Secondary Schooling & Nutrition
Ethiopia
In the central highlands of Ethiopia, food security is extremely fragile. The staple diet is comprised of an unleavened bread called ‘injera’ made from teff, a low-yielding indigenous crop that requires much labour and care. Traditional sedentary agriculture accounts for problems of overgrazing, deforestation and soil exhaustion, placing Ethiopia’s agricultural productivity levels as one of the lowest in the world. Furthermore, regional data records that only 5% of children attend secondary school for lack of access and an obligation to work the land or attend to domestic household contributions.
To improve nutrient intake and increase sustained school attendance in the local community, a new secondary school is being constructed to accommodate 700 students in grade 9 and 10. A concurrent garden project involves knowledge sharing between community elders, health experts and students to extend the community’s yield of micronutrient-rich foods for the alleviation of malnutrition.
Key Areas of Expenditure:
- Needs’ assessment based on population data and community consultation
- School classroom construction
- Garden seedlings and equipment
- Garden committee support in maintenance and equitable consumption
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is an initiative of World Relief Australia