BIC - Fundraising Heroes

The Baleares International School (BIC) is one of the heroes of Mediterranea, most notable for providing schooling for Mikias, a fourteen year old Ethiopian boy visiting Mallorca to receive medical treatment. He will shortly be returning to his family in good health but also with language skills which will provide employment opportunities for him in the future. BIC are keen for Mikias to continue his studies at home and donated the proceeds of their Spring Fair to Mediterranea.

On Saturday 28^th of May the sun shone down on the school. There were stalls overflowing with home baked cakes, delicious local and international food, stalls and competitions. The children and teachers showcased the school’s musical talent and there were dancing and juggling displays. Meantime a sponsored walk/run was taking place on the sports field. After three mad hours Mikias drew the raffle and it was all over with €3124.33 raised.

But that’s not all. On 6^th and 7^th June over 100 children from the Primary School performed the Wizard of Oz to a packed house at the Bendinat Auditorium. Proceeds from ticket sales were again donated to Mediterranea...more details to follow in an upcoming report.

A big thank you to Mrs Mitchell, the Principal, and all the staff, kids and parents.

New Workshop - Is Proving Very Popular

Hello followers of Mediterranea

There are already 75 children with very poor eyesight attending the afternoon play workshop that Debora and Virginia have recently set up.  Debora and Virginia are specialist teachers of the blind and Mediterranea volunteers who are supporting the Sebeta School for the blind.  The children are also discovering in this workshop the handicraft abilities of our volunteers.  


In Sebeta there are approximately 100 children, boarders living in very poor conditions.  In the summer they have nowhere to go, so they will remain at the school doing absolutely nothing.  It is our intention, and we are working on this, to contract a couple of monitors who will be able to continue with the work of the projects set up by Debora and Virginia.


Samsam is a girl who has a cataract in one eye and normal vision in the other who they are treating as blind and obliging to learn Braille.  Samsam was very happy when she learnt to write her name in ink and it took her less than an hour.  There children all have a big capacity for learning and are very enthusiastic to learn.  This play workshop is turning out to be a small paradise for them.


Thank you to all Mediterranea members for making this possible.

They are becoming Strong

 The month of July is approaching and with this the start of the new ‘bombones’ (babies) at Abugida.  As we have mentioned before half of these babies are already receiving food on a daily basis at the school because they were very much under weight.  In this way they will be much stronger when they start properly in July…we didn’t want to take any risks.

Here we have some photos of the babies, their mothers and grandmothers.  Also a photo of the twins Yabsega and Kalkidan, the youngest in the kindergarten, who have just turned one year old and who are pictured with their grandmother, their mother having died at birth.  The grandmother looks 20 years younger since the twins started with us a few weeks ago…which we are not at all surprised about. 

Decorating Biru Tesfa Preschool

This past weekend Debora and Virginia – the Mediterranea teachers who are working at the Sebeta school for the blind – visited the Biru Tesfa preschool in Akaki and while they were there painted murals in the corridor and entrance.

If you remember this is the school that was closed for many years due to its poor condition, having huge cracks in the walls and ceilings, subsidence in its foundations, virtually all windows smashed, no toilets or sanitation, no running water and no kitchen.  All of these things Mediterranea fixed this last January.

The school is now fully operational and has 198 children aged from 3 to 6 years old, and all coming from very poor families.  We have provided them all with bread, milk and many times eggs too since last September.  We have also taken charge of supplying uniforms, school materials and have contracted 3 permanent carers for the school.

Now, Biru Tesfa is even more attractive and appealing for the children, with these new murals painted by Debora and Virginia with the help of some parents and teachers of the school.