From Conflict Comes Hope: Hanifa’s Story

ECW Funding - Delivered by Save the Children, NRC and OWDA - Supports Girls’ Education in Ethiopia

By Education Cannot Wait

December 15^th, 2021

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

Hanifa is a bright-eyed eighth-grade student at the Chamuk primary school in the remote Somali region of Ethiopia. With her parents and seven siblings, the 14 year old lives at an internally displaced persons (IDP) site near her school in Moyale Woreda.

“I like going to school because I want to acquire knowledge so I can live a good life. Both of my parents went to school and understand the benefits of education very well. They encourage me to focus on my education,” said Hanifa.

Hanifa at her class at the Chamuk primary school. Photo Credit: Save the Children / Dereje / 2021

Finding Her Way Back

Hanifa and her family came to Ethiopia after her family was displaced due to conflict three years ago. During the conflict, her parents lost everything they had, including their house.

“I have witnessed the horror of conflict. When the conflict broke out in our neighborhood, we ran into bushes to save our lives. That moment was very difficult for my family. My mother was very ill and had a miscarriage. At one time, we were all thirsty and forced to drink dirty water. I believe conflict should be avoided under any circumstances because it only results in destruction,” said Hanifa.

Hanifa’s schooling was put on pause while her family searched for safety and stability. When she was able to return, she was behind other peers her age. In Ethiopia, every eighth grader is required to take national level examinations, and she was far from ready.

To close the gap, Hanifa attends remedial classes after school. Supported by Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the UN global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, the courses address the needs of students who missed school, slow-paced learners and those who struggle with academic performance, allowing them to get back on track and find success.

From Conflict Comes Hope: Hanifa’s Story

Addressing Menstrual Health for Girls

An important part of Education Cannot Wait’s Multi-Year Resilience Programme (MYRP) addresses sanitation, hygiene and menstrual health. Many girls are unable to safely manage their periods or are embarrassed, causing them to miss valuable time in the classroom. Hanifa missed over a month, furthering her need to take the remedial classes.

“Last year, when my period suddenly came while in class, I panicked and went home. I stayed home for more than a month because I felt humiliated. My mother advised me to not feel ashamed about it as it is a natural thing for any adolescent girl,” Hanifa said.

Hanifa wishes she had had the discussion with her mother or with her older sister before the incident. When her younger sisters grow up, she will talk about it with them so they can prepare for it and not share her experience.To assist girls like Hanifa, ECW grantees have distributed menstrual hygiene management kits. Since returning to class, Hanifa and her peers have utilized these kits, improving attendance and performance.

Redwan, another student in the community, uses the roof water catchment tools. Photo Credit: Save the Children / Dereje / 2021

Water, Health, Nutrition and Community

The Moyale Woreda works closely with ECW and partners to conduct outreach activities, training and joint supervision on the implementation progress. Alinur Ali, Moyale Woreda’s Educational Monitoring and Evaluation Expert, is grateful for the effect ECW’s investment has had on their region.

“Compared to the previous years, the number of enrollments has increased in five targeted schools of the programme. The school feeding programme is encouraging students to come to school and reducing burdens on their families. The reading club and remedial classes implemented are expected to boost children’s capacity. The training provided for teachers on literacy and numeracy is helping them to understand the students’ level and the required support for the students,” Alinur said.

The community also benefits from roof water catchments and the rain harvest systems. With limited infrastructure, and an increase in severe droughts connected with climate change, the community struggles with severe water shortages, and many families have to travel long distances to get water. Hanifa’s sister and mother spend hours daily to get clean water. The programme funds systems to help alleviate that burden while also providing water trucks to meet the Chamuk’s needs. The fresh water allows students like Hanifa with a place to wash their hands and prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other diseases, while at the same time also supporting their overall health and nutrition.

This work has inspired Hanifa to pursue a career to aid and give back to her community. “When I grow up and join university, I want to study Water Engineering to solve the water shortage for my community and my country since water is important for our survival,” Hanifa said.

Hanifa participating in classroom activities. Photo Credit: Save the Children / Dereje / 2021

About the Programme

The ECW multi-year resilience programme is a three-year programme that aims to improve learning through equitable access, crisis-sensitive, and quality education for emergency-affected children, especially girls and children living with disabilities. Implementing partners Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and Organization for Welfare and Development in Action utilize the grant funding across Southeast Ethiopia to address the critical educational needs of tens of thousands of out-of-school, displaced children.

The extensive investment reaches many aspects of education. In addition to the resources mentioned above, funding helps build temporary learning spaces, feeding programmes and gender segregated latrines. Schools receive essential classroom supplies, and after school clubs are established to reinforce concepts taught in school. For children with disabilities, community campaigns are launched to instill the importance of inclusion and education, and teachers receive training designed to address their needs.

Since the programme launched, ECW has supported hundreds of thousands of refugee and host community children. In 2020, grantees were able to provide more than 150,000 children with learning materials, train more than 3,000 school personnel and built 84 new classrooms and 192 WASH facilities. Additionally, ECW is supporting young children with early childhood education support and helps older students catch up through accelerated school-readiness programmes.

To hear more voices of children benefiting from ECW investments in Ethiopia, please read Ali’s story here.

Students participate in a reading circle. Photo Credit: Save the Children / Dereje / 2021

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