EAA Foundation and imagine1Day LEAP to Success
Education Above All Foundation (EAA)’s Educate A Child programme and imagine1day are pleased to announce the remarkable success of the Leaders, Educators, and Parents (LEAP) joint project in Ethiopia. Over the past three years, LEAP has revolutionised access to quality primary education and spurred a surge of positive change by enrolling over 93,000 out of school children (OOSC) in seven districts in the Oromia and Tigray regions of Ethiopia.
Driven by community mobilisation, the LEAP project, stands out for its innovative strategies and holistic approaches, ensuring access to quality primary education for some of the most marginalised out of school children. Through the tireless efforts of influential community elders, religious leaders, Parent Teacher and Students Associations (PTS), and Women’s Associations, LEAP has not only enrolled children but has instilled a sense of ownership and sustainability within the community.
One of the cornerstones of LEAP’s success is rooted in embracing indigenous knowledge and local structures. The project has turned traditional coffee conversations into powerful tools to effectively disseminate crucial information about the value of education, girls' education, and child protection. Active school clubs have also become a key project activity, combatting harmful traditional practices such as early marriage and others.
Over the past three years, a total of 485 classrooms were constructed, equipped, and furnished. The construction included 21 libraries, 25 water facilities, and 92 gender-segregated latrine blocks, with 23 funded by the project and a further 69 built through community contributions. LEAP has not only built infrastructure; it has also invested in the capacity enhancement of leaders and experts.
Umer Limu, the National Program Director at imagine1day, highlights the pivotal role of community engagement in realising LEAP's objectives. "Through strategic partnerships and community involvement, LEAP has achieved unprecedented success in transforming the education landscape of Ethiopia," he emphasised.
Notably, 98% of previously out of school children enrolled in LEAP have been retained, and an impressive 11.75% improvement in students' Grade Point Average (GPA) has been achieved across project schools.
Ebud Abreha, a ten-year-old grade one student at Arena Primary School in Addi-Gudem, Tigray, says, “I am so happy I get the education opportunity after three long years of dropout. I am able to attend without problems for I am also provided scholastic materials. I felt safe and hopeful for the first time after two years when I got back to school. I have forgotten all the trauma of the war and my experience on the journey of displacement. I made lots of friends to play and study within my school.”
Dr Mary Joy Pigozzi, Executive Director of Education Above All Foundation’s Educate A Child (EAC) Programme, celebrates the successful changes that the LEAP Project in Ethiopia have brought about, “Through innovative strategies and community engagement, LEAP has not only provided access to quality primary education for out of school children, it has also improved retention rates, increased academic performance and enabled children overcome the trauma of war. This achievement underscores our commitment to inclusive education and transformative change that enables profound change for children who were once excluded from their right to education.”
The success of the LEAP project underscores the transformative power of community-driven initiatives in education. EAA Foundation and Imagine1day remain committed to advancing quality education access for the most marginalized children.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Patience Rusare
Senior Media Specialist
parusare@eaa.org.qa
+974-5993-1560
Mohamed Al-Amri
Senior Media Relations Specialist
msalih@eaa.org.qa
+974-5000-9960
