First of Many

There are not as many places in the world where you get to help people and at the same time make friends. However, luckily for us Interact Club has created that network. It was with great pleasure and honour that we took up the challenges and responsibilities of being the next leaders of the Interact Club of Kidane Meheret School (ICKMS). From the beginning, our club has been involved in helping different charity organizations based in our country, Ethiopia. This particular year we decided to help one of those organizations called “Muday.”

This organization was founded 16 years ago and used to go by the name of Fresh and Green Academy, founded by Muday Mitiku, who used to teach children in the neighbourhood. Due to accepting children from families who could not afford to pay tuition, she came across a lot of criticism from those who could. Therefore, she was forced to change the school into a charity organization in a heartbeat without even thinking about the income she was going to lose from the school. Muday now supports 740 vulnerable single moms and children. The organization pays for the rent of housing, food, and educational materials for the children. They also engage women in handcrafts and create a platform for them to sell their work but this is not enough to live by anymore, because the effects of the pandemic, was mainly causing their donation supplies, which include food, clothing, and money, to get cut off.

The idea of helping this organization was brought up in the first presidential meeting between Ruth Zeru, President of the Interact Club of Science Shared Campus (ICSSC), and Nebiyou Abiyot, President of the Interact Club of Kidane Meheret School (ICKMS). After contacting representatives from Muday, we were quick to learn that they were in shortage of food supply. So we set out a plan to collect money and make a food donation. To help in the promotion of our project, we made posters, put out our project through social media, and set up a bank account. We also used our school’s registration date as a fundraiser day by putting out donation boxes around the school and explaining to parents what the purpose of it was. By doing this we were able to raise 9,000 ETB in total.

On October 8, 2020, BOD from both Interact Clubs, ICSSC and ICKMS, came together to buy the supplies and donate what is a fraction of their need.

We were able to donate:

25 kilos of macaroni and rice
50 kilos of flour
3 boxes of cooking oil
3 boxes of pasta

After the project, we were left overwhelmed in happiness and wanting to do more. We will continue engaging in different community service projects throughout the year. This is just the beginning of many more to come.

By The Interact Club of Kidane Meheret School in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Jejo Mapacha (I-Feature Reporter)

Joaquim Jejo Mapacha is a budding writer, content creator, freelance photographer,and an immediate alumni of the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication(KIMC) where he graduated in Radio & TV Programs Production and Broadcasting. He also worked at the Institute’s Radio Station called ECN Radio 99.9 FM as a presenter,producer and social media manager. He is was named as Global Goodwill ambassador(GGA), Kenya on march, 2019 for his continued charity ventures . He is also a lover of nature with an outgoing personality and values establishing new connections and acquaintances. He is also the Immediate Past President and current PR Director, Past Vice President and Club Service Director of The Rotaract Club of Ngong Hills which is a non-governmental organization. Jejo interned at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation(KBC), a government media parastatal as a producer of programs specifically the Hot Breakfast Show on KBC English Service on 95.6 FM frequency in Nairobi, Kenya from January to March 2019 . The show entails news, interviews and social media interactions. He finished with formidable recommendation from his supervisor. He is a vibrant young person who is ready to take on challenges,acts, models, does photography,script writing, marketing and entertaining. He has worked with companies such as KENIC, Carewatch Telematics and PEC House as a marketing executive. He has a solid experience in events and photography. He is also an I Feature Reporter for The Timeline Magazine.