Before Girls Gotta Run, Yenealem didn’t have many friends to count on.
After joining the program, that all changed. Not only did she build relationships and develop social skills, she created deep and meaningful friendships.
“Now, I have many best friends,” she said.
The life skills programming helped her learn about to talk with her peers how to share love with friends and community.
Yenealem saw a physical transformation, too.
Athletic activity used to leave her winded and tired. Now she can run sprints, through practices, and around the schoolyard.
“Before, I was very tired when I did a minute of sports. Now I can run for a very long time,” she said.
And the athletic scholarship that Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia provides makes it possible for Yenealem to get a good education. Her favourite subjects are physics and chemistry.
Before Girls Gotta Run, Yenealem’s mom was trying to support many children and pay tuition for her school-age siblings. It was getting to be too much. But thanks to the scholarship, Yenealem can continue to get a good education. Her mom hopes it will lead her daughter to “a higher place” in her future.
“Before, I was very tired when I did a minute of sports. Now I can run for a very long time. - Yenealem”