BRINGING HOPE THROUGH EDUCATION: ALI'S STORY

ECW Funding Delivered by Save the Children, NRC and OWDA Supports Children with Disabilities in Ethiopia

By Education Cannot Wait

December 3^rd, 2021

Adapted Story from the Field. Special Contribution by Save The Children Ethiopia (Original)

“I love coming to school because I like to learn new things,” said Ali, an 11-year-old boy who attends school at the Chamuk primary school in the Somali region of Ethiopia.

Ali was born a healthy baby but fell ill when he was 18 months old. His parents took him to health centers, but the causes of his illness were unknown. Since then, Ali has been living with a physical impairment and mild mental challenges. He cannot move his hands and legs easily and has difficulty expressing ideas. This caused some children to tease him.

“I never have difficulty in making new friends even though some kids have a bad attitude towards me because of the way I am,” Ali said.

Ali with his stepmother Ferhiya at their home in Chamuk IDP site. © Save the Children/Dereje/2021

Life at Home

Ali lives with his stepmother and five siblings at an internally displaced persons (IDP) site in Chamuk. His stepmother, Ferhiya, is raising her two stepchildren along with her own three daughters.

“I love Ali as my own son. I spend more time with him because he needs all-round care including psychological, physical and moral support. He has made good progress since he began school last year,” Ferhiya said.

Ali’s family lost everything they had, including their house, to conflict three years ago. Before then, Ali’s father used to be a camel market dealer, but he now lives in Nairobi, where he is employed at a boutique as a shopkeeper. He sends 2,500 Birr ($53) per month to support his family.

“After the conflict, life has been very hard for my family. We have a serious water shortage in our community. I have to travel two hours and line up for hours until my turn comes to fetch water. Everything is getting expensive. It is challenging to provide all the basic things to Ali and his siblings,” said Ferhiya. “Ali needs a medical checkup on his general condition but we do not have enough money to take him to the health centers in the town.”

Ali working on his classroom activities. © Save the Children/Dereje/2021

The Importance of Education

“I wish for all my children to finish their education and get professional work so they can lead a good life. I will do everything I can so they can achieve good academic results in their education. I will support Ali in his assignments and help him with what he learned at school. I will do my best to give him all the extra time he needs,” Ferhiya said.

At the Chamuk primary school, where Ali is enrolled as a first grader, there are 1,392 students, including 24 children living with disabilities. Ali received school materials such as exercise books, pencils, erasers and a pencil sharpener through Education Cannot Wait’s (ECW) Multi-Year Resilience Programme (MYRP). Other parts of the programme focus on educators. Teachers are trained in mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) and receive support for improved lesson planning. They also receive training to help them better support students, especially children with disabilities, so that children like Ali are given opportunities to succeed.

“When I grow up, I want to be a teacher for children living with disabilities,” Ali said. “Seeing myself, I believe those children need education and more care. I also want to own a big shop so I will have a good source of income to provide for my needs.”

Decko supporting her students on their assignments. © Save the Children/Dereje/2021

Support for Teachers

Decko, Ali’s teacher, is one of five female teachers at the Chamuk primary school. Like other teachers at the school, she is benefitting from the ECW programme.

“I appreciate the programme’s efforts to encourage female teachers and provide training that enhances our teaching skills. I have taken all the trainings and gained from it more knowledge and skills. The training was also important in terms of understanding and supporting children like Ali. Ali is a confident boy who always asks questions. During class and after class, I give extra time for him so he can understand the lessons well,” she said.

Decko believes that if Ali receives close follow-up and support from the school and his parents, he can achieve good academic results like his classmates.

“It would be beneficial for students like Ali to get educational toys. This can help them understand language and math lessons,” Decko said.

Kadijah Hussein, PTA member of Chamuk primary school. © Save the Children/Dereje/2021

Community Involvement

Kadijah is a member of the Chamuk primary school Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and has been a PTA member for the past 30 years.

“Even though I am illiterate, I have sent all my children to school and currently three of them are professional employees working in government and private offices. Now, seeing the achievement of my children, I am motivated to contribute more as a PTA member for my community,” Kadijah said.

Kadijah has received training sessions, which included promoting school hygiene and sanitation and encouraging parents to send their children to school, especially children living with disabilities. She uses her skills to counsel and provide support for parents, including Ferhiya.

“Ali is one of the fruits of our work. I closely follow up on his performance at school. In general, the community is hesitant to send their children to school due to the present economic and social conditions of the community. But the school feeding program run by this programme is encouraging parents to send their children to school,” Kadijah said.

Students outside of the Chamuk Primary School. © Save the Children/Dereje/2021

About the Programme

The ECW facilitated MYRP is a three-year programme that aims to improve learning through equitable access, crisis-sensitive and quality education for emergency-affected children, including children living with disabilities. The $27 million grant, launched in January 2021, has reached over 60,000 displaced girls and boys in 81 schools across southeast Ethiopia.

Save the Children, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and the Organization for Welfare and Development in Action (OWDA) have implemented the grant swiftly to ensure that the needs of these children are addressed. In addition to the teacher training sessions that help educators better address the needs of their students, ECW funding has supported the construction of temporary learning spacing and gender segregated bathrooms. Schools are stocked with new resources to enhance learning. For students that need additional learning support, year round remedial learning is provided and after school reading clubs are available to improve reading capacity.

Beyond the classroom, the MYRP builds healthy habits and promotes stability in children’s lives. Funding supports school feeding programmes to ensure that children receive nutritious meals, and girls are provided dignity kits. Furthering healthy habits and WASH clubs actively engage students to promote hygiene and sanitation habits and prevent the spread of COVID-19. ECW provided $1 million for the COVID-19 education in emergencies response in Ethiopia.

Through the programme, ECW and partners can address the critical educational needs of these children, providing them with the skills needed to succeed and live a fulfilling life.

Leden, a fellow student with disabilities at the Chamuk School, is able to get the accommodations she needs to learn. © Save the Children/Dereje/2021

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