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Changing Minds, Transforming Lives: Rebira's Story
In Asella, Ethiopia, Horizons Academy shines as a beacon of hope for families who experience disability. This school, through its inclusive education program, is creating a ripple effect of transformative change. For many parents, it opens the door to employment opportunities.
Before access to inclusive education, Rebira's father, Berhanu, had to work at night and raise his son during the day, an exhausting routine that left little time for anything else. Now, 12-year-old Rebira can go to school during the day, and his father can return to work as a teacher. Through disability support, Berhanu can get more rest and take better care of his family.
Because students like Rebira can attend school, his father also notes that now "most of the students are more aware about disabilities." This shift has made a big difference in the ways they feel supported by their community. Through education and inclusion in everyday life, people who once shunned Rebira's family now see them as a part of the community.
"It's very interesting. It's changing not only those in society, but the mentality of the parents also. We are proud to have such kind of children," says Berhanu.
Through your contributions to community partnerships, accessible education, and development, Rebira and his family can participate in everyday life, feeling safer, loved, and celebrated as people made in the image of God. Your partnership keeps this transformative work sustainable.