EREP

Mr. Dugassa Beyene is Director of Development and Social Service Commission for Western Wollega Bethel Synod. He administers the Ethiopian Rural Education Project with responsibility to assemble the development team, direct curriculum development, recruit and train teachers, and expand the facilities of the two model schools. He was a member of the 2005 and 2006 curriculum development teams that spent two months in India developing the curriculum cards for kindergarten and Grades 1 and 2. At that time he was on the faculty of Bethel Evangelical Secondary School (BESS) in Dembi Dollo where he taught mathematics. Mr. Dugassa later served as principal of Brahane Yesus Elementary School in Dembi Dollo. In 2009 he earned an M.Sc. Degree in Development Studies at Addis Ababa University.

The Reverend Worate Galache was one of the earliest advocates to establish the Ethiopian Rural Education Project schools. He, with Mr. Teferi Dina, visited the Rishi Valley Institute for Educational Research in India in 2000. Their report of that trip led EECMY to commit to establishing rural schools in Western Wollega Bethel Synod. Rev. Worate's leadership was essential in that development.

Mr. Teferi Dina served as Director of the Development and Social Services Commission (DASSC) for WWBS, 1994-2008. He is one of the key leaders who designed, planned, and implemented the Ethiopian Rural Educaation Project from inception to curriculum development, building construction, selection and training of teachers, and opening the schools for instruction. Mr. Teferi's prior experience includes Agricultural Expert for the Ministry of Agriculture (1985-1991) and part-time lecturer at Alemaya University of Agriculture (1991-1994). He earned the B.Sc. in Agriculture from Addis Ababa Univerisity, and the M.Sc. in Agriculture from Alemaya University. In 2008 he earned the Diploma in Development Leadership from Coady International Institute, St. Francis Xavier University, Canada.

The Reverend Teferi Barkessa was President of Western Wollega Bethel Synod in 2000 and played a key role in achieving approval from EECMY to undertake the Ethiopian Rural Education Project. Currently, Rev. Teferi is Coordinator of the Bethel Synods Coordination Office in Addis Ababa.

Mr. Mitiku Tuchoo was a member of the 2004 and 2006 curriculum development team that spent two months in India developing curriculum for kindergarten and Grades 1 and 2. At that time he was Director of Bethel Evangelical Secondary School (BESS), a WWBS institution in Dembi Dollo.

The EREP is an international project bridging cooperation of Western Wollega Bethel Synod (WWBS) in Ethiopia with the Rishi Valley Institute for Educational Research (RIVER) in India. The administrators and staff of RIVER have played a key role in the project from the beginning in 2000. The picture above shows the RIVER development team at Dembi Dollo in November 2007. From left to right, Rama Rao (Co-Director of RIVER), Krishna and Venu (both staff members at RIVER), Teferi Dina (Director of Development and Social Service Commission, WWBS), Renu (staff member at RIVER), Y.A.P. Rao (Co-Director of RIVER) and Anil (staff member at RIVER).

In February 2000, The Reverend Worate Golache (center) and Mr. Teferi Dina (right) represented Western Wollega Bethel Synod in assessing the feasibility of initiating the Ethiopian Rural Education Project. This picture shows them with Mr. Sailendran (left), Bursar of the Rishi Valley Institute for Educational Research (RIVER), as they visited the plant nursery on the Rishi Valley campus. Close collaboration with the staff at RIVER has been an important element of EREP's success.