In January 2009, two Johns Hopkins students, Arthika Chandramohan and Heywan Tesfaye, joined Debo board members Ayalnesh Belete and Elizabeth Tilkian on their annual journey to Aftenet Village. During their stay in Aftenet, the two volunteers taught English to 7th and 8th grade students as well as help English teacher Minilu write a curriculum for Debo’s after school tutorial program.

A Volunteer's Journey
By Heywan Tesfaye

It started off as a simple idea. I would go back to Ethiopia, visit my family, and teach my schoolmate, Arthika, a bit more about my culture. I was told that if I came on this trip, I would also have the opportunity to travel to Aftenet School and maybe play an active role in the Debo project. So we bought our ticket and landed in Addis Ababa to begin our stay in Ethiopia. Early in the morning we all piled into the car to embark on our long journey out of Addis to a place of unpaved roads that change with the shifting rocks. When we finally arrived, we were greeted by a crowd of people eager to help us. They had prepared a place for us, sacrificing their own room, bed, and comfort to increase ours. There was not much in the room beyond a few mattresses on the floor and a rigged light that sometimes worked if you wiggled it right.

Heywan is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University, receiving her degree in Neuroscience with a minor in Spanish. Heywan will continue on to graduate school at Boston University School of Public Health

From the start, it was very evident that the school plays a major role in the Aftenet community. The first night there, Arthika and I got to talk with some of the students as we all put our heads together to answer the age old question- what do you want to be when you grow up? The next morning, we awoke to the sound of kids pouring into the school to begin their day. We were told that we were going to teach an English class on pronunciation. We were handed a book and were soon joined by the kids in the library. Not being too much older than some of the students, it was easy to relate. We nervously exchanged glances with them that said, “I’ll give it my best if you’ll give it yours”. Arthika and I put the students to the test. From reading aloud and fluency to definitions and comprehension, we covered it all and quickly saw that the children of Aftenet know their stuff.

Arthika is a current senior at Johns Hopkins University, studying Cellular and Molecular Biology. She intends to pursue a career in medicine

Inspired by the lesson and participation, Arthika and I devoted the rest of our time in Aftenet to devising a supplementary English booklet that would highlight the fundamentals and would work as a study aid. We spent most of the days sitting on the small wooden tables of the library, asking the librarian questions and trying to form a system that would work around the limited resources. We watched as students would come in to read on their school breaks, and even some ambitious students from neighboring communities that would walk long distances to use reference books in biology and chemistry. Knowing that finding students with such conviction is rare, we worked tirelessly during the day and by candlelight at night, to finish the booklet before we left.

Aftenet is a place of humility, populated by humble people with humble means, but a place of great potential. We were sad to leave a community filled with such hope. Arthika and I continue to perfect the supplementary information booklet. Filled with vivid memories from our time there, we’re driven to raise awareness of the Debo project. Not having much to donate as students, we use our university connections to speak to other student organizations because we are convinced that to invest in the Aftenet school is to truly invest in the future.