SCOPSO Helps Students Shine

Tekalegn has become a "Monthly Star" with help from SCOPSO.

Tekalegn Haile dreamed of playing soccer with the other students at school. However, the 10 year old didn’t feel accepted by his peers because his family could not afford school uniforms, workbooks, and other classroom supplies.

“I rarely had the opportunity to play football [soccer] with the others,” Tekalegn said. “I could only touch the ball when it was kicked out of the playing field. Even just touching the ball and giving it back to the players was like winning the lottery to me!”

Tekalegn attends Ras Tesema primary school in Bedele, Ethiopia. An orphan who lives with his aunt, Tekalegn used to be a problem student with poor grades and frequent absences. He had to take on a lot of responsibility at home to help his family, which left little time to do homework, prepare for exams, or even attend class.

In April 2010 however, Tekalegn began participating int the School Community Partnerships Serving Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (SCOPSO) project at his school, funded by USAID and administered by World Learning. The larger SCOPSO project provides care and support to approximately 52,000 orphaned and vulnerable children at 400 primary schools throughout Ethiopia. Through the project Tekalegn received a uniform and school supplies, as well as a community support system and life skills training. Everyone at Ras Tesema soon began to notice improvements in his behavior and attitude at school.

“Now, not only does he have the uniform and school materials that he needs, but we are also getting closer and closer to Tekalegn,” Principal Ato Muluneh said.

After he had been part of SCOPSO for about four months, his grades had improved so much that he was named one of the school’s Urija-Ja, or “Monthly Stars.” The Monthly Star program is a tool used by SCOPSO schools to motivate children to bring up their grades. At the end of each month the names of the class’s high-achieving students are posted on the Monthly Star board.

“Frequent discussions about his problems with Tekalegn and his aunt have created the ladder for his success and now he has become an Urji-Jia, a Monthly Star,” Muluneh said.