Q. Why is your first project a school?  

A. No other school in Ethiopia offers this level of educational excellence to Ethiopian nationals on this scale. Haile-Manas Academy is a model school and the first of its kind. No other school takes advantage of the residential setting to reinforce academic and social teaching. And no other school is committed to recruiting students from across the country, or aspires to educating Ethiopia’s brightest students without regard to financial need to the extent possible.

Q. Why the name Haile-Manas Academy?

A. The driving force behind the school is the partnership between Rebecca Haile and Jean Manas. We decided to use our names to model and reinforce the central HMA values of enterprising mindset and community-mindedness.  We hope the name underscores that this major project was initiated not by a large NGO or a government entity, but by an Ethiopian-American woman, working with other like-minded individuals, several of whom are immigrants, for the purpose of serving others and bringing about change.  We hope our choices resonate with students, faculty and others and inspire them to claim their own powerful agency.

Q. I’m in!  How can I make a donation?

A. Thank you! Every dollar matters, and we welcome both smaller donations and larger ones which come with building and other naming opportunities. We are particularly focused on recruiting to the Founders’ Circle, comprised of donors who commit $50,000 over five years. You can donate now or, if you prefer, checks may be made out to Ethiopia Education Initiatives and sent to 461 Fifth Avenue, 17th Floor, New York NY 10017.  EEI is a 501(c)(3) organization, with federal tax ID number (EIN) 81-5480515.  Your gift is fully tax-deductible. Please contact us at info@ethiopiaed.org for more information.

Q. Can I volunteer?

A. We love volunteers! To date, we have benefited enormously from pro bono legal services, architectural services and from the generous expertise of many education professionals. We have also had young people volunteer to run book drives and to obtain other goods we know we will need. With the school now open, we anticipate that we will have many more volunteer opportunities including service in country. Email us at info@ethiopiaed.org for more information.