In Yirgacheffe, the She Thrives project is rewriting the futures of children like Alemtsehay Kediro and Zebiba Sisay, who were once forced out of school by extreme poverty and the burden of child labor.
To combat this, CARE Ethiopia, with funding from the U.S. Department of Labor, launched the Alternative Education Program (AEP). This initiative employs a gender-transformative approach to reintegrate children into the school system.
Today, the transformation is visible in the girls’ renewed sense of hope. Out of the initial 1,000 students enrolled, 920 have already graduated and successfully transitioned into regular 4th-grade classes. Now able to read and write, Alemtsehay dreams of becoming a teacher to help others like her, while Zebiba aspires to be a nurse. Their journey serves as a powerful reminder of the potential for change when communities unite to prioritize a child’s right to education.