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Helping to transform the lives of Streetkids in Ethiopia

28/10/2026

💚 It's another Wednesday-Uniform day in Shashemene! 💚

Our new Wednesday uniforms have officially become part of the routine at Hope365 Academy, and our children are loving them!

Traditionally, students wear their own clothes on Wednesdays in Shashemene as they use the day to wash them, but our staff had noticed that many of our pupils didn't have alternative clothing to wear instead of their uniform. Some children even stayed home out of embarrassment from not having something else to wear.

Thanks to various uniform shops here in Northern Ireland, all of our kids now have something to wear on Wednesdays! Blazers, jumpers, shirts, skirts and trousers donated from all across Northern Ireland are now getting plenty of use every Wednesday.

Our team in Ethiopia have told us just how much of a difference they’re making. The children are coming to school looking smart and feeling confident! You can tell by each of our student's faces in these photos what a difference these clothes are making.

It’s a great reminder that something we might see as a leftover or unwanted item can be incredibly valuable to someone else. Thank you to all the uniform shops, schools, teams and volunteers who have helped get these uniforms from Northern Ireland to Shashemene. 💚

21/10/2026

💚 Non-uniform Wednesdays💚

At Hope365 Academy, and across Shashemene, Wednesdays are traditionally a non-uniform day. This gives children the chance to wash their school uniform and come back fresh on Thursday.

However, our staff had noticed that this wasn’t working for all of our students. Some of our children were coming to school in old, worn or damaged clothes on Wednesdays and some felt embarrassed about what they were wearing. They also discovered that some kids were staying home on Wednesdays simply because they didn’t have anything else to wear.

Thanks to various uniform shops across Northern Ireland, who have generously given us uniforms they are unable to sell for various reasons, we have been able to put together a proper Wednesday uniform for our children.

Last year, Michael took out trousers and skirts, which we distributed to the children. When Laura and the Ballyclare High Team visited more recently, they brought blazers, jumpers and shirts for the children too. We were then able to bring everything together and create a complete Wednesday outfit for all our pupils, and the difference has been incredible!

The children are now wearing their jumpers, blazers, trousers and skirts every Wednesday, and they look SO smart and so confident. Our staff told us that people around the school and even in the town have been asking "Who are these children?!" because they look so smart!

But behind these uniforms is something much more important. Our children can now come to school on Wednesdays without feeling embarrassed about their clothes. They feel included, confident and proud to be part of their school community.

A huge thank you to everyone who has collected, sorted, packed and organised these uniforms, and to the uniform shops across Northern Ireland who have donated them.

What might seem like a simple bag of unwanted uniforms here can mean confidence, dignity and a sense of belonging to a child in Ethiopia.

Thank you for helping us make that difference💚

19/10/2026

We are delighted to share that over the summer we have gained a school nurse at Hope365 Academy!

Nurse Eleni spent last week conducting HIV tests for all of our students. This will allow us to provide specialist care and medication to those children who have the disease, significantly increasing their quality of life 💚

If you would like to help support our children's healthcare, you can make a donation through our website 👉
https://hope365.charitywize.com/12294/donations/

15/10/2026

Our students receive breakfast and lunch every day in our School thanks to our Nourish to Flourish supporters 💚 This week we served injera and lentil stew, a traditional Ethiopian dish which our kids absolutely loved!

It costs just £10 a month to feed a child their breakfast and lunch, and for many of our kids, this will be the only food they receive all day. If you would like to become a Nourish to Flourish supporter, check out our website below 👇

https://hope365.charitywize.com/12294/donations/

14/10/2026

We were delighted to visit Ballynure Primary School this week for assembly and share about the work of Hope365!

As a school they are supporting 2 of our amazing kids through sponsorship. We are so thankful for their support and the difference it will make in the lives of Deborah and Bereket 💚

10/10/2026

Last week our families were invited to Hope365 Academy to start the new term and each pupil received one of the new SchoolBags funded by School in a Bag🎒💚

The impact of this generous gift is not only felt by our students and the staff teaching them, but makes such a difference for families who are struggling to provide these essential materials.

Our Country Director Brook shared, "I honestly can't tell you how much joy and excitement there was on the faces of the children and their families! They are so, so happy and incredibly thankful".

08/10/2026

This year School in a Bag kindly provided all our kids with much needed educational resources to help every child make the most of their education! 🎒

Their school bags include notebooks, pens, pencils, maths sets and a ruler. It's been great to see these resources being used in class, and to see the sense of pride each child feels having their own belongings to bring to school each day.

Check out the photos to see what's included in each bag!

06/10/2026

🎒We are so thankful for our new partnership with School in a Bag 🎒

School in a Bag have generously provided new SchoolBags and educational resources for all of the children that we care for. There was great delight from the students at Hope365 Academy as they started the term with brand new bags, educational resources, hygiene packs and water bottles to prepare them for the year ahead.

02/10/2026

Meet Habtamu! 💚

Rescued from the Streets of Shashemene in July 2026, Habtamu is currently being looked after in the Hope365 Assessment Centre. Here he receives food, clothing, love, care and psychological support to help him deal with the traumas he has encountered.

Our dedicated and specially trained staff will now try to trace Habtamu's family with the hopes of reuniting him (if it is safe and appropriate to do so).

Please pray for our staff as we care for Habtamu and begin this process with him 💚

Address

73/75 Main Street
Ballyclare
BT399AA

Telephone

+442893038792

Website

https://www.hope365.co.uk/donate/

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