Brief History:  Wollega Adventist Academy (WAA) is operated by West Ethiopia Field of Seventh-Day Adventist Church.  Located in West Wollega, WAA is approximately 460 KM west of Addis Ababa, the nation's capital.  Established to train and equip young people and to meet the dire need of education in the vicinity, this institution is looked upon as a great source of knowledge and learning by members of the community and government.  WAA has been involved in this noble mission since its inception in 1968.  Today, graduates of the secondary school hold various responsibilities both as church leaders and civil servants.  A large number of graduates serve in non-governmental organizations and many are engaged in private enterprise.

Being the only secondary school in the whole district, WAA strives to meet the educational needs for a far-reaching area.

During communist rule (1974 - 1991), when most church institutions were closed, WAA served as a refuge to many young people who had nowhere to turn.  During that period, the school's land, tractors, combine and other equipment was confiscated by local government.  The operation of the school has been significantly challenged by this turn of events, which largely diminished the avenues by which WAA sustained itself financially.

With the change of government after the communists left, came a possibility that the institution's farm land could be given back to the school, provided that it operates a full-fledged secondary school with improved facilities.

Current Events:  We are going to build a new school at the existing school site.  The site is currently remote in that the road there is dirt, but the World Bank is currently funding a new paved road from Addis Ababa (the capitol of Ethiopia) thru Dongoro to the border with Sudan.

There is government provided power at the school (it just arrived this last year), but it is weak and somewhat unreliable. Also the government has a well on the school property that supplies the village of Dongoro, and surrounding area, plus the school with water.  This is definitely unreliable and is frequently not working.  One of the goals of the new school project is to either update and repair this well or install a new water system for the school.  Also under consideration is an optional generator or solar power for the school, but this secondary.  


The current school property is approximately about 40 acres.  This site will have grades 11 and 12 when complete and is currently open to grade 11 students.   There is a nearby affiliated school that teaches grades 9 and 10.  That site is also approximately 40 acres.  The goal is to acquire the separating property and make one large school property.   Once the school construction is complete they will be funded and maintained by the Adventist Church or another Adventist organization.  Construction of the original grade 11 and 12 site was funded and constructed by American missionaries.  The grade 9 and 10 site was constructed by Swedish missionaries. 

A large part of the new facilities construction will be funded by donations.  The goal, in addition to providing good quality water on a continuous basis, is to initially build a new school campus including school building with offices, faculty housing, cooking and eating facilities and associated infrastructure.  Future construction will include meeting halls, gymnasium, more dorm rooms and housing, athletic fields, and support facilities like gardens, barns for farm animals, and whatever else is needed to support themselves.  Work has already started to remodel two dorm buildings on the grade 11 and 12 site.  This work will hopefully be completed in May 2007.  

Work is underway on building plans and with construction, of the new parts of the project, to start in October 2007.

Please check back for the latest developments in our efforts to rebuild.