With the partnership established in 2012, Brackenbury Primary School and Beza Primary and Secondary School have now completed their second partnership visit.
“Thanks to the British Council Connecting Classrooms grant and the excellent support of Link Ethiopia, the partnership continues to develop – engaging both school communities in sharing experiences and working together on learning projects which address global issues. In February this year, three teachers from Brackenbury were fortunate to be able to visit Beza School. A reciprocal visit is being planned for later this year.”
“As the gates to Beza opened, we were greeted with flags, songs and welcoming smiles. It was good to be returning to the school which is now firmly our friend. The Link Ethiopia club members at Beza gave us a fantastic welcome and shared information on the traditions of Ethiopia, including a wonderful coffee ceremony. The Head and Link Coordinator at Beza organized an informative week of lesson observations and experience sharing with teachers. They also provided excellent opportunities for us to work together on our focus projects: playground games and gardening.”
“Throughout the week, our partnership was superbly supported by the Link Ethiopia staff in Bishoftu. We were able to share traditional games that our students at Brackenbury play at break times. We were delighted to see Beza students both enjoy the activities and also share them with their peers across the school. The Beza teachers were open and eager to learn and try the new games, incorporating them into PE sessions. We too learnt popular games played in Ethiopia to share with students upon our return to Brackenbury, including ‘Pepsi’, ‘Find the ball’ and ‘Arengwade, Arengwade’ (Green, Green). Of great delight was the focus on fair play and the inclusion of everyone in the games, along with the opportunity for English and Amharic language development for both schools!”
“Our second main project for our link this year is gardening – with a particular focus on sustainable living and global warming. The ‘Environmental and Sanitation Club’ at Beza were extremely confident and articulate in explaining their actions to grow seedlings (providing shade) and involving the community in raising awareness of global warming – extending projects beyond the school gates. From Brackenbury, we shared photographs and information on our work growing flowers, and also salads for simple cooking in class. Through sharing ideas, both schools will now take the strengths of each other’s work to improve their own.”
“The farewell ceremony was a wonderful display of Ethiopian hospitality; we were treated to performances of traditional dances and the opportunity to taste some of the less familiar traditional foods of the regions of Ethiopia. Gifts of messages, and love and friendship to both schools were exchanged. The partnership visit was an amazing experience and since our return to Brackenbury, we have been sharing information with the Brackenbury school community. As our partnership continues to go from strength to strength, we look forward to welcoming visitors from Beza in the near future.”
© 2026 Link Ethiopia
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