SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia continues to work closely with families at risk of breaking down, ensuring children grow up in supportive and stable environments. In partnership with communities, local municipalities, and national governments, the organization implements measures to prevent children from losing parental care, strengthen family resilience, and improve access to quality education. By supporting parents, caregivers, schools, and community-based organizations, SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia ensures that children and youth have the learning opportunities and nurturing environments they need to thrive academically and socially.
Among its many initiatives, the Action for Bushulo Child Development and Family Empowerment (ABCD) and the Shashemene Holistic Action for Sustainable Household Empowerment (SHASHE) projects, supported by SOS-Kinderdorf Schweiz, have achieved significant success. Both projects focus greatly on gender inclusion, education, and economic empowerment, providing children and youth with the opportunities and support they need to thrive.
To celebrate the two projects key milestones, SOS Children’s Village Hawassa Programme Location hosted a series of events in late November 2025. On November 27, the ABCD Phase II project’s event commenced at Loke Secondary and High School in Bushulo, where hundreds of students welcomed the delegation with a guard of honor. Among the attendees were Mr. Sahlemariam Abebe, Multi-Country Director for SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia and South Sudan, Mr. Tsegaye Dejene, SOS Children’s Village Hawassa Programme Location Director, as well as regional and local government officials.
During the visit, Mr. Sahlemariam laid the foundation stone for an ICT resource centre at Loke High School, with construction estimated at 6 million ETB. The delegation also visited community-based organizations and savings and credit cooperatives, highlighting strong collaboration and synergy critical to the project’s sustainability. At Bushulo Primary School, a newly constructed kindergarten consisting of four classrooms, fully furnished and supported with safe child-friendly toilets, was inaugurated, with a construction cost exceeding 8.5 million ETB. Mr. Sahlemariam also handed over 20 brand-new Dell desktop computers for the ICT centre and 3 Risograph duplicating machines for partner schools to enhance continuous assessment and exam management systems.
Officials expressed deep appreciation for the ongoing collaboration. Mr. Tsegaye also acknowledged the strong partnership between government bodies and SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia, while Mr. Sahlemariam reaffirmed the organization’s long-standing commitment to serving millions of children, youth, and families nationwide. Representing the city administration, Mr. Birhanu praised the transformative educational interventions and announced that over 2 million ETB had been allocated to connect the school to the power grid, addressing a long-standing electricity challenge.
Overall, the day marked the handover and launch of construction works worth more than 27 million ETB, including the ICT resource centre construction; completion of the water reservoir and guard house for the youth centre; and the delivery of ICT equipment. Speaking on behalf of the Sidama Regional State, Deputy Bureau Head Mr. Zegaye expressed profound appreciation for the substantial impact of SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia and commended the ABCD project for its outstanding achievements in advancing educational rights.
The day concluded with children’s cultural performances and a traditional Sidama lunch at the newly developed youth centre compound, another accomplishment of the ABCD project.
On November 28, celebrations under the SHASHE project took place in Shashemene, beginning at Meka Eissa Primary School. Guests, including Mr. Sahlemariam, H.E. Adane Tekle Giorgis, Mayor of Shashemene, and Deputy Mayor Mr. Awol, were warmly welcomed with a traditional ceremony featuring colorful attire, singing, and community celebrations. The event marked the inauguration of a multipurpose hall costing 7 million ETB, the laying of the foundation stone for the upgrading of the inclusive resource centre, and the inauguration of a high-standard kindergarten with five classrooms, an office, a children’s sleeping room, and supporting facilities. Altogether, the multipurpose hall, kindergarten, inclusive resource centre upgrades, and adaptable toilets represent an investment of approximately 25 million ETB to improve partner school facilities.
During the visit, guests observed children learning in the new classrooms, a significant improvement from previous corrugated structures. There, Mr. Sahlemariam emphasized SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia’s vision of nurturing children and strengthening communities at the grassroots level, noting that additional funding will be mobilized in the coming years to enhance learning environments. Mayor Adane Tekle Giorgis expressed gratitude for the project’s impact, noting that its quality, depth, and consistency surpassed other organizations’ efforts in the area, and committed to resolving land issues swiftly to support school improvements.
The two days of events under the ABCD and SHASHE projects highlighted investments exceeding 48 million ETB, benefiting over 17,256 children enrolled in partner schools. Additionally, all four ABCD partner schools have now progressed to level 3 standard, reflecting significant improvements in meeting national school quality standards.
As Mr. Sahlemariam Abebe noted, “SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia is not only building for the children under its care today but also for generations to come.”
These milestones underscore SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia’s continued dedication to strengthening families, improving educational opportunities, and securing brighter futures for children and youth across Ethiopia.