Team with new shoes: L to R, Askwal, Amsal, Meseret, and Worke
Team with new shoes: L to R, Askwal, Amsal, Meseret,
and Worke
I was born in 1991 in a rural region of Ethiopia. My father was a farmer and he was the one who supported the whole family, as we were engaged in subsistence agriculture. But then my father got ill and died with in 3 months. And our life became harder than ever.
The only choice to stay alive was to migrate to Addis Ababa. So I left my mother and came to Addis Ababa. In the city, I worked as a housemaid, waitress and laborer. Currently I'm working as a waitress in a café so that I can cover some of my costs for basic necessities.
As you know, to achieve a good result and be a real athlete, I need to dedicate my time and energy for the training. But I have to work since everything is expensive in Ethiopia because of inflation. And at some point I was forced to stop training. I hope you understand how much I'm suffering to stay alive and pursue my training. I'll be glad and thankful for those who'll be helpful in any thing that would make my life easier and hel me continue my training.
My name is Worke Motuma. I was born in Metta-Robbi woreda, West Shoa zone in a little town called Shino in June 21,1983 (Ethiopian calendar). When I was 6 years-old, my parents sent me to the governmental school and I learned grade 1 and 2. In the meantime the death of my mother lead our family to face a big problem. Poverty surrounded us and made our life difficult. Even if my father is a farmer, he was so poor he could not cover all family expenses which are necessary for us to survive. So he sent me with someone he knew to Addis Ababa. I continued to live with this man, helping him in kitchen work and learning.
The tragic part of my life started here. I was 10 years old then. After some time the man who seemed good started showing who he really was. He completely turned into a beast. One day this man tried to seduce me. So I screamed and got away just in time. After that I started working as a maid in lots of other homes. Now I live with an old lady doing her in household chores. I also learn at a public high school and do my training in my spare time.
I have a dream to be a great runner for my mother land. But most of the time it's hard for me to get enough food, which is a balanced diet to replace what I lose after a hard training. I have no running shoes and sport materials. Though there are many obstacles in my way, I have a great hope and endurance to fulfill my dream.
So please help me.
My name is Askwal Haile and I'm 17 years old. I was born in a small town called Hawzen, which is found in the northern part of Ethiopia. In 1982 E.C, I had to leave my parents and come to Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, because my parents couldn't afford to send me to school there. I have been living with my aunt since then.
I go to a public school in Addis Ababa and I'm in grade seven. I am also an athlete and work out for short distance racing in my spare time. Even though I live with my aunt, life has not been that easy. Every day I have to attend to all the household chores that await me after school. If I am lucky and finish in time for training, I have to walk for an hour or so to get to the training site. I sometimes find it so hard to get on with my exercise for I'm dead tired by the time I get there. The only thing that has kept me going so far is the moral support I get from friends and neighbors.
But thanks to God I'm doing well both at my academic performance and athletics. I hope things will get better for me so that I can make my dream of being a great athlete a reality.
My name is Amsal Tsegaye. I'm 15 years old. I was born in a town called Gondar in Ethiopia. Here is my story.
My father's name is Tsegaye and my mother's name is Mekuria. We were a big family, mainly dependent on farming. It was a hard work, and the income was not enough to support the whole family. Farming in Ethiopia depends on seasons and rainfall. This makes it difficult to harvest the expected amount of crops or cereals.
In addition my parents did not have the proper awareness or income to send me to school. My parents got separated when I was a little girl .Due to this, I came to Addis Ababa with my uncle. Unfortunately my uncle died and I started working as a laborer and a maid in residences. At first I thought I would be able to make enough money to support my family and me. But things turned differently. My daily life became hard and painful. Then I became determined to change my life once and for all. I joined the athletics world to pursue the dream of becoming a well-known athlete. For two consecutive years I worked as a waitress and trained day and night.
Life in Ethiopia has got expensive lately, which makes it even impossible to survive. I might have to work hard, but one thing I know for sure is that nothing will stop me from pursuing my dream of becoming a good athlete. With hard work and the help of God, I know I'll meet my goals and change my life for good.
Finally, I would like to thank you for all your support and encouragement that keeps me going.
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New coach Berhanu
The team writing letters
Menna (chief of staff of Tesfa Foundation in Ethiopia), Meseret Defar (international running
champion), Meseret Birhanu (Team Tesfa)
The team in June 2008
Trying on new shoes
Team Tesfa is organized by Dana Roskey, Executive Director of The Tesfa Foundation.
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