Berri Maida ― Post War
The current status of Berri Maida in Tigray ― Due to the genocidal war in Tigray, all our initiatives are halted for now. The building is destroyed, facilities are damaged and looted. But Berri Maida is not going to sit by crossing arms. It has vowed to confront the current, complex, and pressing challenges equal to the genocidal war in Tigray.
The Tigray Barri Maida was founded with bold initiatives of supporting Tigray government’s endeavors of facilitating access and quality of education to girls in Tigray. These days when the violence has drastically reduced opportunities to education and where especially girls made most vulnerable, the initiative is not going to be limited to only supporting the government. It is beyond that. The responsibility is immense. Let’s join hands and make sure girls are going back at school!
Studies have indicated that the damage of education sector in Tigray have reversed years of progress with more than 88% classrooms severely damaged and 95% of the instruments vandalized and destroyed. In this case, 90% more girls are likely to be out of secondary schools. Taking this fact into account, the role of Berri Maida and other initiatives are not going to be limited to only helping the governments endeavors. It must scale up to playing a lion’s share of the part.
It must scale up to bring many schools within easy reach of girls, providing condensed course for adult women. This is an added responsibility of Berri Maida, other groups and individual initiatives in parallel to the efforts being done by the government of Tigray. We need to start now. We don’t need to wait until the siege is broken. That is not our job!
Berri Maida, with the same name but with timely and scaled up undertakings, is found here in the United States of America.
Berri Maida (USA) Girls Hostel and Education Center is a non-profit corporation organized under the laws of District of Colombia.
The principal office of Berri Maida Girls Hostel and Education Center shall be in the District of Columbia and additional offices may be established by the Board of Directors.
The organization shall operate in Tigray, Ethiopia in collaboration with Berri Maida girls Hostel and Education Center in Tigray.
Objectives of the center ―
Encourage enrollment and support tuition and educational needs of girls with limited resources or access to educational centers.
Run educational programs related to sexual violence, aiming at improving access and reducing barriers to girls’ full participation
Build educational and boarding facilities aimed at improving access to girls’ education.
Run college prep programs and professional career enhancements to ensure girls realize their full academic and professional potential
Advocate for programs and policies aiming at improving equitable access and quality educational programs for girls.
Provide care and supporting environment for girls and young women survivors of conflict related sexual violence, war crimes, and war related trauma.
Provide psychosocial, healing programs and training and certification in healing and life coaching.
The genocidal war has mainly impacted girls at large. They are victims of injury, sexual violence, lack of proper nutrition, lack of medication, and disabilities. Consequently, they are emotionally affected, and are victims of a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression.
Together with education, Tigrian girls need psychological care and treatment. Healthy girls are the cornerstone of a healthy society!
Berri Maida success story is not only a success story of its founders. It was and is a cumulative effect of many committed stakeholders. The success of our new and bold initiatives is dependent up on joining hands of many new and former partners of the project. We, now, respectfully call all concerned partners to stand by the side of the efforts to solving the pressing challenges of the time, which Berri Maida is spearheading.
By standing on the side of our victims, let’s prove that we won’t kneel! Let’s reconstruct Tigray in a better and faster way!!