The Challenge

Since 1997, Ethiopia has made great strides in promoting universal education but many challenges remain. More than 25% of children who enroll in first grade drop out before they complete their first school year. In basic education, approximately 3 million children remain out of school and where schooling is available, many children cannot pursue or continue education due to economic factors, lack of family support, or other barriers associated with poverty.  And in 2017, an estimated 50% of all Ethiopian young adults remained unemployed.

Our Solution
We are working with partners to provide educational opportunities for some of the most vulnerable and marginalized youth, children and women in Ethiopia.  Our work focuses on reducing the barriers that keep many disadvantaged children and youth out of school. 

Cheshire Services: Inclusive Education  

For a child living with a disability in Ethiopia, access to education is virtually impossible.  Since 2013, Ethiopiaid has partnered with Cheshire Services in Harar to expand educational opportunities for economically disadvantaged children with disabilities. This includes providing mobility aids, offering educational subsidies, and creating a more accessible environment. We also support home-based care to children with disabilities. This is achieved through the provision of walking aids as well as rehabilitation activities such as physiotherapy. In this way, children can receive comprehensive treatment, close to their families, and in a familiar environment. We also construct structures such as ramps and accessible toilets at schools where students have mobility issues. 

Cheshire runs an inclusive kindergarten class, where children with physical and developmental disabilities learn alongside their peers without disabilities. Children receive extra educational support where needed, and gain valuable social interaction skills. We offer subsidies to cover the cost of school fees, books, and transportation to older children with disabilities. They may not have been able to attend school when they were younger, due to their disability. Through these programs, we're working to ensure that all children reach their potential. 

• Inclusive education

  2022: 910 males and females with disabilities received access to assistive devices; 125 women and children were provided home-based rehabilitation provisions; inclusive kindergarten helped education at home for 31 children. 

• Continued education

  2022: Increased academic performance of orphaned and vulnerable children through reduction of dropouts with the improvement of school attendance.

Our Impact

Our partnership with Cheshire Services has had the following results:

• Over 800 children with disabilities have received educational support (Harar)
• 90 young children with disabilities received inclusive kindergarten education (Harar)
• 50 teachers were trained to serve students with disabilities (Harar)
• 165 communities received sensitization training on challenges faced by people with disabilities (Harar)
• Over 1,000 males and females with disabilities received access to assistive devices

Success Stories

Read our success stories  here