Yesterday, we welcomed the New Year 2019 – according to the Ethiopian calendar, of course. Today, we gathered together to celebrate the beginning of a new year with all our children. We started with what the children enjoy most – games, dancing and face painting. It was a colourful and joyful start to the day. Later, we welcomed a very special guest, the Bishop of Awassa, who joined us for the celebrations. There was also time to look back and remember the past year. We watched a video from this year’s camp and then took some time to look back at the past year of the Barkot Foundation. We talked about what happened during the last months and what we managed to accomplish together. One of the parts of the day was also a short talk about education – why learning is worth the effort and how much education can change in a person’s life. Our volunteers from Poland, Kamila and Dawid, also shared some of their own experiences with education. Of course, we could not miss the most anticipated part of the day – handing out the school supply kits we had prepared. This year, more than 200 children received their own school supplies. There were plenty of smiles and excitement. And since this was a celebration in Ethiopia, there was, of course, a traditional coffee ceremony as well. At the end of the day, we moved to the house for a festive meal and then continued the celebrations with more games and fun.

It was a wonderful way to begin a new year – surrounded by children, laughter and people who make these moments so special.