Eyasu Mathews, one of the young shoe shiners we support, has come an extraordinary distance. Today, he is a qualified history teacher with a university degree in History and Heritage Management. He recently sent us a deeply personal letter that moved us all:
My name is Eyasu Mathews. I was born in 2000 in Dale Woreda, Sidama Region. I come from a large family with twelve siblings, as my father had two wives. Growing up, my family struggled to provide even our basic needs, let alone pay for our education. As a result, I had to leave school and stay at home.
I later moved to Hawassa in search of a better life. However, life there was much harder than I had imagined, and I stayed with someone from my rural community. With the help of one of our neighbours, I began working as a shoe shiner, hoping to earn enough to support myself and return to school. Although this demanding work allowed me to make a small income and attend evening classes, life remained extremely difficult.
In 2017, while I was in Grade 9, a life-changing opportunity came through the Steering Committee of the Center of Concern (CoC). I was selected to join the Shoe Shiner Scholarship Programme, which is financially supported by the Edget Baandnet Children Center Germany. After years of waiting and hoping, I finally received the support that enabled me to continue my education.
With this support as a bridge to a better future, I was able to continue my studies at Tabor Secondary and Preparatory School. Attending evening classes was challenging because of the limited teaching hours and restricted number of subjects offered each day, but I persevered. After four years of dedicated effort, I enrolled at Wolayta University in 2020.
The only support I received came from CoC through its partnership with the Edget Baandnet Children Center Germany. I am deeply grateful for the monthly financial assistance, the regular coaching and mentoring, the life skills training, and the guidance I received from the project and the caring staff of both CoC and Edget Baandnet Children Center Germany.
Despite immense challenges, my hard work and unwavering hope carried me forward. In 2024, I graduated from Wolayta University with a degree in History and Heritage Management. Today, I am a history teacher at Hagereselam Getema Secondary School in Hula Woreda. I sincerely thank CoC and Edget Baandnet Children Center Germany for the vital role they played in making my dream a reality.