Continuing to learn with success Meseret Molla, is currently a 14 year old grade 7 student in Wubterara primary school. She came from a former Tirtriat NFBE center. Speaking about her background Meseret said “I started school in Tirtiriat NFBE center. Our teachers were good and caring for us in Tirtriat. We always participated in class and were made to read and compete. When I finished grade 4 and moved to a new school, I had no fear. I was able to easily follow my education. I stood 6th out of 68 students in my new school”. Meseret’s testimony is indicative of how much the Project helped her to get her first basic education classes and also gave her a strong background both in her education and courage to continue successfully in her next school. Cluster supervisors and principals and teachers of the visited schools also stated that most first generation students have joined upper primary schools and have successfully continued their education. Such views were reported by the principals and teachers of Dammera, Bifola, and Mehal Bobicha primary schools in SNNPR. In addition to the testimony of the WEOs, school principals and teachers, the evaluation team, also traced first generation students held discussions with them and was able to verify from them that most of their friends who started school with them from grade one have continued their education. The team was able to talk to 44 (22 male and 22female) first generation students from ADAA, LIA-E and WCAT former project school who are in in different upper primary and secondary schools. All of them agreed that most first generation student who started school with them have continued their education successfully. It has however to be noted that even though in most project schools the first generation students have successfully continued their education, there are some exceptions in the case of LIA-E first generation students where there are children of Fuga-Community where the number of enrolled children sow a decline. The evaluation team learned that in the former Danmera NFBE Center which is now the Danmera Primary school initially enrolled 25 Fuga children. There are now only 9 Fuga students of which 8 are in grade 4 and one in grade five. All of them were supposed to be in grade four had they not repeated class. It is reported by the school principal that usually the girls are the ones that drop out. They get married and also engage in pottery (a traditional Fuga community economic activity due to lack of access to land) in spite of attempts to retain them in school. 33
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