he continues his education.

“I have hope to have a new life,” he says.

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