We are sisters Mezi and Makda Mulugeta. The inspiration for this charity came when we last visited Ethiopia in 2011. Our parents always told us stories of their childhood in the countryside, but we never expected to see their past still happening. While resting comfortably in a van driving up a mountain to Axum, we looked out the windows and witnessed young students walking up the very same mountain, on foot. The students carried a burdening mixture of their lunch, books, and school supplies in their thin arms, all the while making the arduous climb up the mountainside with the sun beating their backs.

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Underprivileged students living far in the countryside walk 16 to 20 miles every morning and afternoon to reach the nearest school in more developed areas. Not only are houses far from each other, but schools are even farther, making the journey even more difficult. The image of the young kids facing down to avoid the heat of the sun as they walked up the mountainside never left us. This situation has gone on for too long. A backpack is a small way to help, but if we can do anything to change their lives for the better, Young Hopefuls will do it.