SOS Schools in Ethiopia

Less than 40% of young women (15-24 years old) in Ethiopia are literate.

In Ethiopia, there are currently five SOS Schools and seven SOS Nurseries.  These facilities provide education to children from SOS Villages and from the wider community. Staff members are well trained and the resources available to students are of a high standard.  Below you can find an overview on the SOS Children education projects.

Children in Ethiopia

Mezgebu lost both his parents and survived by collecting dropped grains from the merchant’s sacks in the marketplace. He was often given ‘Arekie’ (a highly alcoholic drink) by adults. Now he lives at an SOS village and has the chance to acquire knowledge at the school in Bahir, rather than spending his days collecting grains from the ground.

Addis Ababa : SOS Schools

The SOS Nursery at Addis Ababa has around 110 children, most coming from the local community and about 40 from our SOS village.

• A wide range of play and learning activities takes place here and the children have a colourful outdoor playground.
• The nursery makes a number of educational visits to others in the capital, to share in teaching programs and the experience of other educators. 

Awassa : SOS Schools

The SOS Nursery at Awassa provides education to around 50 children from the SOS village.

• The children in the nursery learn through play. Activities are designed to enhance the children physically, socially and emotionally, as well as to develop their cognitive and aesthetic awareness.
• Through the year, the nursery school celebrates Christmas, Easter and the graduation of the oldest children to Primary School. We also celebrate the individual birthdays of the children. 

The SOS Primary and Secondary School at Awassa has around 1,000 students, approximately 150 of whom are from the SOS village.

• The school ranks number 1 in the region for performance in National Exams and has won the Ethiopian Mathematics Association cup two years in succession.
• As well as an emphasis on high standards of academic achievement, the school runs a number of clubs, including those for art, language, music and sport. The school also has an International Climate Change club with around fifty pupils and members took part in a tree-planting project in the school grounds. 

Bahir Dar : SOS Schools

The SOS Nursery at Bahir Dar provides education to over 100 children, with around fifty coming from the SOS village.

• The nursery groups the children into three levels and emphasises learning through play.
• Recently the children have been on trips to a nearby zoo and to the Abay river. Each year the school celebrates graduation day of the oldest pupils.

The SOS Primary and Secondary School at Bahir Dar has over 450 students (in grades 1-12) and provides an outreach programme which supports 150 children.

• The school boasts some of the best academic results in the region. Each term, students are encouraged to set their own learning targets and extra tutorial sessions help pupils overcome any particular problem areas.
• As well as academic learning, the school runs a number of extracurricular activities, including a monthly Art and Literature programme. Here, pupils are encouraged to be creative and write poems, dramas and essays.

Gode : SOS Schools

Gode has a population of 70,000, but the SOS Nursery is the only pre-school in the area. It provides education to over 100 children, around half coming from the SOS village.

• The nursery has three class levels (1, 2 and 3) and bases its learning activities on those promoted by the National Programme.
• The most colourful and exciting event of the school calendar is when the oldest children celebrate their graduation from pre-school in July.

The SOS Primary and Secondary School at Gode has over 200 students (from grades 1-8), with around 70 coming from the SOS village.

• In this remote Somali land, the school offers a unique beacon of opportunity for young people to access education and pupils are continually assessed through their studies.
• The school has recently developed an IT course for students above grade 4. In this remote part of the country, pupils have a real curiosity and enthusiasm for learning what computers can do.

Harrar : SOS Schools

The SOS Nursery at Harrar provides education for nearly 200 children, with around 50 coming from the SOS village.

• After the old nursery was destroyed by fire, the school now has a new building with excellent learning materials (based on the Montessori Method) and a new playground.
• The school looks after the complete wellbeing of the children, working with the children and parents if there are any behavioural or psychological problems to overcome.

The SOS Primary and Secondary School at Harrar has almost 900 students (from grades 1-12), with around 135 coming from the SOS village.

• The school has been one of the pilot schools for teaching a new national programme of ICT-supported education, allowing pupils to access lessons and information via specialist websites and use the internet as an open source/e-library, particularly for science projects. Teachers also use the national websites for exam questions, lesson plans and for learning materials.
• The school runs thirty different clubs, covering all kinds of extra-curricular subjects. These include debating and science clubs and also fundraising and charity activities, such as organising food for street children at Easter.
  

Jimma : SOS Schools

The SOS Nursery at Jimma operates independently from any SOS facilities. The school has around 140 children, all from the local community.

• A wide range of play and learning activities takes place to prepare children for their primary education.
• The highlight of the school year is the graduation ceremony for the oldest children who have completed their nursery years. 

Makelle : SOS Schools

The SOS Nursery at Makelle provides education for around 120 children, with over 80 coming from the SOS village.

• The nursery has classes in levels 1-3 and children are assessed according to the Academic and Life Skills Development Programme.
• The school has close links with parents and the community and holds a colourful Parents’ Day.

The SOS Primary and Secondary School at Mekelle has over 1,200 students (from grades 1-12), with around 150 coming from the SOS village.

• The school recently achieved a 100% pass rate in the national exams for the 8th, 10th and 12th grades.
• Pupils are encouraged to take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, including contests and club show days. There is also a student governing body council, which has over sixty elected members from grades 5-12, with 9 acting as executive council members.