Kinship Care offers a holistic approach to support girls on the journey from accessing education to obtaining agency, autonomy and aspirations.
In Ethiopia, public education is not free. Families must pay a school enrollment fee and purchase mandatory school supplies, including a school uniform, books, pencils and note books. The families we serve live on an average of $1.88 per day. They cannot afford to send their children to school. Without access to a quality education, these children grow up entrenched in poverty. Their futures fade away.
Through the Kinship Care program, we empower school age girls to break this intergenerational cycle of poverty through education. We cover the school fees and provide each girl in the program with essential supplies, including the mandatory school uniform and durable, high quality shoes.
But when a girl is in school, she can’t work to support her family. These families cannot survive unless every member contributes to the household income. As a solution, we provide families with Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT) to purchase food staples such as grain and eggs, as well as basic necessities like blankets and cooking oil. In return, the families work with our program mentors to learn their daughter’s responsibilities as a student, as well as their role in supporting her education.
We partner students with mentors who support their education and emotional wellbeing. Mentors intervene early if problems arise. They conduct home visits, review report cards and school attendance records, engaging parents and caregivers to actively support the girls.
Once girls are enrolled in school, we ensure that they stay in school, supporting them each step of the way.