PROJECT-SUPPORT ETHIOPIA

Country / City

Ethiopia, Addis Ababa

Ethiopia is a landlocked country in north-east Africa. The country on the Horn of Africa borders Eritrea, Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, and Djibouti. With over 80 ethnic groups and numerous languages, Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic state and also the most populous landlocked country in the world. A major obstacle to development is the very rapid population growth in a traditionally rural environment that often lacks basic infrastructure.  

Ethiopia is considered to be one of the countries of origin of modern man and the country of origin of coffee. It can look back on around 3000 years of uninterrupted history. This long period of almost undisturbed cultural and civilisation development also makes the country a popular tourist destination.

The capital Addis Ababa is one of the largest metropolises in Africa. The city is the seat of the UN Economic Commission for Africa and of the headquarters of the African Union.

General

The organisation supports the skills of the local population in Ethiopia with simple means, by helping them to develop themselves. Ilanga's aim is to strengthen underprivileged single mothers and their children so that they become emotionally resilient and economically independent in order to help them achieve sustainable self-reliance. This increases their chances of survival and development.  

Beneficiaries

Single mothers in Ethiopia are often disproportionately affected by poverty, as they frequently lack the necessary family safety net. This is where the organisation's activities come in. Most of the project's activities take place in the Ilanga compound, on the outskirts of Addis Ababa.

Together with the Office for Women and Children Affairs, ilanga selects the women, for the approximately nine-month programme, according to various criteria. The training sessions on topics such as dealing with stress and trauma, hygiene, nutrition, and education, as well as life skills and business topics, prepare the mothers for the next step. With the seed money, they can build up a small livelihood that enables them to support themselves and their children. Those who do not want to set up a microbusiness are prepared for vocational training.

The support for the women and their children does not stop after the training programme and the move into working life or self-employment. The children can continue to attend after-school care, so that their care does not end when their mothers complete their training programme. In addition, the women are supported by ilanga's social workers through regular check-ups beyond the end of the training programme, which ensures long-term and sustainable support.

Project-support

Project: Day care centre

Mothers are often denied access to education and economic independence because they have no one to care for their children. To break this cycle of disadvantage, ilanga runs an after-school care centre for young children aged 1 to 4 years.

The project aims to establish and expand the operation of the day care centre on a sustainable basis. The centre offers Montessori-oriented early childhood education, daily healthy meals, and medical care. The support is essential in order to offer the girls and boys of single mothers stable development conditions and thus give them the chance of a future without poverty.  

Professional care provides the children with a safe environment, while their mothers have the opportunity to take part in education and training programmes or pursue employment. With its holistic approach, the project not only improves the children's development opportunities, but also enables the women to achieve long-term economic independence.