Students' contributions and savings reduce girls’ dropout

The Bambasi primary school was established in 1950 G.C with one block and four classrooms by the participation of the community. Since its inception, the school has produced many scholars, including medical doctors, engineers, and senior government officials. 

For the last few years, Bambasi Town Primary School has been challenged with the high school dropout rate among female students, particularly those families and students who cannot afford school supplies and clothing.

With the aim to keep the female students in the school, a female teacher called Mrs. Lelise Elias initiated school savings where all female students and some male volunteer students contribute at least 10 ETB (in the time exchange rate of 0.19 USD) on monthly bases and started to keep the money, in a joint bank account, which two students and one teacher manage.

The school director, Mr. Teferi Fufa explained that the saving account is created for three primary purposes. The first is to promote and familiarize students with the concept of saving, the second is to sustain the Menstrual Health and Hygiene program (MHH), which UNICEF supports, and finally, it is to support female students who are unable to purchase school materials and clothes and keep them in the learning process. 

Further, Mr. Teferi said, "in the old days, our female students were absent from school or dropped out of school for various socioeconomic reasons; Some students drop out of school because they cannot purchase exercise books, pens, and pencils. Some drop out due to a lack of school clothes and shoes." Continuing his explanation, Mr. Teferi said, "before we started this initiative, teachers in the school were assisting students from low-income families, individually. However, we realized that it was not a sustainable solution, and we were not effective as we desired 

Mr. Teferi, as stated above, further explained, "Mrs. Lelise Elias came up with her initiative; we all agreed on it and acted upon it. With our established support system, we now have full confidence that our students can continue their learning, regardless of the challenges our students face. We now have a total of 560 students, who are members, contributing every month, and the money is being deposited in the saving account. When students, who donate, join higher education, they are free to take their money, the remaining balance of their contribution. Since we started this initiative almost a year, we have saved 5,500 Birr and supported four students. One of the objectives of this initiative is to sustain the support we are getting from UNICEF, which is the distribution of Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH) supplies to female students. 

Mrs. Simegn Mulugeta who is teacher in the school since 2004 G.C. and is also a focal person for a gender club and Menstrual health and management (MHM) program in the school   also mentioned that “I' had seen a lot of difficulties faced by our female students. As the gender club and MHM program focal person, I am always close to them and listen to their problems. I then advise them and assure them that these problems are temporary and will pass, encouraged them to stay strong and keep learning. But I feel sad that I couldn't do anything for them. I'm really happy after we started this initiative and seeing their smile after receiving support."

Ms. Risala Hambisa a 16-year-old and grade seven student attending her school at Bambasi primary school. She is one of the students who benefited from this initiative. Ms. Risala said, “I am from low-income family and my parents are not able to buy clothes, shoes, school materials and other materials which are essential for girls. I always felt inferior from my friends because they come to school well-dressed and for me it’s not possible. It influenced on my learning process. For this reason, I was forced to drop out from the school. But now, I am back to school. Thanks to support system in my school, thanks to the school management and my friends that enabled me to attend my school and improve my performance. They bought for me clothes, shoes and school materials and I am also receiving sanitary pads, soaps and under wears from the school. Now I never worry about my clothes, shoes and school materials and am not absent from school”.

Risala explained “the saving account and the MHM program being implemented in this school has helped female students like me to focus on their education and to regularly attend the class by providing menstrual hygiene supply as well as purchasing school materials and clothes”.

The school is one of the seven targeted school in Benishangul Gumuz region on MHM program and UNICEF has been supporting the school technically and with MHH supply.