History

JRDC Executives with
Mayor of Shashamane 2006

JRDC and EWF with President
of the Oromia State (in center)
2006

Shashamane Foundation
Fundraising Committee

Edwin Allen in zinc shed
where the school started 
1999

Second site of school
housed in (mud) hut
2001

Building on new premises

First modern classroom
built with assistance from the
Shashamane Foundation


Teachers Carl & Janet
with students; new buildings
in the background
 

New eleven classroom building

New eleven classroom building
mural of H.I.M. Haile Selassie I  

New Constructed
Elementary school building

New office under construction
 

Shashemene (Sha-sha-mane)

Shashemene (pronounced Sha-sha-mane) is a town in the Southern Region of Federal Democratic Republic Ethiopia in Oromiya State, roughly 150 miles from the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. Located in the Rift Valley at an altitude of 2000 feet, it is famous for its fertile land and lies on both sides of the Kings Highway, which leads to Nairobi, Kenya. Shashamane, originally established as a garrison town, dates back to the beginning of the 19th century. The name is derived from a famous Oromo lady, named ‘Shashe’ who operated a famous rest area/shop ‘mene’in the Orominya language.

This small village near the district town of Malkoda, gained international attention in the African Diaspora when 500 acres of its fertile land was granted as a gift to the Black people of the West in 1948-52, by His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I, the reigning Ethiopian Emperor for their massive support to Ethiopia during the Italian occupation of 1935-1941.

Ethiopia had been the only African country that was never colonized and a symbol of African dignity, freedom and independence. The Italian invasion in 1935 sparked demonstrations and Pan-African fervor among African descendants throughout the Diaspora. Massive support was solicited on Ethiopia’s behalf to secure the independence of this torch bearer of freedom and dignity.

In appreciation of the efforts of the African Diaspora to preserve Ethiopia’s  freedom and sovereignty, Emperor Haile Selassie 1st, though the Ethiopian World Federation Inc., granted This gift of land, promulgated in 1948, known as the Shashamane Malkoda Land Grant, given exactly 7 years after the liberation of Ethiopia and his return from exile in 1941.

Early settlers

Between 1952 and 1974 approximately 22 families from Jamaica migrated to Shashamane to take up the offer of the land grant. Subsequently, descendants of Africans, mainly from the Caribbean and from the U.S. and the U.K have been arriving. In 1975 the Derge Communist government nationalized all lands in Ethiopia including the land grant. A small portion was later returned to the early settlers which has since grown to become one of the largest African—Caribbean community in Africa today. .

The JRDC

In order to represent the interests of the community to the Ethiopian Authorities, the Jamaican Rastafarian Community was inaugurated on the 15th of December,1992 with democratically elected representatives. This has since evolved into a nonprofit community organization, registered with the Ethiopian government as the Jamaican Rastafarian Development Community (JRDC), with Non-Governmental Organizational (NGO) status. They have proposed, with the assistance of their overseas partners to assist in the development of the infrastructure of the community and to participate in the welfare of the population of the region as a whole.

 

JRDC Kindergarten and Elementary School

The current school grew out of the efforts of early settlers concerned for the education of their children in a non—English speaking environment. In 1970 Bro. Karl (Hamilton) and later Bro. Flippins (Donald Leach)  offered the basic of education in their homes until 1997.A few years later, this effort was expanded with the initiative of  Albert Allen  in a zinc shed at the headquarters of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. This was later transferred to the current site on land donated by a community member with ‘Teach’ Allen as director, assisted by Janet McLaughlin,  Karl Hamilton and Yoseph Leach.

The Shashamane Settlement Community Development Foundation Inc USA (The Shashamane Foundation) and other persons of goodwill recognized the efforts of these individuals and organized financial support for the school. The Jamaican Rastafarian Development Community (JRDC) and the school’s founders registered the school as a community NGO project and as the first phase of its Shashemane Education, Skills Training and Recreation Center Community Project. Since then the school has grown into a modern 12 classroom building with Kindergarten and Elementary sections as well as Computer and Art  room.

With a student population of roughly 400 mostly native Ethiopians, a staff of 29 and an annual operational budget of US $35,000.00, the school receives no government funding  whatsoever. It relies totally on private financial contributions for the funding of the budget. To date the JRDC Elementary and Kindergarten school has educated over 2000 children

The Education of Children Sponsorship Program
(click on sponsorship icon) is one means  by which we request supporters to sponsor the education of children at the JRDC Elementary School . The sponsorship is US $80 for a year.  The funds we receive enable us to pay for the monthly operational requirements of the school such as teachers salaries.