Location: Lemo District
Project 1: Shurmo Education and Livelihood Development (SELD)
Project 2: Improving Maternal and Infant Outcomes in Remote Lemo Woreda
Partner: Bole Bible Baptist Church (BBBC)
Agriculture is key in Ethiopia, employing around 80% of the population, contributing 47% to the national income and accounting for roughly 90% of exports. According to officials, about 56% of Lemo’s rural areas do not have primary schools within villages. Lemo is one of the most densely populated weredas of the region, with rapidly increasing population.
Project One: Shurmo Education and Livelihood Development (SELD)
Goal of the Project
SELD is funded by ChildLink supporters, SHE supporters and an ANCP (Australian and Nonprofit Cooperating Program) grant through DFAT (Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade). This project began in 2012 in partnership with BBBC across three kebeles.
Phase 1 was designed to get vulnerable children to school and healthy, while laying a foundation of good development awareness. The focus will shift to economically empowering households to enable them to be self-sustainable.
Phase II Shurmo Education and Livelihood Development Project will address the issues on food insecurity and income generation.
- Improve the educational status of 1152 (574 being female) children at pre-primary and primary schools in the area;
- Attain at least 80% food security improvement for 820 farming households, to afford at least 2 major meals per day.
Increase income of farming households, widowed mothers and Self-Help Groups.
Progress Update (from July’21 until June’22)
- A total of 300 children aged 4-6 years of age enrolled in Early Childhood Education Centres, including 150 girls and 150 boys,
- 1,012 children enrolled throughout five targeted primary schools, with 250 of these students provided with support in the form of school supplies and coaching,
- 10 project staff involved in upskilling local project stakeholders in project management and monitoring and evaluation capacity,
- 46 local farmers empowered use improved seed and fertiliser on their farms, and 50 farmers engaged in experience-sharing tours on agricultural practice and extensions such as animal husbandry, small-scale irrigation, integrated farming, and beekeeping,
- 240 Self-Help Group (SHG) members engaged in at least one income-generating initiative each, alongside 60 households which received improved sheep stocks to this end, 60 unemployed youth, and 40 widowed mothers who were financially supported to run their own small businesses.
To help vulnerable children attend school and improve food security for farming households, donate today.
Project Two: Improving Maternal and Infant Outcomes in Remote Lemo Woreda
Goal of the Project
This one-year project is funded by Fullife Foundation and an ANCP (Australian and Nonprofit
Cooperating Program) grant.
The project’s objectives are to:
- Strengthen the delivery of services at Shurmo Health Centre and its affiliated Health Post through staff training and support of essential materials and equipment,
- Work with the Health Extension Workers and communities to encourage more pregnant women and their families to:
- Deliver in a facility staffed by a skilled birth attendant,
- Attend more antenatal and postnatal visits at their Health Post, and
- Improve mother’s nutrition (in the antenatal, perinatal and postnatal period) and that of her infant.
- Construct a waiting room building block for pregnant women to stay for the two weeks preceding their due date.
Progress Update (from July’21 until June’22)
- A number of physical healthcare facilities constructed or renovated, including 1 waiting room at Lissana Health Centre and 2 Health Posts,
- 14 Health Posts and 3 Health Centres supported through supply of medicines and equipment,
- 78 local stakeholders consulted and collaborated with on project progress and future direction,
- 24 midwives trained on safe delivery and emergency-obstetric care,
- 24 nurses trained in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV,
- 41 Health Extension Workers (HEWs) received updated training on general health care practice,
- Across four sessions, 240 local pregnant women were educated on exclusive breastfeeding and the importance of a balanced diet on child nutrition,
- Local access to water increased through the installation of 2 water tanks, construction of 2 water points and a water system complete with switchboard,
- 375 households engaged in training on organised water source protection.