As part of its 2023–2027 national strategy to reach 4.5 million children and youth, SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia delivers critical humanitarian and recovery interventions across multiple regions. As a core part of the broader strategy, its humanitarian action unit serves as a backbone enabling the national plan to translate into real change on the ground.
Strategic reach into crisis areas
- In Harar and Wollo, SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia provides lifesaving support to communities impacted by drought, conflict, and harmful traditional practices.
- In Tigray, interventions facilitate post conflict recovery in war affected communities.
- After a deadly 2024 landslide in Geze Gofa, initial emergency assistance evolved into ongoing agricultural recovery and mental health support.
- Along the border areas of Oromia, Somali and Afar, peacebuilding efforts target communities long fractured by cross border resource conflicts.
- In North Wollo and Waghimera (Amhara region), a newly launched early recovery initiative addresses urgent and medium-term needs in education, protection, livelihood, and wellbeing for conflict affected communities.
Every sectoral intervention integrates across domains like education, health and nutrition, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), nonfood items, protection and GBV support, livelihoods, and multipurpose cash.
“Practice Peace and Live in Tranquility” A border peace project
Recognizing peace as the foundation for lasting recovery, SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia, in partnership with the German Foundation for World Population (DSW) and Population Health Environment Ethiopia Consortium (PHEEC) launched the €2 million European Union-funded “Practice Peace and Live in Tranquility” (2024–2027) project, targeting bordering areas of Oromia, Somali and Afar regional states. With an objective to prevent, mitigate, and reduce conflicts through social healing, behavior change, and livelihood support.
Milestones achieved to date:
- Stakeholder Engagement: Sensitization sessions held across Awash (Afar), Dire Dawa (Somali/Oromia), and West Hararghe (Adama) built initial buy-in and mutual understanding.
- A gender responsive conflict and resilience assessment was completed, validated, and disseminated, forming a common basis for planning.
- Youth conflict management modules and guidelines developed for use in community forums (“coffee panels”) and by peace promoters.
- Youth Peace Clubs: 14 in school and 8 out of school clubs established (achieving 91.7 % of target).
- Leader Training: 45 youth leaders and teachers (14 female) trained in sustaining peace clubs, supported by a materials assessment to address resource gaps.
- Facilitator Training (ToT): 61 individuals (21 female), including youth and local officials, prepared to lead peace dialogues.
- Youth & Peace Security Training: 34 youths (10 female) from national youth councils engaged in advanced training.
- Women’s Peace Dialogue: A “Coffee for Peace” flipbook developed, and training delivered, enabling women to lead inclusive peace conversations.
Community backbone and local structures:
- 198 peace promoters selected (11 per kebele) across priority areas, combining youth and elderly.
- Conflict resolution/peacebuilding flipbooks, covering joint rangeland management, benefit sharing, and early warning measures, are in development.
- 18 community dialogue sessions were held with 1,676 participants engaged providing platforms for listening, sharing, and corrective action.
- Stakeholder mapping was completed to identify key influencers, impacted groups, and entry points for collaboration.
- Cross Border Peace Committees were established in 8 woredas, bringing together community and administrative leaders to sign peace agreements and enable cross border dialogue.
- Training on conflict resolution and early warning delivered to committee members; woreda level awareness campaigns are being prepared with an acceleration plan to launch before year’s end.
Overcoming challenges and recovering momentum
Although the project implementation was delayed due to setbacks in finalizing the project agreement, through persistent engagement, clarifying dialogues, leveraging partner networks, and unified support, the project secured formal endorsement and reestablished momentum. With an acceleration plan activated, actions such as closer field coordination, streamlined workflows, communication alignment, and resource mobilization to fast track implementation are underway.
Early reach and trajectory
In the first eight months, the project reached 2,264 individuals,15.4% of the year 1 target of 19,720, laying a strong foundation for accelerated impact in the months ahead. This progress has been made possible through close alignment with local government bodies, NGO partners, and technical stakeholders. Such collaboration not only drives implementation but also builds trust, strengthens institutional ownership, and ensures sustainability beyond the project’s duration. Open communication and shared responsibility have fostered a spirit of unity, setting the tone for deeper community engagement and lasting results.
SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia’s humanitarian portfolio is not just about relief, it is about rebuilding lives, restoring social cohesion, and paving pathways to peace. Through multisector programming, youth and women empowerment, and deeply community rooted peacebuilding, SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia is delivering tangible impact in some of Ethiopia’s priority intervention areas, elevating its role as a leading responder.