Down on the Corner

This is soapbox derby, out in the street, Ethiopian style.  “Willie and the poor boys are playing”, having fun without even needing an electronic gadget.  School age children must buy uniforms in order to attend government school which is free.  However, in Ethiopian education, a child gets exactly the quality his parents can afford to pay for.  Private schools are out of reach for most.  This photo was snapped during school hours.  No uniforms mean these boys were not in school.  Parents sometimes cannot even afford the small initial expense of uniforms allowing their children to go to government schools.  Lack of education will condemn these young guys to the recycled hardships of poverty as adults with only the memories of the fun times of youth.  This is why LSM is active in children’s lives helping with school fees,uniforms and educational expenses.  Practical hope and spiritual hope sometimes ride in the same wheelbarrow.