Education means the earth: scholarships for secondary education in Ethiopia 

Tragically, Simon Thirgood died when the building he was in collapsed during a storm. He was in setting up a project to build community capacity conserving and monitoring biodiversity. Simon was deeply committed in supporting African ecologists and conservation biologists to gain the experience and skills to make a mark and a difference in their own countries and internationally.

In Simon's memory, I want to try and make a difference from an earlier age. To date we have been involved in providing funds for desks and windows in the Rira Primary School, in the Harenna Forest, Bale Mountain National Park, Ethiopia. Now, through donations to the Born Free Foundation, we have a mechanism to provide bursaries to enable some children to attend the secondary school outside of the park, something they would not usually be able to do. Just £500 will keep a pupil in the secondary school for a whole year, including fees, board and lodgings, and uniform. This will provide individuals with the qualifications to pursue alternative livelihoods and reduce the pressure of settlement and degradation of the Harenna Forest, in particular. The wider benefits of this education has the potential to influence the well-being of their communities, and the sustainability of their natural environment for generations to come. Something Simon would have cherished.

Karen Laurenson

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