The Journey Toward Educational Rights

In Ethiopia, children with disabilities continue to face significant barriers in accessing education. According to the Ethiopia Education Sector Development Programme, these challenges include inadequate school infrastructure, a lack of qualified teachers trained in inclusive education, long distances between schools and students’ homes, especially in rural areas and deep-rooted socio-economic and cultural barriers. 

For children like Nazrawit, a 16-year-old girl from Tigray, these challenges are not foreign, they were her everyday reality. 

A dream to learn 

Nazrawit was born with both physical and intellectual disabilities. Despite her condition and the obstacles, it brought, she longed to go to school like any other child. That dream, even though delayed, began to take shape at the age of 10 when she enrolled in Grade 1 at May-Liham Primary School, supported by her mother and grandmother. With determination and a sense of belonging, Nazrawit started her education journey with hope. 

A classroom without access 

However, the school environment was far from inclusive. For four consecutive years, Nazrawit was confined to a single classroom, the only one accessible by wheelchair. The rest of the classrooms had no ramps, which meant that although she was technically promoted each year, she could not physically move to the next classroom with her peers. 

This lack of access not only held her back academically, forcing her to repeat two grades but also caused emotional pain and confusion.

“Am I not promoted to the next grade? All my friends seem to be changing classes,” she would often ask. 

Even basic dignity was denied. The school’s toilets were not accessible, forcing her to hold her urine the entire day until she got home. An exhausting and painful daily experience. 

Accessibility changes everything 

The turning point came when SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia, through its Disability Project in Mekelle, identified that several children, including Nazrawit, were struggling due to poor accessibility at May-Liham Primary School. As part of the intervention, ramps were constructed for all classrooms, a simple yet powerful change that allowed Nazrawit to attend different classrooms like her peers. This shift had a profound effect on her. No longer confined, she began to feel motivated again.  

An unexpected setback  

In January 2025, Nazrawit faced yet another setback when her old wheelchair broke beyond repair. Her family could not afford a replacement, her mother worked as a cleaner at a private bank, earning a modest income to support the household, while her grandmother relied on small contributions from relatives. A new wheelchair was simply out of reach. As a result, Nazrawit had to drop out of school. While her classmates completed Grade 5, she stayed at home, overwhelmed by sadness and uncertainty. The dream she had fought so hard to keep alive now seemed painfully distant. 

Restoring dignity once more 

Even during this challenging period, Nazrawit’s strength never faded. Through a partnership established by the project with SEN Ethiopia, an organization supporting children with special educational needs in Tigray she received a modern wheelchair, along with essential scholastic materials such as exercise books, a school bag, and other supplies. This timely support restored her mobility, renewed her confidence and gave her back her dream of returning to school once more. 

Today, Nazrawit is excitedly preparing to return to school for the upcoming academic year. But her story is not just about her. It has inspired broader change. SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia, in collaboration with May-Liham Primary School, is now working to build a disability-friendly toilet to ensure students like Nazrawit can attend school with dignity and comfort. 

About the project 

The SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia Disability Project in Mekelle (2021–2025) works to promote the rights of persons with disabilities through inclusive education, family support, and community empowerment. Over the five-year period, the project aims to directly reach 165 children and 85 caregivers, with an estimated 1,300 children and 650 caregivers benefiting indirectly. 

The project empowers people with disabilities to claim their rights, participate in decisions that affect their lives, improve their livelihoods, and meet their developmental and protection needs.