Facts about Ethiopia

• 80% of the population survive on less than $2 a day
• The UN Development Index ranks Ethiopia 169th out of 179 countries
• Just 42% of the population are literate
• On average, an educated Ethiopian child receives just 7 years of schooling

School in Ethiopia

Elementary schools teach from grades 1 to 8. Secondary schools teach only grades 9 and 10. The Government funds teacher salaries and just occasional grants for building projects.

In general, class sizes are high; there are on average 65 / 70 students per class, and schools often work on a shift system, with pupils attending for four hours on either the morning or the afternoon shift.

Discipline in class is rarely a problem, with children very quiet and attentive during lessons. Students in Ethiopia are keen and ambitious, many wanting to be doctors, teachers and engineers. However, attendance levels are often low, especially for girls. Attendance rates are 13% for males and 10% for females.

Universities have increased in number in the past few years. Students who do well in their Preparatory school exams generally have their pick of the courses at university, but other students have places allocated to them in accordance with the skills needs of the economy. The teaching profession in Ethiopia is often not highly regarded. Due to salary levels, working conditions, class sizes and availability of resources, motivation levels are often low.

Children in Ethiopia

FIVE MILLION children in Ethiopia are orphans, and only 3,000 children per year are adopted. With sponsorship money, children can live with their own relatives, within their community and in their native country and can obtain the appropriate amount of food, health care and education.

The toll that AIDS/HIV, famine, war and extreme poverty have taken on a whole generation in Ethiopia is staggering. In communities throughout the country, it is commonplace for children to have experienced the death of one or both parents. Orphaned, these children sometimes remain in their home with siblings or grandparents or rely on the assistance of struggling communities for their existence. Our Child Sponsorship Program is able to provide hope for many of these children in providing them  with the basic needs of food, education, and healthcare. Even more importantly, child sponsorship allows children to share their future with their families in the country they were born.

Addis Ababa- Child Sponsorship Program