From the first second Yonas Tadess enters the gates of Adonay Primary School located in Addis Ababa, it is evident that he is the big man on campus. Kids come from every corner of the field to give him a huge hug and kiss on the cheek. For Yonas, a physically disabled Right To Play coach and coach trainer, it is evident that the stigma that is usually applied to people living with disabilities in Ethiopian society does not apply to him.
It has not always been this way for Yonas as growing up he faced social scrutiny and humiliation from peers and family alike. Due to his polio, Yonas is bound to walk with crutches for the rest of his life. When he became a Right To Play (RTP) coach, it took some time for parents and kids to warm up to the idea of having a physically disabled coach. At first, Yonas explained that the kids asked, "how can he coach us if he can't play?"
After seeing the activities take place on the field and the behavioral changes at home, parents soon realized that Yonas was very capable of leading RTP activities and that he was an effective leader. The students love learning different Right To Play games from him, which are more engaging and exciting than the simple ball games that they used to play with their school teacher.
When community members bump into Yonas on the street, he says that "I get respect, they come and shake my hand. 
They tell me the games and coaching has changed their children's behavior."
At Adonay Primary School, the effects of Yonas' coaching and Right To Play programming are evident. There are three main changes that Yonas observes: first, the changes in attitude and increased respect towards playing amongst disabled children. Secondly, he notices increased sanitation and hygiene amongst the children. Lastly, he notices the behavioral changes in the students, "they gain discipline and self-confidence in the program."
Adonay Primary School is one of the poorest schools in the area. Children who attend this school come from extremely lowest income families. The tuition is 70 birr per month (the equivalent of approximately $5 USD), where as other schools in the neighborhood range from 200-300 birr per month.
Although the children come from low-income families, they are unique from many other students, as they do not ask visitors for money. In many schools, children beg foreigners for money when they visit. At Adonay this is never asked.
Children respect visitors and never beg or insist on getting birr from them. Yonas believes that the children he coaches do not beg for money because he encourages them that "they can do whatever they want in their life." They have no need to take someone else's money as one day they will earn their own.
Yonas is very vocal about this to his students as he knows the effects that self confidence can have on one's life. As a first hand example, he sees the effect that it has had on his own life. One of Yonas' proudest moments come from when he changed the life of an 18-year-old young woman named Workinesh.
Workinesh has a physical disability that makes it impossible for her to walk; every day, her parents would carry her to school. When Yonas saw her being dropped off at school and not interacting with the other children, he thought that she could benefit from RTP training just as he did. Yonas asked Workinesh's parents if he could train her. At first they were angry and surprised. They wondered how she could ever partake in sports; they were scared that she would get hurt.
Once Yonas showed her parents that she was able to play, even sometimes without crutches, they were amazed and decided to let him coach their daughter. Yonas started coaching Woekinesh at her house. He would get her older brother and best friend to join in the activities.
Almost instantly, Yonas saw changes in Workinesh. At first she would not make eye contact and had no self confidence, as a result of being kept at home and not interacting with other children. Yonas and Workinesh would discuss the stigma and their disabilities. From their discussions Yonas instantly noticed that she had changed mentally and was now able to look him in the eyes; she was gaining comfort in her own skin.
Yonas modified the games so that she could play them in her house sitting down. At first she did not know how to use her hands, let alone throw a ball. After weeks of training, she was able to use her hands and was very engaged in the programs.
Workinesh and her family moved to Northern Ethiopia. Three days before she left, Yonas felt his greatest sense of pride and accomplishment yet. He asked her to lead her classmates in the Right To Play programming for the day. She excelled as a great leader and felt deeply accomplished. A few months earlier, Workinesh would have never had the confidence to lead these programs. Recently, she informed Yonas that she too wants to "work with handicap girls; she is excited about the idea of helping others."
Just as Yonas has seen the effect that Right To Play has had on his own life, he has now witnessed how the Right To Play programming has also changed Workinesh's life and has made her a stronger person. Right To Play has also encouraged her to give back to others with similar disabilities to herself.
Yonas has taught the importance of self confidence to his students and encourages them to work hard to accomplish their dreams. Yonas says, "I know my purpose, what is expected from me; I changed my personality." Just as Right To Play has changed Yonas' life, Yonas is evidently changing the lives of so many children by helping them gain confidence and believe in themselves to succeed.