Education Focus for Marginalized Girls
With funding from the Protestant Agency for Diakonia and Development (PADD), Emmanuel Development Association (EDA) implemented a four-year project to promote girls’ right to education and improve school retention in Minjar Shenkora Woreda. The project addressed the social, infrastructural, and psychosocial barriers that prevent girls from staying in school, combining life skills training, school infrastructure improvements, mentorship, and targeted counseling.
Key achievements include organizing life skills training for 54 schoolgirls covering leadership, self-esteem, critical thinking, and decision-making; constructing and handing over two girls’ latrines with four pits and two handwashing facilities, improving sanitation and privacy for girls at school; providing coaching and counseling to 300 target girls through mentors; and distributing educational materials to support learning.
As a result of these integrated interventions, the girls’ completion rate increased from 51% to 77% — a significant 26% improvement compared to previous years — demonstrating the project’s tangible impact on girls’ educational outcomes and EDA’s commitment to gender-responsive education in marginalized communities.
Key Activities & Deliverables
Measurable Educational Impact
- Retention and Completion Surge: Successfully drove up the school completion rate for target girls from 51% to 77%, marking a substantial 26% improvement over the baseline across the four-year cycle.
School Infrastructure Enhancements
- Sanitation & Privacy: Constructed and handed over two specialized girls’ latrines (comprising four pits total) alongside two dedicated handwashing facilities to significantly improve sanitation and menstrual hygiene privacy.
- Learning Materials: Distributed essential educational supplies across the target schools to ease the financial burden of attendance and support classroom learning.
Psychosocial Support & Life Skills
- Mentorship Network: Provided ongoing, structured coaching and individual counseling to 300 vulnerable girls through trained mentors.
- Leadership Development: Organized intensive life skills training sessions for 54 schoolgirls, building core competencies in leadership, self-esteem, critical thinking, and independent decision-making.