Rani Solomon is an only child and is 8 years old. Rani lives in the Gesda Tesfa community in Dire Dawa Ethiopia. This village is a very poor village and many people are forced to beg for food and money as a means of survival.As a young child Rani witnessed her alcoholic father beat her mother. The domestic abuse continued until Rani’s mother left and moved into her parent’s house and began selling bread to make a living to support her and her daughter. When Rani turned 3 years old her mother died, since then she has lived with her grandparents who are 65 and 50 years old.
Rani and her grand parents outside their house
When she was 6, Rani registered in the nearby school but her grandparents could only afford to send her for 3 months as the only income they have is her grandfather’s pension which is not enough to support a whole family. Their living circumstances forced Rani to drop out of school and to work to help support the family. Rani helps her grandmother clean houses, fetches water for the family and other household chores.
In August 2011 Rani was selected to benefit from the Youth Release Program, located in the Gesde Tesfa area. The project provides psycho social and education support to marginalized and vulnerable children. Through this program Rani is able to attend school and is benefiting from other services being offered by the program such as tutorial support and educational support. Rani's Grandparents feel that the project is benefiting Rani in many ways; she is receiving educational support, school uniform, free health care services, tutorial class and, psychosocial counseling. These services are beyond the reach for this family.According to Rani's Grandmother ' if the project was not providing educational support for Rani, she would stay out of school for another year, if not longer'
If you would like to learn more about Together in Hope's work in Ethiopia please see http://togetherinhope.org/our-programs/ethiopia
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