Kune Zuva, with the help of the Marthe van Rijswijck Foundation, supports three girls: Haymanott, Sentayeh and Waihentu. They are from the Hamar tribe in Ethiopia. They are also “Mingi”, the name for children who got the teeth in their upper jaw before the teeth in the lower jaw. The Hamar people believe that this brings bad luck and therefore they believe that these children have to be killed. Many of these children are killed by their families or communities in horrible ways. Fortunately some mothers decide to leave their children with other tribes hoping that they will take in their babies. The scholarship the three girls received gives them the opportunity to attend secondary school in Arba Minch, an 8-hour drive from their village. In Arba Minch the girls share a house. By giving these girls the possibility to attend high school the chances that they can get a job or continue studying increases significantly. This way they will be able to take care of themselves and inspire other Mingi children.
Haymanott en Sentayeh started their first school year in 2004. Waithentu first had to finish some exams before she could start but in January 2005 she started as well. By now extra funds have been donated to make it possible for a fourth student, Belhalwa, to attend school.
Tags: Kune-Zuva