Renovation of the BCI Academy is well underway, with improvements to the current school as well as an addition in the works. The teachers have been trained, new desks have been built, and plans are in progress for the new addition.
Teacher Training Session at the BCI Academy
When our BCI President traveled to Ethiopia in November, he was able to see the wonderful progress first-hand as well as the excitement of the students and staff, who are enthusiastic about the upgrades and energy at the school. While in Ethiopia, he identified a few additional needs at the school.
The BCI Academy is growing in popularity due to the strong reputation for providing excellence in education. Enrollment is now approaching 500 students! This is a wonderful blessing, as we can now impact even more lives. The expansion does come with some growing pains – we have outgrown the stove in the cafeteria as well as our school bus.
Our staff in Ethiopia are creative and are accustom to making the best of any situation. When they find themselves in situations that we would consider unacceptable, they do not complain – they make do. As you can see from the photo below, our cook is cheerfully preparing school lunch, despite the fact that the pots don’t even fit on the stove. The cost of a new stove to meet the needs of the growing student body is $2,200 USD.
Cook Prepares Lunch at the BCI Academy
When we outgrew our school bus, we had to begin renting a larger bus. The rental fees are high and this is is not a sustainable solution, so our BCI President and Ethiopian Program Director went shopping for a larger bus. They were thrilled to discover an American-style school bus, a rare find in Ethiopia. This is exactly the solution that we need. Our Program Director put in a low-ball offer at the auction and was shocked to win the bid for the school bus. The only problem is that we need to make a payment of $4,500 USD to secure the bus.
Overcrowded BCI Academy School Bus
New American-Style School Bus
We consider our growing student population to be an excellent kind of problem!
Please pray that we will be able to meet these needs so that we can effectively serve our children at the BCI Academy.
If you would like to partner with us to meet these needs, you may contact us at the office at (888) 269-2719 or make a one-time gift online: http://blessingthechildren.org/Donate/index.html
Blessing the Children International 