Erin & I spent two days at The School of St. Yared’s Farensay campus. St. Yared is a private school run by Hope for Children whose funding is provided by Australian sponsors. In addition to free tuition, the students receive two uniforms, all their textbooks and three meals a day.
We ran healthy living sessions with Grades 2 and 3, providing the students with hygiene packs kindly assembled by our co-director Katie. Each hygiene pack contained a toothbrush, tube of toothpaste, bar of soap and a sponge. We rotated the students through practising brushing their teeth, washing their bodies and hand washing with alcohol rub. To further demonstrate hand washing, the students were given moisturiser and glitter. Once the glitter completely covered their hands, we knew they had rubbed them thoroughly. The exercise worked a little too well; at recess, we encountered so many students with glitter in their hair and on their face!
We also delivered a basic introduction to mental health for Grades 3 and 4, discussing what makes a healthy friendship, and an introduction to puberty for Grade 4. Lunchtimes were spent playing with the kids and dancing to Amharic music. At the end of our stay at Farensay, we donated four packs of alcohol wipes to the school’s Health Officer, kindly provided by MIPS.
