ChildFund Ethiopia

ChildFund Ethiopia and its partner, Future Hopes Integrated Development Organization, were prominently featured on the panel titled "Empowering Girls through Social and Financial Education: A Path to Inclusive Learning and Sustainable Development" at the 1st Pan-African Conference on Girls' and Women’s Education in Africa, held at the African Union Hall on July 4, 2024. For further information see the whole cover published on Anglophone Africa Region Newsletter -October 2024. https://lnkd.in/dAx7YVWc

ChildFund has taken a significant step to address the urgent issues of food security and child protection in the Tigray Region’s Eastern Zone, specifically in Wukro and Adigrat towns, with the launch of the "Joint Forces for Food Security and Child Protection in Emergency Project." The project, with a total budget worth 1,044,961 Euro that is ETB 63,752,284.00, aims to directly benefit approximately 12,036 people, including internally displaced persons and host communities. This initiative focuses on providing essential support in several key areas. It aims to raise awareness and disseminate information on child protection and related nutritional risks. Additionally, the initiative seeks to establish or strengthen child-friendly (safe) spaces to support the protection of children and adolescents, incorporating nutrition education and breastfeeding support. The project will also distribute culturally and gender-appropriate dignity kits, non-food items (NFIs), and temporary income support to girls, boys, and adolescents. Furthermore, it includes the distribution of NFIs such as clothing (uniforms), assistive devices for children with disabilities, and educational materials. Psychological First Aid (PFA) will be provided alongside case management, which includes emergency cash or in-kind assistance. The initiative will also offer cash or in-kind assistance to reduce the drivers of child protection risks at the household level. Lastly, it will provide short-term emergency support to households through in-kind donations, vouchers, or cash, including start-up kits and lifesaving items. The launch in Mekelle brought together key stakeholders, including representatives from the Regional, Zonal, and Woreda administrations, ChildFund, and Tesfa Birhan Child and Family Development Organization. Through this collaborative effort, the project seeks to build a more resilient and secure environment for vulnerable communities. News report by Tigray TV:

The model Early Childhood Development (ECD) center at Chichu Primary School in Dilla city, located in the Gedio Zone, has been officially inaugurated. This center was made possible through funding from Marriot Daughters Foundation, facilitated by ChildFund Ethiopia, and constructed by Reach The Needy Ethiopia with technical support from the government and the local community. The construction of the center cost 1.9-million-birr, equivalent to 35,000 USD. It includes two classrooms, each accommodating 30 children, for a total of 60 students. The classrooms are designed to be child-friendly, featuring ramps and stairs to support children with disabilities. Additionally, the center is to be equipped with both indoor and outdoor games and other scholastic materials, providing a stimulating environment for early learners. The center is staffed with trained preschool teachers who have undergone specialized training provided by the government, including capacity-building sessions and the implementation of the Ministerial Kit for scale-up by RTN- Ethiopia. Before the construction of this center, a total of 80 to 110 children were enrolled in classes that lacked child-friendly infrastructure, leading to overcrowded and unsuitable learning conditions. With the opening of this new facility, the learning environment has been significantly improved. This ECD center is part of a broader initiative, with approximately nine other model preschool centers built by various stakeholders, including the Gedio Development Association, to enhance early childhood education in the region.

ChildFund Ethiopia in collaboration with the African Center for Early Childhood Development and various stakeholders, recently hosted a national dialogue on Early Childhood Development (ECD) and Climate Change. Themed “Building Strong Foundations: Holistic Nurturing Care for Children in a Changing Climate,” this impactful event brought together over 200 participants from government agencies, NGOs, civil society, and the private sector dedicated to advancing ECD and addressing climate challenges. A highlight of the event was a panel presentation by Dr. Tefera Darge from Addis Ababa University, who shared inspiring results from our Growth and Economic Opportunities for Women (GrOW) project and ECD project. Key achievements included: ✅ Establishing community-based childcare centers for children under 5 ✅ Organizing mothers into Self-Help Groups (SHGs) for empowerment ✅ Significant increases in mothers' incomes ✅ Decreased depression rates among women ✅ Improved food security and family well-being ✅ Enhanced father involvement in childcare Dr. Tefera emphasized the crucial need to link women's economic empowerment with national ECD policies and strengthen these connections with climate change initiatives. The GrOW project aims to alleviate women's care burden by establishing childcare centers. The research team is testing the provision of quality and affordable community-based childcare facilities in three urban and peri-urban locations. This cluster-randomized trial not only evaluates the effectiveness of these childcare centers but also assesses basic employment and business skills training for mothers, along with community advocacy efforts designed to shift social norms related to gender equality and the undervaluation of women’s unpaid care work. #earlychildhooddevelopment #womenempowerment #ECD #earlychildhood #climatechange #evidence #impact Lilly Omondi Natan Tilahun Chege Ngugi

The Strengthening of Vulnerable Women in Food Security, Income-Generating Activities (IGAs), and Savings and Credit Associations, alongside Increased Environmental Protection project in Dugda, Boset, and Basona Werana (North Showa) has benefitted 1,200 families across 15 villages and 660 School children aged 8 to 16 years from the selected 22 schools. Through the project e 80 VSLA groups, 20 women in each group. They are running their weekly/by-weekly saving, loan distribution and social discussions on selected topics and the VSLA group are able to mobilize ETB 4,936,310 from the regular savings. Funded by BMZ, ChildFund Deutschland, and ChildFund Ethiopia, the project provides access to small loans and promotes efficient agricultural methods. These efforts have led to improved family nutrition and enhanced economic conditions. Additionally, it empowers participants to actively engaged in environmental protection and natural resource management (NRM). The success of the project was made possible through the vital contributions of the government, Dugda Children and Charitable Organization, and Tesfaberhan Child and Family Development Organization.

ChildFund Ethiopia received recognition from the IO for its outstanding achievements in the fiscal year 2024. The organization excelled in several areas, particularly in financial management, grant management, and effective partnership budgeting. The team's exceptional efforts were acknowledged with several awards, including those for sponsorship management, grants management and acquisition, booth presentation, and annual operational planning (AOP) at the grand African Leadership Team meeting in Addis Ababa.

"Celebrating the International Youth Day on August 12 under the theme, 'From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development,' we emphasize the crucial role young people play in using digital technologies to drive sustainable progress. At this moment we acknowledge Ethiopian youth who possess the professional competencies, skills, and ethics necessary to contribute to and benefit from the country’s development."

🌳🌲🌴 Bäume bedeuten Leben. Sie filtern #Wasser, reinigen die Luft und bieten Tieren ihren Lebensraum. Bäume liefern #Nahrung und können zu einem geregelten Einkommen beitragen. Sie schützen auch vor Naturkatastrophen wie Überschwemmungen und Erosionen. Sie spenden Schatten und können die Grundtemperatur senken. Und sie füllen den Boden mit Nährstoffen, wodurch die Landwirtschaft gefördert wird.  ℹ Insgesamt sind weltweit mehr als 1,5 Milliarden Menschen für ihren Lebensunterhalt von Bäumen abhängig. 👆 So zum Beispiel auch in #Äthiopien. Dort ist Abholzung ein großes Problem. Um die Lebensgrundlagen vieler Menschen und die natürlichen Ressourcen nachhaltig zu schützen, muss dem Wegfallen von Bäumen und Wäldern entgegengewirkt werden. 💪 Daher ist die #Aufforstung dort extrem wichtig. In unseren Projekten setzen sich sowohl Frauen- als auch Schulgruppen für mehr #Umweltschutz ein – in dem sie Baumsetzlinge großziehen und diese vielzählig einpflanzen. 😍 Ein beeindruckendes Beispiel von Veränderung zeigt unser Vorher-Nachher-Bild! Eine zuvor unfruchtbare, wüstenartige Gegend wird jetzt von Pflanzen und Bäumen dominiert und erstrahlt in sattem Grün.

Adam Hicks, Chief Development and Marketing Officer at ChildFund International offers his insights on leadership, addressing fundamental questions: What defines a leader? How can you ensure you are leading effectively? "A leader is anyone who has the ability to influence their area of work within an organization. Anyone can be a leader. Leadership is not exclusive to those at the top. As a leader, always ask yourself: How often am I leading? Did I lead anything today? What can I do to lead? What can I do to empower others to lead? Personally, there are days when I ask myself these questions and realize that I didn't lead anything all day. But still, that doesn't stop me. We should continuously cultivate leadership qualities within ourselves and others across the organization." #leadership #leading #wisdom #ChildFund

“It hurts that I had to go through it. But this project has allowed me to interact with other youth who have had similar challenges. We encourage each other and hope for a better future.” -Said, child trafficking survivor Read about the brave young people you support in Ethiopia who are leading the fight to end child trafficking: https://lnkd.in/eHqE9KfN