Numbers at a Glance

Numbers at a Glance

• 6 percent of births are attended by a skilled health professional
• 1 in 4 women dies in pregnancy or childbirth
• 4 million children are orphaned, nearly 1 million by AIDS
• Only 18 percent of children reach grade five

Our Response

In Ethiopia, Save the Children has implemented cross-cutting strategies that focus on strengthening partnerships with local as well as key international agencies. Through this structure, we create stronger community-based solutions coupled with advocacy on a national level. The result means significantly more impact for our programs and their ensured sustainability. Specifically, we've focused on education, health, food security, HIV/AIDS prevention/education and saving newborn lives.

Education: Save the Children's education goals in Ethiopia have concentrated on ensuring the basic education of many who wouldn't ordinarily get schooling. These include girls as well as children in pastoral communities who don't have schools where they live. By using our own inexpensive school models that provide flexible schedules, relevant curricula and active community participation in the educational process, we've been able to create positive change in these sectors. Another part of our strategy has been to strengthen the role of PTA's, Girls Education Advisory Committees and Girls Clubs, which has also helped to strengthen educational opportunities for Ethiopian children.