Scaling an education innovation usually takes years of validation. In the Gedeo zone of the South Ethiopia region, it took months. A quiet revolution is unfolding, and it is moving faster, deeper, and further than anyone anticipated.

The Gedeo Zone Education Office has issued a landmark directive: The Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach will be implemented in all schools across the zone to enhance the foundational literacy and numeracy skills of students in grades 3-6.

This decision came five months before the completion of the planned two-year pilot project due to the prestigious results already achieved.

By so doing, the Gedeo Zone Education Office demonstrated bold leadership—placing children’s learning outcomes above rigid timelines and proving what is possible when data, trust, and partnership align.

A National Spark Ignited by Imagine1day

TaRL’s momentum did not begin here. It began with Imagine1day.

With funding from the Costa Foundation, Imagine1day, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the South Ethiopia Region government, introduced the Teaching at the Right Level approach in Ethiopia as a country-level initiative, laying the foundation for systemic change. Today, regions are not only adopting the approach, but they are expanding it. One powerful example is Oromia.

The Oromia Region Education Bureau experienced TaRL for the first time through Imagine1day. They have received master trainers training and practical classroom experience from Gedeo TaRL pilot schools, as well as further training from TaRL Africa in Tanzania.  Since then, the region has been implementing TaRL across all primary schools for nearly a year, reaching learners at an unprecedented scale.

Evidence That Spoke for Itself

The TaRL pilot, implemented by Imagine1day in partnership with the Ministry of Education, regional, zonal, and district education bureaus, and the Costa Foundation, was rolled out in 8 schools across 3 districts (Yirgachefe, Bule & Kochere districts) in the Gedeo Zone.

Midline assessment results revealed something extraordinary:

  • Children previously left behind were rapidly catching up
  • Foundational literacy and numeracy skills improved measurably
  • Teachers gained renewed confidence through practical, learner-centered methods

The evidence was so compelling that education leaders chose action over waiting.

What This Moment Represents

This is more than program expansion. It is proof of concept at scale.

  • Evidence-led decision-making shaping policy
  • Government ownership driving sustainability
  • Children once left behind are now learning with confidence and joy

TaRL approach works because it meets children where they are and because Imagine1day works with education systems, not outside them.

Looking Ahead

From Gedeo to Oromia and beyond, Teaching at the Right Level is no longer a pilot. It is becoming a movement.

A movement fueled by evidence.
Strengthened by partnership.
And centered on one powerful belief:

Every child can learn when teaching starts at the right level.

  

A Legacy in the Making: Communities Powering Education in Oromia

Across Oromia, something extraordinary has happened—something that goes far beyond numbers. It speaks to trust earned, ownership embraced, and a shared belief that education is the surest path to lasting change.

At Wabe Gefersa Primary School in Kofele district, West Arsi zone, the community came together to contribute 10 million ETB —the largest community contribution in the history of Imagine1day. In Lemlem Secondary School in Kersa district, Jimma zone, the community raised 8 million ETB, the second-largest contribution Imagine1day has ever seen.

These are not just records. They are declarations.

Trust You Can Measure. Ownership You Can Feel.

When parents, elders, youth, and local leaders invest their own resources at this scale, they are saying something powerful: ‘This school is ours.’ These contributions reflect deep confidence in Imagine1day’s partnership model, one that places communities at the center of design, decision-making, and delivery.

 

The funds raised are supporting school projects that are already handed over and currently under construction, ensuring that learning environments are not only built, but sustained.

Why This Moment Matters

Community contribution is more than co-financing. It is the foundation of long-term impact.

Stronger sustainability: Schools thrive when communities feel responsible for protecting and maintaining them.

Greater accountability: Shared investment creates shared stewardship.

Deeper impact: When communities lead, solutions are better aligned with real needs.

What we are witnessing in Wabe Gefersa and Lemlem is the culmination of years of relationship-building, transparency, and respect. It is proof that when communities are trusted as partners, they rise together.

 

A Shared Future, Built Together

These milestones remind us why Imagine1day exists: to unlock the power within communities to transform education for their children, today and for generations to come.

To the communities of Kofele and Kersa: your leadership is inspiring. Your belief is changing lives. And your commitment is shaping a future where every child learns in a safe, thriving school built not for the community, but by it.