If a girl finishes education, she has much more chance to stay healthy and happy, make a decent income, be engaged in community life and raise healthy and educated children. In Ethiopia school dropout rates are high among girls, especially in rural areas. This proposal describes an innovative approach to ensure that adolescent girls attend and complete primary and secondary education.

Education Matters, Especially for Girls (2015-2017): this pilot project identified and tackled a range of barriers, which kept girls from going to school or caused them to drop out. Through strong cooperation between schools, government and communities, significantly more girls went to and stayed in school and support for girls’ education increased within the wider community.

Education Matters More (2018–2020): this follow up project was successful in reaching more girls and keeping them in school, starting from action-oriented youth-led research. Efforts were expanded to 10 schools.

Education Matters, Now More Than Ever!(2021-2023):  The proposed project will build on the experiences of these two previous projects, which include:

• The importance of establishing multi-stakeholder steering committees and task forces to enhance cooperation with local government and to ensure monitoring, day to day operations and sustainability of the project.
• The value of action-oriented youth-led research in empowering girls and boys, strengthening their skills and participation and ensuring that solutions reflect their specific needs and wish
• The important role girls clubs play in raising awareness about and counseling girls on sexual and reproductive health related
• The benefits of sanitary rooms and teaching girls how to produce (and use) their own sanitary pads.
• The importance of building the capacity of girls, club coordinators, teachers, health extension workers and others in how to make schools, clubs and services girl-friendly.
• The need to mobilize parents and other community members to tackle obstacles to girls’ educatio

The overall Objective of the proposed project is to ensure that girls in the target areas attend and complete primary and secondary education.

We will expand our intervention area with 10 new schools. We will work in a total of 20 schools, primary and secondary. Existing structures will be strengthened. The following new elements will be added in order to reach girls in an even more effective way:

Peace matters: dialogue for peaceful coexistence

Peace matters: dialogue for peaceful coexistence; is a joint project and has been implementing by Hiwot Ethiopia, Mahibere Hiwot for Social Development/MSD, Young Men Christian Association/YMCA, Eshet Children and Youth Development Organization/ECYDO and Save your Holiland/SYHLA.

The project encourages members of communities to participate actively in development and democratization process, peace-building and solutions of socio-economic issues causing frustration and representation often a root cause for conflicts. It strengthens citizens’ voice and the capacities of CSOs to equip them to become active players in democratic process. It enforces indigenous structures (elders, solidarity social groups) and creates partnerships between these structures and connects them to other CSO (media, universities, high schools). This will create opportunities for open dialogue across generations, social and ethical groups, genders for common solutions Linking various groups and CSO for a dialogue and by enhancing capacities of these groups in understanding rule of law, democratic process, identity and role of citizens in democratic processes will create an environment for stronger citizens’ participation and create leaders that will serve as mediators between state and citizens.

The main target group, are young people who are often frustrated by their socio-economic conditions and search for identity, a place in the society in extremist groups. At the same time, the project builds on existing, indigenous structures, such as elders and solidarity social groups.

Hiwot Ethiopia’s has been implementing programs focusing on girls’ education along with other areas which include health, education, livelihood, and promotion of children, girls and women’s wellbeing. Currently, funded by International Child Development Initiative (ICDI), Hiwot Ethiopia is implementing a two year (2019-2020) project entitled “Education matters More” at ten kebeles (ten schools) in Moretena Juru
woreda of North Showa zone. This project is built upon the success of the previous project (first phase) “Education matters, especially for girls”, which was implemented between February 2015 and February 2017.
Both projects primarily target primary school girls and boys who are disadvantaged groups living in poverty and highly exposed to school drop outs. Thereby, the projects’ major focus has been on understanding and mitigating barriers to girls’ primary and secondary education. It aims also at raising awareness among and capacitating, district, zone and regional decision-makers and disseminating activities to other regions. Thus, the overall objective of both projects is to ensure girls in target area (MoretinaJiru Woreda) attend and complete primary education, through presenting mitigation strategies of school dropouts. In doing so, the main approaches are capacity building, facilitation, linkages, cooperation and participation of actors and chain supporters.

In achieving the intended objectives, the projects have identified and tried to ensure retention and reduce school dropouts and irregularities of girl students in target schools and create positive attitude and raise awareness of parents and community towards girl’s education. As a result, through strong cooperation between schools, government and community members, the project (in first phase) tackled a range of barriers which kept girls from going to school or caused them to dropout. And significantly more girls now go to and stay in school and support for girls’ education has increased within the wider community. Therefore, the intended projects have directly benefited more than 2000 girls student in ten target schools In addition, Hiwot Ethiopia implemented a project entitled “Education for Change: Build the capacity of Girls to end child marriage, decrease early pregnancy and closely spaced child bearing projects funded by the Davide and Lucile Packard Foundation, Wereledkindern and Amplifychange”. As part of its effort to help secondary school girls’ receive the quality education they need and enhance their education, the project aimed to improve the situation of girls by cancelling child marriage arrangements and enhancing community support to combat child marriage though mobilization and advocacy.

Indeed, because villages are too far apart from one another, Hiwot Ethiopia has mobilized key stakeholders and the community in the target area and successfully created four “Girls’ Safe Houses” near high schools at four woredas of North Showa Zone in Amhara region. Thereby, at least 96 girls have been able to live in the houses while they attend high school, eliminating the daily trek to school. The project also provided support and companionship for the girls, including books and educational materials. The girls received monthly stipends as well as reproductive health information and supplies like sanitary pads so they do not miss classes when they are menstruating. As a result of such interventions, a dramatic reduction of school dropout, increased community and government support to end child marriage.

When sixteen year old Addisu( not her real name) finished eighth grade at her village school in the Mortna Jiru woreda 9district) of Northshewa zone of Amhara region, she wanted to go to high school, but the closest one was several miles away. Her parents, struggling to raise five other children, could not afford to rent her room near the school, and the long walk each day could be unsafe. Addisu’s parents contemplated arranging a marriage for her instead of sending her to school. Although Addisu desperately wanted to continue her education,” I had lost hope due to such difficulties,” she said.

For Addisu, the hurdles to continuing school beyond eighth grade seemed insurmountable. She credits the safe house with making it possible for her to graduate from high school. “I had lost hope, but my hope is restored.” she said. Due to the safe house support, Hiwot Ethiopia has seen dramatic reduction in dropouts and reduction of child marriaage. Most importantly, the girls have developed the self-confidence and maturity to make informed decisions regarding their future.

Thanks to the safe house, Addisu was among the top students in her class, and is using her good fortune to help others. She has worked as a peer educator to share sexual reproductive health information with other girls. “I developed confidence to face challenges and to protect myself from peer pressure”. I am grateful to Hiwot Ethiopia for changing my life and enabling me to see my bright future.” She said.

Hiwot Ethiopia established 936 free of charge hiplines, through the financial and technical support of its partner organization. The helpline mainly provides services to children and young people to protect them from any form of harms against their life. The helpline provides access to reporting cases of sexual abuse and exploitation, violence and other forms of harms, it helps in and out of school girls and young people to become assertive and active in protecting themselves and their peers, to empower the community to create an environment that protect girls and young people from sexual abuse, exploitation, harassment and GBV and other forms of harms and to provide adequate information for the target community groups.

Boys and men do care

Hiwot Ethiopia has become well known for its pioneering work of engaging boys and men to tackle child sexual abuse, exploitation, GBV, child marriage, HIV/AIDS. In particular, Hiwot Ethiopia’s work on engaging men and boys has been recognized as an innovative and important contribution to achieving gender equality and reducing HIV/AIDS transmission and GBV, child sexual abuse and exploitation and Sexual Reproductive Health hazards.
Since 2008, Hiwot Ethiopia has been implementing a project to enhance boys and men engagement to end child sexual abuse and exploitation at national level by the support of Oak Foundation.
The purposes of Radio show
• To increase public recognition of the positive role of men and boys in the protection of children from abuse, with a specific focus on sexual abuse and exploitation including GBV
• To increase collaboration between the Radio show, schools and other child focused organizations to promote the positive role of and engagement of men in addressing child sexual abuse, exploitation and GBV.
• To strengthen the governance and leadership system of the organization to ensure quality management
Major activities of the project
“Yenegta Weg” Radio show is among the projects that Hiwot Ethiopia has been implementing since 2008 by the support of Oak Foundation. The motto of the program is “men and boys do care to end child focused sexual abuse and exploitation and Gender based violence. It aims to create an opportunity for public discussions to take place by providing adequate information. In order to reach this aim, the program creates a Radio show called “ Yenegat Weg” which is broadcasted four times a week on Sheger FM 102. 1 and Fanna FM 98.1.
As a different means of media communication, public service announcements are also broadcasted for a minute in prime time to communicate the public.
Expected result/outcomes
• The issue of men and boys engagement becomes a public issues resulting in increased of the issues in media, various for a and events
• Increased feedback and comments from men, boys, children and women
• Increased involvement of listeners groups and school mini-media clubs in the development of radio program contexts
• Increased men and boys engagement at school to Protect boys and girls from sexual abuse and exploitation
• Referral linkages and arrangements created with service delivery unit so as to provide quality services for needy children and women
• Organizational effectiveness and efficiency achieved at all levels within the organization

Hiwot Ethiopia has been implementing enhancing quality education through the power of sport and play in Addis Ababa and Oromia region of Northshewa zone Wuchale Woreda by the financial and technical support of Right to Play.

The project is implementing in 51 primary schools of Addis Ababa and Wuchale woreda ( 31 in Addis Ababa and 20 in Oromia region. Among others 18 schools (10 from Addis Ababa and 8 from Oromia) received direct support from the project.

The overall objective of the project is to enhancing quality education, through the power of sport and play. The focused specific objectives are:

• Enhance interactive/positive learning environment in schools
• Enhance life skills development of children and youth
• Promote inclusion and empowerment of people with disabilities and girls
• Promote gender equality, child protection and building a peaceful community

The project is deployed different implementation strategies to address target community groups:

• Providing capacity building trainings to students, teachers, PTAs, coaches and parents
• Strengthening school club capacity through providing mini-media, and sport equipments
• Organizing community mobilization sessions to discuss on the barriers of education and other related issues
• Organize advocacy campaigns to advocate on issues of safe and protective school environment, children’s right including health

Employment, migration and economic hardship are important and impactful issues that many Ethiopians are faced with. According to the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey, current employment among women age 15-49 increased from 2005 to 38%in 2011 but decreased to 33% in 2016. Additionally, unemployment is greater in female than men which poses further economic and social problem.
Hiwot Ethiopia has been implementing projects entitled creating an “enabling environment for vulnerable girls and women” funded by Australian Embassy. The objective of the project is to create a safe environment for vulnerable girls and women in the Kirkos sub city of Addis Ababa. The specific objectives are;
• To increase access to psychosocial support and create economic resilience for 40 girls
• Create economic resilience for 40 households affected by commercial sex works
• To increase awareness of 550 community members
Results
• 40 girls and mothers received skill building training on income generating and HIV/AIDS prevention
• 40 mothers relieved seed capital and started their IGAs
• Four self help groups established. The aim of the self help group is to enhance members’ commitment to support each other and practicing saving and credit.

Education matters more, especially for girls, project builds upon the success of the project “Education matters more, especially for girls”, which was implemented between February 2015 and February 2017. Through strong cooperation between schools, government and community members, that project tackled a range of barriers, which kept girls from going to school or caused them to drop out. As a result, significantly more girls now go to and stay in school and support for girls’ education has increased within the wider community. This follow up proposal encompasses a two-year timeframe, to maintain and strengthen achievements of the previous project, attend to lessons learned and expand activities to 5 new locations and 10 schools. We will upscale the approach to reach more girls (and boys) and work ever more closely with community groups and government agencies.

“Education Matters more, especially for girls”. The overall goal is to ensure that girls in the target areas attend and complete primary and secondary education. And, the aim was to overcome obstacles to girls’ education in two rural and semi-rural districts of North Shewa Zone of the Ethiopian Regional State of Amhara. Activities engaged some 2,000 girls from primary and secondary schools directly and another 10,000 people indirectly (parents, siblings, teachers and other community stakeholders).

Communication for Health, a current project being funded by John Snow Inc. (JSI/JHU), is receiving funding from USAID in order to increase knowledge and beneficial practices concerning health through Social and Behavioral change communication (SBCC) approach in the East Gojam Zone of Amhara. This project mainly focuses on multiple health areas including: reproductive health, maternal newborn and child health (RMNCH), Malaria, Tuberculosis (TB), WASH, Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) and Nutrition.

The proposed project works to address the following objectives.
1. To increase knowledge and healthy practice of community members across the 6 health areas through implementing SBCC activities at seven Woredas in North Showa Zone in 21 months (January 2018- September 2019).
2. To enhance and sustain SBCC through engaging health offices/facilities, health extension workers (HEW) and schools in its implementation at seven Woredas in North Shewa Zone in 21 months (January 2018-September 2019).
3. To improve the use of data for decision making in SBCC across the seven target Woredas in North Shewa Zone in 21 months (January 2018-September 2019)
Program approach
The project implementation approaches comprise of community mobilization, awareness raising for behavior change, community based age segmented and status oriented discussions and/or dialogues, and capacity buildings including trainings and engaging male as a cross-cutting strategy for gender equality. The approaches are intended to address target beneficiaries through SBCC across the six health areas for the positive health behavior practice of target beneficiaries to become healthy, happy and productive. The approaches focus to address the six health interventions around specific circumstances and life stages of the target beneficiaries. The implementation of the approaches focuses on the targets’ health information needs, timing and ability to take health related actions at the most appropriate times, so that they will have information and knowledge necessary to make positive choices about their lives from RMNCH/FP problems and communicable diseases including mother to child transmission of HIV, malaria and tuberculosis. The approach further enables the target communities to use potable water, keep personal hygiene and sanitation and follow adequate nutrition. Besides, the wider community is informed about the issues and is therefore able to create a supportive and positive and healthy environment for the development of the community particularly women, children and youth.
Target beneficiaries and impact of the Program on beneficiaries
The direct target beneficiaries to the proposed project are currently married couples (700 wives and husbands each), 1400 pregnant mothers, 1400 mothers with children aged up to 6 years, 1400 children, and 1400 adolescents and youth (50% female). While at least 6,300 will be direct targets to be reached by the intervention, community based organizations, religious leaders, health extension workers and professionals, health offices and health posts will indirectly benefit from the project. The program implementation impacts the practice of positive health seeking behavior across the six health areas. The program will benefit the young unmarried youth to prevent SRH related risk behaviors, life skills, hygiene, nutrition and communicable disease prevention methods. The married couples will be able to benefit on good husband-wife communication to jointly plan for the future household management, RMNCH/FP, hygiene, nutrition including during pregnancy, safe delivery, optimal breastfeeding and commentary feeding practice, delaying first birth, optimal spacing between births and adoption of modern contraceptives, prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV and communicable diseases including malaria and tuberculosis. Mainly the program sought to bring better health condition and wellbeing of the community at large.
Expected Results
As a result of the intervention, better communication and shared responsibility will be created between household members (mainly husband and wife) and the community on the six health areas; children and youth are informed and empowered on the healthy practices; and there will be better and consistent client oriented services across the six health areas. Quality and appropriate health information and services delivered and communicated to in school and the wider community. In addition, proactive multi-sectoral networks at the local level are created and functional. The detail results are provided as outcomes in the causal framework section.

To address early marriage as well as early and closely spaced pregnancies in the Amhara region, Hiwot Ethiopia has been implementing a community based adolescent and youth reproductive health program in four woredas (districts) of the North Shewa Zone since 2002 with the support of the German Foundation for World Population and the David & Lucile Packard Foundation. Currently the organization has been implementing such project with the support of other Amplifychange and others.

The overall objective of the program is to delay marriage and promote birth spacing among young peoples and newly married couples. The program is based on the lessons acquired from a similar project model known as PRACHAR, which is implemented in Bihar, India. PRACHAR is a community based program which uses multi-disciplinary youth focused age and life stage appropriate communication methods. Hiwot has adopted selected components of this model and employed a three pronged objectives:

1. Empowering girls and young couples with SRH/FP information
2. Improving access to SRH/FP services
3. Fostering an enabling environment

Major achievements

The youth friendly health centers in close collaboration of public and private health facilities play a significant role in providing quality reproductive health information and services for young people.

Created strong referral arrangement with private and public health care facilities to provide youth friendly referral services for young people on SRH/FP/HIV prevention, counseling and testing and other services

In collaboration with health facilities, youth clubs, trained health extension workers and house to house facilitators, provided quality and youth friendly sexual reproductive health information and services for young people.

Young people living in the program areas were attended an age segmented (10-14, 15-19 & 20-24) peer group discussions and created better understanding and behaviors on sexual and reproductive health issues, including family planning and factors that expose young people to HIV and STIs

Safe houses created near to high schools in the woredas supported girls to attend the school and eliminating the daily trek to school. The safe home program provided support and companionship for girls, including reading rooms and educational materials. Due to the safe house support, we have seen a dramatic reduction in dropouts.

Community groups, religious leaders, government representatives, school community groups attended on outreach programs and received adequate information on girls education and barriers of girls education.

Youth clubs capacities improved so as to reach their peers in quality youth friendly information and services on SRH/FP/HIV prevention, counseling and testing and other.

Community action teams were established and strengthened which are comprised from religious fathers, government stakeholder and school representatives to fight against child marriage promotion of girls education.

Sanitary pad support: Girls were absent during menstrual cycle from the regular classes, this is serious problem in the country.  In order to help girls to attend their education and reduce absenteeism, Hiwot has been provided training on skills of locally made sanitary pad preparation , management of menstrual cycles and Sexual Reproductive Health information for girls living in the safe home and outside of the same home. As a result of such intervention girls school attendance increased