This school began
with private lessons given to the children of the pioneers in Shashamane by
Karl Hamilton and Bro. Donald Leach [Bro. Flippins] in their home during the
1970’s. Bro Karl Hamilton taught
basic English, Math
and Bible studies. This supplementary education continued at
this level until 1997 when Bro. 'Teach' Albert Allen arrived with
assistance and plans to establish an official school. He started this operation in a zinc shed on the
premises of the The Twelve Tribes of Israel headquarters in Shashamane.
The school soon
outgrew the limited facilities there and was transferred to a building
renovated through the initiative of Teach Allen . There an Ethiopian
Amharic teacher was added to the staff and with Sister Janet McLaughlin from
London, England and Brother Joseph Leach born on the land to pioneer
parents, coordinated a school program with Chemistry, Physics, Geography,
Math and Biology.
With the support
of the Shashamane Foundation, Inc. U.S.A. and other concerned individuals, a
new building was added and the school rapidly grew to over 150 children and
eight teachers by 2002. The school was soon incorporated under the Jamaican
Rastafarian Development Community, as the first phase of its larger
Shashamane Community Education Skills Training and Recreation Center
project in 2003. A
Board of Directors was created for this school consisting of all members of
the Rastafarian community in Shashamane including: The Nyahbinghi
Order, Bobo Shanti, Ethiopia World Federation (EWF),
and Twelve Tribes of Israel (TTI) and other individual Rastafarians. The school has been appraised
and certified by the Education Ministry of the Federal Democratic Government
of Ethiopia as an indigenous NGO project.
Phases completed include an 11 classroom building, a kitchen and cafeteria to
feed the children nutritious meals;
a new sanitary facility (donated by the Bob Marley Foundation and Rita
Marley Foundation), and renovation and expansion of the Kindergarten
facility. Other facilities needed are a staff room, science and computer
lab. There is also technical training project with all tools available but
operational funds has not yet been secured. This proposed project is for woodwork and carpentry
to train 20 youth, male and female over a six month prison. This
training expense estimated to cost $10,000 US.
The operational
budget of the school project is approximately $32,400 US dollars annually. The
school receives no government funding and relies totally on public support
to finance its budget. Contributors are the Shashamane Foundation, Inc. USA,
the Sponsor the Education of Children Program, the TTI Houses in the USA, Manchester England, and Germany,
NURO (a German NGO), the Rastafarian community in
Connecticut USA , 12 Star Activity, Ghetto youth Foundation, Bob Marley
Music, Motherland Promotions of the 12 Tribes of Israel, Motherland
International Relations, Le-Reunion, King of Kings Foundation, Ras Inc, P&M
Promotions and last but not least members of the international Rastafarian
community and the wider community of persons of goodwill. The Bob
Marley Foundation Inc. and the Rita Marley Foundation Inc. has donated funds
which built a modern restroom facility. Bob Marley Music Inc has sponsored 21 students. These efforts are being boosted
through our sponsor the Education of Children program of eighty dollars ($80) per year for
each child. We are asking individuals and humanitarian groups and supporters of
Ethiopia / Africa to please sponsor the education of a child, or
groups of children, as this is a major source to meet the schools annual
budget. The school premises also serve other community needs.
Future
improvement plans apart from completing the facilities for this school
include fencing the property, leveling the playfields and acquiring more
land for expansion for a Grade 9 and 10 facility and Technical Training
and Recreational Facility. The youths born there to the settlers are
threatened with social problems that result from the lack of
educational, recreational, and income generating activities. The task here mentioned is
in keeping with His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie 1 vision for this
portion of land given to his people in the Diaspora. This is not a
tremendous task for the many who identify with the red, gold, and green and
the great cause of building a nation under God in Ethiopia.
The Shashamane
Settlement Community Development Foundation, Inc. USA has clearly
demonstrated how effective such Diaspora organizations can be in promoting
infrastructural community development, even with very limited resources and
a reservoir of goodwill. The concept of Repatriation or resettlement
advocated by our fathers and elders for centuries has to be moved to the
stage of practical planning and implementation. We will have to do for self
first before anyone will do for us. The budget outlined is a very simple, not
an extravagant one. Through fundraising events, such as dinners, African
fashion shows, dances, volunteer personnel, making facilities available at no
charge to its Foundation, and travels to
Ethiopia to conduct workshops by a handful of people, this though little
(given the magnitude of the task) has been accomplished through the mercies
of the Most High. All praises be to HIM!
We are hoping
that those experienced in grant writing and knowledgeable of sources of
grants will step forward and help us carry this effort to a higher level. We
are also encouraging qualified personnel to pay voluntary working visits to
Shashamane Ethiopia, through contacting us at our Foundation. Thanks again
and forever to the Most High.
