Real progressWith the support of Plan, children and adults inEthiopia are working together to develop theircommunities and claim their right to a betterfuture. And real progress is being made. Last year, our work included:

• Increasing the percentage of communitieswhere we work who have access to clean,safe water from 7% to 49% by installingnew water supply schemes andupgrading others

• Improving the quality of children’s education by offering refresher trainingto over 500 primary school teachers

• Helping families to boost their farming incomes by supplying them withover 300 heifers, bulls and sheep

• Giving over 200 young people the chance to improve their job prospects byorganising vocational training in skills like catering, carpentry and pottery.

Plan’s greatest successes come from a joint effortcombining the hard work and determination ofcommunities, children, volunteers, staff, and partnerorganisations. The ongoing support of our sponsors isa vital ingredient, too. It’s their generosity andcommitment that allows us to continue to help childrenin 49 of the poorest countries in the world.

So on behalf of the children and communities we work with, thank you to all our sponsors!

Plan UK Registered Charity No: 276035

ETH

Livestock has been distributed as one way of boostingfarming families’ incomes

p

Challenge and change in EthiopiaThis has been a year of action for Plan in Ethiopia, where we are working with families in some of the poorest communities to make lasting improvements to theirchildren’s lives.

Together, we’re transforming children’s education, healthcare, access to clean waterand sanitation, and training in job skills for the future. We’re introducing micro-financeschemes into all communities, giving women in particular the opportunity to makesavings and take out loans for small business initiatives. In time, we know they will usetheir income to protect their children’s health and education.

We’ve also worked with partners to protect children from disease by trainingcommunities on hygiene andsanitation. Thousands of householdshave since dug their own basic toilets,helping to keep their children safefrom infection.

As always, children are our priority,and the project highlighted in thisCountry Progress Report reflects thatcommitment.

Ethiopia country factsPopulation: 71.3 million

Capital: Addis Ababa

UN Human Development Indexranking: 170th (of 177 countries)

Life expectancy: 48 years

Under-fives who are under-weight:38%

Primary-age children in school: 31% (Sources: the UN, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, UNICEF) Country Progress

Report 2007

Ethiopia

Admagic No:Bright No:

Client name:File name:

Date:Size:

Studio proof:

0407100647PLAN0407_Ethiopia20.11.07210x443.5mm FOLD TO A55 Client proof: 3

Any enquiries please contact:Nick Burton. e: nick@bright-uk.comm: 07884 367567. d: 020 7620 8150

Size (Prod) Colours(Prod) Art (A/D) Copy (C/W) Content (Acc.)

146.5mm FLAP 148.5mm BACK 148.5mm FRONT

We’re improving access to clean water and training communitieson the importance of good hygiene and sanitation

p

Real progressWith the support of Plan, children and adults inEthiopia are working together to develop theircommunities and claim their right to a betterfuture. And real progress is being made. Last year, our work included:

• Increasing the percentage of communitieswhere we work who have access to clean,safe water from 7% to 49% by installingnew water supply schemes andupgrading others

• Improving the quality of children’s education by offering refresher trainingto over 500 primary school teachers

• Helping families to boost their farming incomes by supplying them withover 300 heifers, bulls and sheep

• Giving over 200 young people the chance to improve their job prospects byorganising vocational training in skills like catering, carpentry and pottery.

Plan’s greatest successes come from a joint effortcombining the hard work and determination ofcommunities, children, volunteers, staff, and partnerorganisations. The ongoing support of our sponsors isa vital ingredient, too. It’s their generosity andcommitment that allows us to continue to help childrenin 49 of the poorest countries in the world.

So on behalf of the children and communities we work with, thank you to all our sponsors!

Plan UK Registered Charity No: 276035

ETH

Livestock has been distributed as one way of boostingfarming families’ incomes

p

Challenge and change in EthiopiaThis has been a year of action for Plan in Ethiopia, where we are working with families in some of the poorest communities to make lasting improvements to theirchildren’s lives.

Together, we’re transforming children’s education, healthcare, access to clean waterand sanitation, and training in job skills for the future. We’re introducing micro-financeschemes into all communities, giving women in particular the opportunity to makesavings and take out loans for small business initiatives. In time, we know they will usetheir income to protect their children’s health and education.

We’ve also worked with partners to protect children from disease by trainingcommunities on hygiene andsanitation. Thousands of householdshave since dug their own basic toilets,helping to keep their children safefrom infection.

As always, children are our priority,and the project highlighted in thisCountry Progress Report reflects thatcommitment.

Ethiopia country factsPopulation: 71.3 million

Capital: Addis Ababa

UN Human Development Indexranking: 170th (of 177 countries)

Life expectancy: 48 years

Under-fives who are under-weight:38%

Primary-age children in school: 31% (Sources: the UN, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, UNICEF) Country Progress

Report 2007

Ethiopia

Admagic No:Bright No:

Client name:File name:

Date:Size:

Studio proof:

0407100647PLAN0407_Ethiopia20.11.07210x443.5mm FOLD TO A55 Client proof: 3

Any enquiries please contact:Nick Burton. e: nick@bright-uk.comm: 07884 367567. d: 020 7620 8150

Size (Prod) Colours(Prod) Art (A/D) Copy (C/W) Content (Acc.)

146.5mm FLAP 148.5mm BACK 148.5mm FRONT

We’re improving access to clean water and training communitieson the importance of good hygiene and sanitation

p

ceremonies in response to invitationsthey have received by other families.”

Whatever a family gains bymarrying off a daughter, the girlherself will almost certainly bethe loser.

Whatever a family gains by marrying offtheir daughter, the girl herself willalmost certainly be the loser. Abadu isone of the lucky ones. She and herhusband divorced, and she was able toreturn to school. Many more girls haveno such opportunities. Forced intomarriages they do not want, they arealso bound into sexual relationships andinevitably, pregnancies their youngbodies cannot cope with.

Empowering childrenAlemu teaches at Abadu’s school and isworking with Plan to put a stop tounderage marriage in Amhara. So tooare other local partners like the policeand courts, women’s associations, healthservices, community elders andchildren’s groups.

Plan is protecting children by educatingcommunities about the dangers of childmarriage and by making sure thatchildren, and those responsible forthem, are aware of their rights.

Changing ingrained attitudes takes time

and sensitivity, but Plan believes that

children hold the key to long-term

success. Our work with the poorest

families has taught us that listening to

children’s concerns and giving them

opportunities to voice them can have

a powerful and lasting effect on their

communities.

We’re protecting children byeducating communities about thedangers of child marriage and bymaking sure that children areaware of their rights.

Abadu is a member of her school’s childrights club, at the heart of promotingchildren’s interests in her village. Here,with training organised by Plan and theDistrict Justice Office, she is learningthat children – and particularly girls likeherself – have value too, and theiropinions count.

She and her friends have taken theirviews on child marriage out into theirlocal community, performing plays,songs and poems for local people aboutits terrible consequences.

The children find innovative ways ofgetting their point across. In Amhara,Plan has helped them to build “hopewalls” – walls painted with pictures andmessages about their lives, somefeaturing their thoughts on childmarriage.

148.5mm INSIDE 148.5mm INSIDE 146.5mm INSIDE

But three years ago, Abadu’s life wasvery different. She wasn’t allowed to goto school or mix with friends. Instead, at the age of nine she was married.

“My parents compelled me to marry a person that I did not know before,” she says. “I lived with my husband andmy in-laws for two years without myconsent. I was busy doing heavydomestic work.”

Child marriage – that is, an arrangedmarriage where one of the partners is under 18 – is illegal in Ethiopia. Yet in many of Ethiopia’s poorest rural communities, deep-rooted customs persist.

Abadu lives in Amhara in northernEthiopia, a region where many familieslive in absolute poverty and struggle tosurvive. Here, poverty combined with atraditional view of girls keeps thepractice of child marriage alive.

Marriage at a priceGirls in Amhara often lead very differentlives to their brothers. Conventiondictates that when they grow up they

should leave their families to marry andhave children. Because, on marrying,girls become part of another family,many parents do not see the value ofeducating their daughters andencouraging them to find a job. Instead,they prefer to keep them at home tohelp with domestic duties like fetchingwater. For some, a girl is a financialburden they cannot afford. Withmarriage, the burden is removed.

Social standing plays its part, too, as 11-year-old Fenta explains: “People do it because they want to do what othersdo. They want to invite families to

The club has also devised apractical warning system to alertauthorities of potential marriagesand have them stopped. Rahelexplains that if children hear ofplanned marriages they canreport them to their school club,or community child rightscommittee which sets in motion checks involving theGovernment’s Justice Bureauand local hospital. If the girl isfound to be underage, the marriagemust be cancelled.

Abadu’s teacher and her school arecommitted to the group’s activities,holding a workshop on underagemarriage and distributing leaflets. Rahel, another club-member says their joint efforts, and Plan’s support,are bringing “a promising change in the attitudes of people.”

Abadu agrees that the incidence ofchild marriage in the area is falling. Butthere is a long way to go. In isolatedcommunities, it is still prevalent. There’sa need for materials to educatecommunities that every child haspotential – even girls. Strong networksinvolving children’s agencies and thepolice are also needed, to make sure nochild slips the net.

When Abadu leaves school, she wantsto be a teacher, sharing her educationwith a whole new generation ofchildren and helping them to resist earlymarriage. Alemu approves. “The nationas a whole loses when girls areuneducated and unprepared for theirroles as mothers and contributors tosociety,” he says.

Some names have been changed for privacy and childprotection reasons.

Plan is working to reduce levels of child marriage and teenagemotherhood in Ethiopia

p

Not ready for marriageAbadu is a model pupil at her school in rural Ethiopia. Attentive in class andan active member of the school clubs, she obviously enjoys school life andgiggles with her friends just like any other 12-year-old girl.

We’re trying to keep girls in school so they have time to developtheir potential

p

ceremonies in response to invitationsthey have received by other families.”

Whatever a family gains bymarrying off a daughter, the girlherself will almost certainly bethe loser.

Whatever a family gains by marrying offtheir daughter, the girl herself willalmost certainly be the loser. Abadu isone of the lucky ones. She and herhusband divorced, and she was able toreturn to school. Many more girls haveno such opportunities. Forced intomarriages they do not want, they arealso bound into sexual relationships andinevitably, pregnancies their youngbodies cannot cope with.

Empowering childrenAlemu teaches at Abadu’s school and isworking with Plan to put a stop tounderage marriage in Amhara. So tooare other local partners like the policeand courts, women’s associations, healthservices, community elders andchildren’s groups.

Plan is protecting children by educatingcommunities about the dangers of childmarriage and by making sure thatchildren, and those responsible forthem, are aware of their rights.

Changing ingrained attitudes takes time

and sensitivity, but Plan believes that

children hold the key to long-term

success. Our work with the poorest

families has taught us that listening to

children’s concerns and giving them

opportunities to voice them can have

a powerful and lasting effect on their

communities.

We’re protecting children byeducating communities about thedangers of child marriage and bymaking sure that children areaware of their rights.

Abadu is a member of her school’s childrights club, at the heart of promotingchildren’s interests in her village. Here,with training organised by Plan and theDistrict Justice Office, she is learningthat children – and particularly girls likeherself – have value too, and theiropinions count.

She and her friends have taken theirviews on child marriage out into theirlocal community, performing plays,songs and poems for local people aboutits terrible consequences.

The children find innovative ways ofgetting their point across. In Amhara,Plan has helped them to build “hopewalls” – walls painted with pictures andmessages about their lives, somefeaturing their thoughts on childmarriage.

148.5mm INSIDE 148.5mm INSIDE 146.5mm INSIDE

But three years ago, Abadu’s life wasvery different. She wasn’t allowed to goto school or mix with friends. Instead, at the age of nine she was married.

“My parents compelled me to marry a person that I did not know before,” she says. “I lived with my husband andmy in-laws for two years without myconsent. I was busy doing heavydomestic work.”

Child marriage – that is, an arrangedmarriage where one of the partners is under 18 – is illegal in Ethiopia. Yet in many of Ethiopia’s poorest rural communities, deep-rooted customs persist.

Abadu lives in Amhara in northernEthiopia, a region where many familieslive in absolute poverty and struggle tosurvive. Here, poverty combined with atraditional view of girls keeps thepractice of child marriage alive.

Marriage at a priceGirls in Amhara often lead very differentlives to their brothers. Conventiondictates that when they grow up they

should leave their families to marry andhave children. Because, on marrying,girls become part of another family,many parents do not see the value ofeducating their daughters andencouraging them to find a job. Instead,they prefer to keep them at home tohelp with domestic duties like fetchingwater. For some, a girl is a financialburden they cannot afford. Withmarriage, the burden is removed.

Social standing plays its part, too, as 11-year-old Fenta explains: “People do it because they want to do what othersdo. They want to invite families to

The club has also devised apractical warning system to alertauthorities of potential marriagesand have them stopped. Rahelexplains that if children hear ofplanned marriages they canreport them to their school club,or community child rightscommittee which sets in motion checks involving theGovernment’s Justice Bureauand local hospital. If the girl isfound to be underage, the marriagemust be cancelled.

Abadu’s teacher and her school arecommitted to the group’s activities,holding a workshop on underagemarriage and distributing leaflets. Rahel, another club-member says their joint efforts, and Plan’s support,are bringing “a promising change in the attitudes of people.”

Abadu agrees that the incidence ofchild marriage in the area is falling. Butthere is a long way to go. In isolatedcommunities, it is still prevalent. There’sa need for materials to educatecommunities that every child haspotential – even girls. Strong networksinvolving children’s agencies and thepolice are also needed, to make sure nochild slips the net.

When Abadu leaves school, she wantsto be a teacher, sharing her educationwith a whole new generation ofchildren and helping them to resist earlymarriage. Alemu approves. “The nationas a whole loses when girls areuneducated and unprepared for theirroles as mothers and contributors tosociety,” he says.

Some names have been changed for privacy and childprotection reasons.

Plan is working to reduce levels of child marriage and teenagemotherhood in Ethiopia

p

Not ready for marriageAbadu is a model pupil at her school in rural Ethiopia. Attentive in class andan active member of the school clubs, she obviously enjoys school life andgiggles with her friends just like any other 12-year-old girl.

We’re trying to keep girls in school so they have time to developtheir potential

p

ceremonies in response to invitationsthey have received by other families.”

Whatever a family gains bymarrying off a daughter, the girlherself will almost certainly bethe loser.

Whatever a family gains by marrying offtheir daughter, the girl herself willalmost certainly be the loser. Abadu isone of the lucky ones. She and herhusband divorced, and she was able toreturn to school. Many more girls haveno such opportunities. Forced intomarriages they do not want, they arealso bound into sexual relationships andinevitably, pregnancies their youngbodies cannot cope with.

Empowering childrenAlemu teaches at Abadu’s school and isworking with Plan to put a stop tounderage marriage in Amhara. So tooare other local partners like the policeand courts, women’s associations, healthservices, community elders andchildren’s groups.

Plan is protecting children by educatingcommunities about the dangers of childmarriage and by making sure thatchildren, and those responsible forthem, are aware of their rights.

Changing ingrained attitudes takes time

and sensitivity, but Plan believes that

children hold the key to long-term

success. Our work with the poorest

families has taught us that listening to

children’s concerns and giving them

opportunities to voice them can have

a powerful and lasting effect on their

communities.

We’re protecting children byeducating communities about thedangers of child marriage and bymaking sure that children areaware of their rights.

Abadu is a member of her school’s childrights club, at the heart of promotingchildren’s interests in her village. Here,with training organised by Plan and theDistrict Justice Office, she is learningthat children – and particularly girls likeherself – have value too, and theiropinions count.

She and her friends have taken theirviews on child marriage out into theirlocal community, performing plays,songs and poems for local people aboutits terrible consequences.

The children find innovative ways ofgetting their point across. In Amhara,Plan has helped them to build “hopewalls” – walls painted with pictures andmessages about their lives, somefeaturing their thoughts on childmarriage.

148.5mm INSIDE 148.5mm INSIDE 146.5mm INSIDE

But three years ago, Abadu’s life wasvery different. She wasn’t allowed to goto school or mix with friends. Instead, at the age of nine she was married.

“My parents compelled me to marry a person that I did not know before,” she says. “I lived with my husband andmy in-laws for two years without myconsent. I was busy doing heavydomestic work.”

Child marriage – that is, an arrangedmarriage where one of the partners is under 18 – is illegal in Ethiopia. Yet in many of Ethiopia’s poorest rural communities, deep-rooted customs persist.

Abadu lives in Amhara in northernEthiopia, a region where many familieslive in absolute poverty and struggle tosurvive. Here, poverty combined with atraditional view of girls keeps thepractice of child marriage alive.

Marriage at a priceGirls in Amhara often lead very differentlives to their brothers. Conventiondictates that when they grow up they

should leave their families to marry andhave children. Because, on marrying,girls become part of another family,many parents do not see the value ofeducating their daughters andencouraging them to find a job. Instead,they prefer to keep them at home tohelp with domestic duties like fetchingwater. For some, a girl is a financialburden they cannot afford. Withmarriage, the burden is removed.

Social standing plays its part, too, as 11-year-old Fenta explains: “People do it because they want to do what othersdo. They want to invite families to

The club has also devised apractical warning system to alertauthorities of potential marriagesand have them stopped. Rahelexplains that if children hear ofplanned marriages they canreport them to their school club,or community child rightscommittee which sets in motion checks involving theGovernment’s Justice Bureauand local hospital. If the girl isfound to be underage, the marriagemust be cancelled.

Abadu’s teacher and her school arecommitted to the group’s activities,holding a workshop on underagemarriage and distributing leaflets. Rahel, another club-member says their joint efforts, and Plan’s support,are bringing “a promising change in the attitudes of people.”

Abadu agrees that the incidence ofchild marriage in the area is falling. Butthere is a long way to go. In isolatedcommunities, it is still prevalent. There’sa need for materials to educatecommunities that every child haspotential – even girls. Strong networksinvolving children’s agencies and thepolice are also needed, to make sure nochild slips the net.

When Abadu leaves school, she wantsto be a teacher, sharing her educationwith a whole new generation ofchildren and helping them to resist earlymarriage. Alemu approves. “The nationas a whole loses when girls areuneducated and unprepared for theirroles as mothers and contributors tosociety,” he says.

Some names have been changed for privacy and childprotection reasons.

Plan is working to reduce levels of child marriage and teenagemotherhood in Ethiopia

p

Not ready for marriageAbadu is a model pupil at her school in rural Ethiopia. Attentive in class andan active member of the school clubs, she obviously enjoys school life andgiggles with her friends just like any other 12-year-old girl.

We’re trying to keep girls in school so they have time to developtheir potential

p

Real progressWith the support of Plan, children and adults inEthiopia are working together to develop theircommunities and claim their right to a betterfuture. And real progress is being made. Last year, our work included:

• Increasing the percentage of communitieswhere we work who have access to clean,safe water from 7% to 49% by installingnew water supply schemes andupgrading others

• Improving the quality of children’s education by offering refresher trainingto over 500 primary school teachers

• Helping families to boost their farming incomes by supplying them withover 300 heifers, bulls and sheep

• Giving over 200 young people the chance to improve their job prospects byorganising vocational training in skills like catering, carpentry and pottery.

Plan’s greatest successes come from a joint effortcombining the hard work and determination ofcommunities, children, volunteers, staff, and partnerorganisations. The ongoing support of our sponsors isa vital ingredient, too. It’s their generosity andcommitment that allows us to continue to help childrenin 49 of the poorest countries in the world.

So on behalf of the children and communities we work with, thank you to all our sponsors!

Plan UK Registered Charity No: 276035

ETH

Livestock has been distributed as one way of boostingfarming families’ incomes

p

Challenge and change in EthiopiaThis has been a year of action for Plan in Ethiopia, where we are working with families in some of the poorest communities to make lasting improvements to theirchildren’s lives.

Together, we’re transforming children’s education, healthcare, access to clean waterand sanitation, and training in job skills for the future. We’re introducing micro-financeschemes into all communities, giving women in particular the opportunity to makesavings and take out loans for small business initiatives. In time, we know they will usetheir income to protect their children’s health and education.

We’ve also worked with partners to protect children from disease by trainingcommunities on hygiene andsanitation. Thousands of householdshave since dug their own basic toilets,helping to keep their children safefrom infection.

As always, children are our priority,and the project highlighted in thisCountry Progress Report reflects thatcommitment.

Ethiopia country factsPopulation: 71.3 million

Capital: Addis Ababa

UN Human Development Indexranking: 170th (of 177 countries)

Life expectancy: 48 years

Under-fives who are under-weight:38%

Primary-age children in school: 31% (Sources: the UN, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, UNICEF) Country Progress

Report 2007

Ethiopia

Admagic No:Bright No:

Client name:File name:

Date:Size:

Studio proof:

0407100647PLAN0407_Ethiopia20.11.07210x443.5mm FOLD TO A55 Client proof: 3

Any enquiries please contact:Nick Burton. e: nick@bright-uk.comm: 07884 367567. d: 020 7620 8150

Size (Prod) Colours(Prod) Art (A/D) Copy (C/W) Content (Acc.)

146.5mm FLAP 148.5mm BACK 148.5mm FRONT

We’re improving access to clean water and training communitieson the importance of good hygiene and sanitation

p

ceremonies in response to invitationsthey have received by other families.”

Whatever a family gains bymarrying off a daughter, the girlherself will almost certainly bethe loser.

Whatever a family gains by marrying offtheir daughter, the girl herself willalmost certainly be the loser. Abadu isone of the lucky ones. She and herhusband divorced, and she was able toreturn to school. Many more girls haveno such opportunities. Forced intomarriages they do not want, they arealso bound into sexual relationships andinevitably, pregnancies their youngbodies cannot cope with.

Empowering childrenAlemu teaches at Abadu’s school and isworking with Plan to put a stop tounderage marriage in Amhara. So tooare other local partners like the policeand courts, women’s associations, healthservices, community elders andchildren’s groups.

Plan is protecting children by educatingcommunities about the dangers of childmarriage and by making sure thatchildren, and those responsible forthem, are aware of their rights.

Changing ingrained attitudes takes time

and sensitivity, but Plan believes that

children hold the key to long-term

success. Our work with the poorest

families has taught us that listening to

children’s concerns and giving them

opportunities to voice them can have

a powerful and lasting effect on their

communities.

We’re protecting children byeducating communities about thedangers of child marriage and bymaking sure that children areaware of their rights.

Abadu is a member of her school’s childrights club, at the heart of promotingchildren’s interests in her village. Here,with training organised by Plan and theDistrict Justice Office, she is learningthat children – and particularly girls likeherself – have value too, and theiropinions count.

She and her friends have taken theirviews on child marriage out into theirlocal community, performing plays,songs and poems for local people aboutits terrible consequences.

The children find innovative ways ofgetting their point across. In Amhara,Plan has helped them to build “hopewalls” – walls painted with pictures andmessages about their lives, somefeaturing their thoughts on childmarriage.

148.5mm INSIDE 148.5mm INSIDE 146.5mm INSIDE

But three years ago, Abadu’s life wasvery different. She wasn’t allowed to goto school or mix with friends. Instead, at the age of nine she was married.

“My parents compelled me to marry a person that I did not know before,” she says. “I lived with my husband andmy in-laws for two years without myconsent. I was busy doing heavydomestic work.”

Child marriage – that is, an arrangedmarriage where one of the partners is under 18 – is illegal in Ethiopia. Yet in many of Ethiopia’s poorest rural communities, deep-rooted customs persist.

Abadu lives in Amhara in northernEthiopia, a region where many familieslive in absolute poverty and struggle tosurvive. Here, poverty combined with atraditional view of girls keeps thepractice of child marriage alive.

Marriage at a priceGirls in Amhara often lead very differentlives to their brothers. Conventiondictates that when they grow up they

should leave their families to marry andhave children. Because, on marrying,girls become part of another family,many parents do not see the value ofeducating their daughters andencouraging them to find a job. Instead,they prefer to keep them at home tohelp with domestic duties like fetchingwater. For some, a girl is a financialburden they cannot afford. Withmarriage, the burden is removed.

Social standing plays its part, too, as 11-year-old Fenta explains: “People do it because they want to do what othersdo. They want to invite families to

The club has also devised apractical warning system to alertauthorities of potential marriagesand have them stopped. Rahelexplains that if children hear ofplanned marriages they canreport them to their school club,or community child rightscommittee which sets in motion checks involving theGovernment’s Justice Bureauand local hospital. If the girl isfound to be underage, the marriagemust be cancelled.

Abadu’s teacher and her school arecommitted to the group’s activities,holding a workshop on underagemarriage and distributing leaflets. Rahel, another club-member says their joint efforts, and Plan’s support,are bringing “a promising change in the attitudes of people.”

Abadu agrees that the incidence ofchild marriage in the area is falling. Butthere is a long way to go. In isolatedcommunities, it is still prevalent. There’sa need for materials to educatecommunities that every child haspotential – even girls. Strong networksinvolving children’s agencies and thepolice are also needed, to make sure nochild slips the net.

When Abadu leaves school, she wantsto be a teacher, sharing her educationwith a whole new generation ofchildren and helping them to resist earlymarriage. Alemu approves. “The nationas a whole loses when girls areuneducated and unprepared for theirroles as mothers and contributors tosociety,” he says.

Some names have been changed for privacy and childprotection reasons.

Plan is working to reduce levels of child marriage and teenagemotherhood in Ethiopia

p

Not ready for marriageAbadu is a model pupil at her school in rural Ethiopia. Attentive in class andan active member of the school clubs, she obviously enjoys school life andgiggles with her friends just like any other 12-year-old girl.

We’re trying to keep girls in school so they have time to developtheir potential

p