Woman gives birth then sits exam half an hour later
‘My labour wasn’t difficult at all,’ says 21-year-old who took tests from hospital bed in Ethiopia
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A woman in Ethiopia has reportedly taken a series of exams from her hospital bed only 30 minutes after giving birth.
Almaz Derese, 21, who had been studying during her pregnancy, went into labour shortly before the exams were set to begin on Monday.
She decided she did not want to wait until next year for the annual secondary school exams, so took the tests only half an hour after her son was born, according to the BBC.
Ms Almaz sat the maths, English, Amharic while sitting up in bed in the Karl Metu hospital in western Ethiopia’s Oromia region.
The 21-year-old’s baby boy is said to be doing well, and she is expected to sit her remaining subjects at the local exam centre later this week.
Ms Almaz had originally hoped to undertake the exams in plenty time for the birth, but they had to be delayed because of Ramadan.
Her husband Tadese Tulu then persuaded the school to let her to take the tests from the hospital.
“Because I was rushing to sit the exam, my labour wasn’t difficult at all,” Ms Almaz told the BBC’s Oromo language service.
Some women in Ethiopia drop out of school as teenagers and only return later to finish their studies and take their exams.
The 21-year-old mother is now set to embark on a two-year course with the aim of going to university.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments