Ottawa (June 13, 2007) – Since its establishment in 1999, AHEAD has been moving fulfilling its mandate with resilience and determination. The last eight years have not been easy, but what we have done is worth every pain.

One of AHEAD’s source of pride is the Bursary Program for Medical Students at Addis Ababa, Gondar and Jimma Universities which started in 2000. Each year, AHEAD sponsors fellows from the three medical schools, who qualify for monthly stipend to help them meet some of their basic needs. The amount of the bursary provided to each student is minimal, however, since it is provided for three consecutive years, a student can count on AHEAD funds while on training.

This Bursary Program is administered by the Getachew Bolodia Foundation (GBF), a partner organization, based in Addis Ababa.  GBF is responsible for developing the selection criteria, identifying the fellows, administering the funds and reporting to AHEAD.  In return, AHEAD sends the funds required each year.

We invite you to visit the GBF website at: www.getachew.org/all_list.htm where you will see the current AHEAD fellows who come from different parts of Ethiopia. You will also be able to read the comments by some of the students.

While we recognize this is a modest contribution, we believe that, if other Ethiopians join hands, both the amount of the funds and the frequency of the stipend can be increased to make a difference in the lives of the students. For those of us who benefited from an education system paid for by the people of Ethiopia, it is nothing more than paying back a debt to our motherland.  Should you wish to pay back your debt, give a hand to a fellow Ethiopian.

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