Education, Training, and Capacity Building Program
The EDA Education Program has established 23 alternative basic education centers for more than 20,000 marginalized children who need extra support to be successful in school. Of these children, 95% have already moved on to formal primary schools and some have gone on to higher education.
In the EDA Youth Training Program, more than 9,000 youth have been trained in vocational fields including metal work, wood work, and hotel management. Many of these at-risk youth have become self-reliant business owners. The youth who successfully complete our training programs become mentors and in turn hire other unemployed youth in their small businesses.
EDA has constructed and equipped 8 formal primary schools with the intake capacity of 16,000 students in the area through the capacity building program. We have also built early childhood education centers for children ages four to six, provided teacher training, books, playground equipment, computers and library materials. It is our goal to turn the management of these schools over to the government once they are established and equipped.
Community Health and HIV/AIDS Prevention & Support
HIV/AIDS is a serious and growing concern in Akaki-Kaliti. In order to combat this complex health issue, EDA has established two health centers and has provided awareness and prevention training, education and basic health services to more than 50,000 community members. We have also provided care and support to 1,000 mothers who live with the virus through income generating projects.
Orphan and Vulnerable children Support
To date EDA has supported 8,000 orphans and vulnerable children in the Akaki-Kaliti area with basic services including education, health, shelter, legal protection, psycho-social, and economic support. We have also provided training and seed money to 4 community-based organizations to help them develop income generating activities that will help these programs become sustainable.
Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH)
The Akaki-Kaliti neighborhood faces complex issues related to sanitation and hygiene. A lack of toilets, showers and clean water contributes to the prevalence of water borne disease. This problem is worsened by a poor understanding of the importance of hand washing and the cleanliness of drinking water. Local girls often miss school as a result of a limited understanding of menstrual hygiene and a lack of sanitary products. There is no municipal garbage collection in the slum, and the accumulation of garbage has caused a further increase of disease and pests. All of these issues have led to increased absenteeism from school and work and a have had a serious effect on the overall health and financial well-being of community members.
EDA has addressed these issues in Akaki-Kaliti through a number of initiatives, including:
• The installation of more than 100 clean water access points
• Training primary school students in the importance of hand washing and simple methods for purifying water in their homes
• The establishment of 5 bio-gas centers, which include public toilets and showers and a cafeteria that is fueled by the bio-gas from the toilets
• The installation and maintenance of 100 garbage bins
• The introduction of a menstrual hygiene program in schools and free distribution of sanitary products
The community members have embraced these innovations, and have benefited from a significant improvement in sanitation and hygiene.
Youth Livelihood
Under this program, 200 unemployed youth have been trained in entrepreneurship, business and personal banking, and provided with seed money to start a business. Their ventures encompass a range of activities from market stalls to beekeeping. This program has enabled youth to become confident, financially independent, and in many cases, to support their families.