22 Knowledge Will Prevail

ዕውቀት ያሸንፋል

Addis-Abeba |

Ethiopia

Amharic

Behind the scenes

This text was born from a simple conviction: education is the foundation of everything. Teachers play an essential role in shaping the world of tomorrow. Their passion, patience, and ability to pass on knowledge allow children to grow with confidence, curiosity, and a sense of responsibility.
As I was writing this text, I imagined an old schoolteacher who continues, despite poverty and hardship, to believe that knowledge can transform lives.

I also wanted to introduce Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia. Its writing system, derived from the ancient Ge’ez script, is particularly fascinating: each symbol has a strong visual form and almost seems to tell a story.

In the face of today’s challenges, I remain convinced that the greatest strength lies in words, in learning, and in the minds we help awaken.

Echoes of the world

The text is written in Amharic, one of the main languages of Ethiopia. Around 30 million people speak it as their first language, and many more use it as a common language in a country where dozens of languages coexist.

Amharic is written using a distinctive script called fidäl, derived from the ancient Ge’ez alphabet. Unlike the Latin alphabet, each symbol represents a consonant combined with a vowel, giving the language an almost calligraphic appearance.

This writing system has been in use for more than 1,500 years and is one of the very few ancient African scripts still in use today.
The title of the text – ዕውቀት ያሸንፋል (ew-qet ya-shen-fal) – literally means “knowledge will prevail.”