From a Classroom in D.C. to a School in Debre Birhan

When Tigist left her teaching post in Washington to visit schools in the EDTF portfolio, she found something she didn't expect: improved classrooms, girl-friendly WASH facilities, and attendance that finally held.

Across the 2020–2026 portfolio, EDTF and partners enrolled 11,745 new students and improved learning environments for 5,084 children — including Gurmuu Development Association’s work in Oromia.

Teachers talked about desks arriving, shallow wells on campus, and MHM rooms that meant girls stayed in school. Diaspora gifts, pooled and directed by Ethiopians on the ground, had rebuilt the daily rhythm of learning.

Tigist returned to D.C. with a simple ask: keep showing up monthly. One gift at a time is how a classroom abroad becomes a school at home.