Each morning Gemechu wakes up in his hometown of Bekoji in Ethiopia. Gemechu’s mother makes a living by selling charcoal to passers-by and with each large bag that she sells, she earns 25 pence to help care for her family. The small makeshift construction that he calls home provides little cover from the elements but within these four walls he hopes and dreams that one day life could be very different.
At the end of a long day Gemechu and his family would lie down on a sack filled with grass to try to get a night's sleep. We want to do everything we can to help Gemechu and just a few weeks ago we purchased the materials needed to raise his family off the floor and into their first bed.
The simple gift of a bed has made a huge difference to Gemechu’s family. He now has somewhere comfortable to sit to do his homework and knows that he will be safe and warm enjoying an incredible night’s sleep.
After a good night’s sleep Gemechu wakes up refreshed to come to our school where he receives all the love, care and attention he needs to thrive. It’s clear to see how such a simple gift can make a lasting difference and this February Stand by Me want to provide many more children like Gemechu with their first bed. Through joining our February on the floor fundraising challenge or though donating towards a bed for a family currently sleeping on the floor, you’ll be helping kids like Gemechu wake up every day rested, refreshed and ready for a day of learning and fun.
At Stand by Me, we're doing everything we can to make a difference in their lives, providing them with daily food, healthcare and a life-changing education. Sometimes despite all their amazing progress and how well our kids are doing in their education, when we see the circumstances they return home to, we can still feel like we are just scratching the surface.
Many of our kids still return home after school to go to sleep on the hard, cold ground alongside their parents and siblings. Without a warm bed to snuggle into our kids wake up tired and unprepared for the day to come.
But a bed can change all that.
£140 can provide a cosy bed, comfortable mattress, soft pillow and warm blanket for a child and their family who are sleeping on the floor. A bed will not only benefit one of our kids but also their whole family.
Will you join us in bringing the gift of beds to our kids, helping them wake up every day rested, refreshed and ready for a day of learning and fun?