CARE in Ethiopia

CARE’s work in Ethiopia was established in 1984 in response to the widespread and acute famine between 1983 and 1984.

In Ethiopia we:

provide access to clean water and sanitation
fight HIV and AIDS
help families to improve their income, for example by giving them access to cheap loans
improve access to quality education

Although CARE continues to carry out emergency feeding, the focus of our work in Ethiopia has shifted beyond emergency relief to longer term rehabilitation and development.

CARE in action:

Fighting HIV and AIDS
In Addis Ababa, CARE is reducing the number of children who are infected with HIV at birth by raising awareness about HIV and AIDS and how it can be prevented among women of childbearing age.

CARE is combining awareness-raising activities, such as community-led education campaigns and school anti-AIDS clubs, with voluntary counselling and testing services where tests are carried out for a fraction of the cost of private testing. In addition, we work in partnership with local community groups known as Idirs to provide support and care, including financial support, for those most affected by HIV and AIDS such as the elderly, bed-ridden patients and orphans.

Education
We are working with schools, communities and local government in Ethiopia to improve access to primary education, especially among children in disadvantaged circumstances – such as children of pastoralists in remote, difficult to reach areas, and girls, who are less likely to attend school.

Earning a decent living
We are helping pastoralists in remote areas to improve access to food by helping them to develop better ways of raising livestock and building water tanks. We are also helping women of the community to find new ways of earning a living, such as by producing handicrafts.