Empowered Women in Farsuma Invest in Ther Community's Children

Young children are seated at the pre-kindergarten school in the village of Farsuma. [Image description: a large group of young children are seated on wooden benches inside a small classroom.]

Last year, a group of eight women from the village of Farsuma mobilized their community to build a kindergarten for their youngest children. The nearest school for these youngsters was much too far away for them to walk safely. These women are members of their local women’s self-help group and learned that other women’s groups were building schools in their communities.

When we visited last June, the community had just completed building their small school. Eighty children were enrolled and attended with the support of four volunteer teachers. The community’s dream was to build additional rooms to accommodate even more children.

[Image description: a small building made of wood slats and mud is being visited. Outside of the building are seven women.]

The first school building was a great first step, and it was clear that the community would outgrow the space in a short time. Given the need and incredible motivation of the community and women’s self-help groups, we invested in the community’s vision of building a larger pre-primary school in collaboration with local government and other community stakeholders.

We provided industrial construction materials and technical work, the community contributed labor and local construction materials, including wood and stones, and the local government provided land for the new building site. This collaborative effort is at the heart of all of our work; even our staff helped with the build! The four pictures above show the process of building the new school. Many community members were involved in the preparation and building of the new school.

The children now have a spacious, inviting space to learn! We are thrilled for them! [Image description: three young children are sitting in chairs with a bright yellow table in front of them. They have big smiles on their faces.]

The building is complete, and the children and the whole community LOVE their new school! This story is an incredible example of the power of women's voices. The women of Farsuma mobilized and transformed their community and their children's future for the better.

Local artists painted educational murals in the classrooms. [Image description: A man is painting a mural of a body with words written in Amharic to identify body parts.]

We continue to support women's self-help groups organizing into larger "Cluster Level Associations." By forming a larger association, these women create "power in numbers" when advocating for themselves to their local government. These amazing women made it happen!

Everyone pitched in. Women and children provided coffee and food for the men and women who worked on the build. [Image description: in the forefront of the photo, two women are carrying jebenas, Ethiopian coffee pots, while a young girl is helping with a small yellow water jug. In the background, two women are carrying platters.]