Education for girls in Chiro

A project that carries on the legacy of Paolo Dieci and his commitment to improving access to quality education for girls in Ethiopia.

Women and girls in Ethiopia are severely disadvantaged compared to boys and men in a number of areas, including literacy, health, livelihoods and basic human rights. 80% of the population resides in rural areas and women provide most of the agricultural work in these communities. Although the primary school enrollment rate of girls in Ethiopia has drastically improved from 21% to 91% in recent years, most girls are unable to enter secondary and tertiary education due to distance, personal security and financial difficulties.

As girls grow up, access to educational opportunities becomes increasingly difficult as it takes time away from essential housework and income-generating activities that are mainly the responsibility of girls and women.

Only 35% of university students are female and 5% drop out within the first year. At the same time, female education at university level is extremely low, only 11%. In general, women in Ethiopia face different and more basic economic constraints than men, including less access to credit and limited access to the market.

The project aims to allow access to education for girls through scholarships and other mechanisms that promote sustenance for their families. It also seeks to improve the quality of education by ensuring adequate space and equipment.

• To offer scholarships to poor and vulnerable girls so that they can access higher education and, in the medium term, find employement more easily.
• To improve the quality of teaching and school facilities at Chiro’s Chercher school by increasing the number of study rooms.
• To improve the availability of study spaces and access to textbooks and teaching materials through the construction of a new library and the donation of books and other equipment.

• Construction of a library and 4 new classrooms in the Chercher secondary school.
  Due to the drastically increased number of students, the school is facing a shortage of classrooms. Currently the school hosts a total of 3,934 students (1,611 females, 2,323 males) and suffers greatly from the lack of classrooms. Often, there are more than 80 students in a class (two shifts, one in the morning and one in the afternoon). To improve the situation, this intervention proposes to build a block with four new classrooms to accommodate 200 students.
  The new library capable of accommodating more than 80 students (named after Paolo Dieci) is completed with the purchase of books and other materials including computer equipment and access to the Internet.
• Creation of a fund to support girls from poor families who have already completed their cycle up to the 12th and intend to continue their education.
• The project aims to support at least 20 girls selected from the most disadvantaged. The number will be updated based on available resources.
  The amount of the scholarship is calculated on the basis of an average cost of 1,100 USD for the tuition fees of a 3 to 4 year course and considering as an example the cost for a diploma in accounting (4 years of study); the cost of a bachelor’s degree or a professionalizing course in nursing (3 or 5 years).
  The criteria for identifying the beneficiary girls are mainly the family situation (number of members and number of minors; income level; priority to girls coming from single women led households).

• At least 20 vulnerable girls can access secondary education and, consequently, find a job more easily
• Fewer students in each class facilitates teaching and improves learning conditions
• Students of the Chercher High School can use the new library