From 2015 to August 2023, Imagine1day, in collaboration with Education Above All (EAA), implemented two transformative initiatives — the Community Driven Primary Education for All (CDPE) and Leaders Educator and Parents (LEAP) projects. These programs aimed to improve access to quality primary education, empower local communities, and ensure sustainable educational outcomes in Ethiopia.
A joint post-implementation impact assessment was conducted In December 2024 to evaluate the long-term effects of these projects. The assessment, led by experts from EAA and Imagine1day, sought to answer three key questions: whether the impacts of the projects were still visible and sustainable at both local and national levels, how national and local governments had contributed to sustaining these outcomes, and to what extent local stakeholders had embraced and maintained the results.
The assessment team visited eight schools in Oromia and Tigray regions. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), and Small Group Meetings are employed to engage various stakeholders, including Ministry of Education, education bureau representatives, community elders, religious leaders, gender club leaders, Parent-teacher-student associations (PTSA) and students benefiting from Income Generating Activities (IGAs). The team focused on several areas, including enrollment rates, academic performance, gender inclusion, and the reduction of harmful traditional practices such as early marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
The findings revealed that stakeholders had a strong understanding of the projects, with many highlighting the significant role of community involvement in ensuring their ongoing success. The projects contributed to noticeable improvements in enrollment, retention, transition, and academic performance, as well as a reduction in early marriage and FGM. Gender inclusion was notably enhanced, particularly for learning-disabled girls, fostering a more equitable educational environment.
Local communities and organizations have taken proactive steps to ensure the sustainability of the projects. For example, some communities are contributing 50% toward school construction, while external organizations are providing essential scholastic materials. However, challenges such as conflicts and economic difficulties continue to pose risks to the long-term sustainability of these initiatives.
A key lesson from the assessment was the critical role of community and stakeholder engagement in fostering a sense of ownership, which has been essential in maintaining the positive changes brought about by the projects. The feedback from the assessment team and visitors was very positive, with praise for Imagine1day’s commitment to community engagement and the lasting impact of the initiatives.
Story 1: Dehab’s journey from being child-bride to girls’ right advocate
“The toxic marriage I was dragged in unknowingly while I was only 13 years of age wouldn’t have ended up if it wasn’t for Imagine1day. Thanks to Imagine1day and EAC I am back to the right track and I am confidently attending my education. This isn’t just only about single me. It rather is about all my fellow female students in my school. the fact that Imagine1day has strengthened the gender club in my school is a huge opportunity for me to empower girls to not do the same mistake I have done and give priority to their education,” says Dehab Kidu, 14 years of age grade 6th student in Meliyu Primary school, Oromia, Ethiopia.
Dehab is displaced from Ethiopian Somali region she was born and raised at following the conflict between Somali and Oromia. She was displaced with her mom as her father is soldier who was serving in the conflict. She now is living with her mom, her step father and her younger two brothers. Both her mom and her stepdad are so much supportive of her education. However, she was trapped by the love of 8th grade dropout soldier in her neighborhood.
Dehab says, “As I was too young to manage love and I used to believe whatever my ex-husband tells me, I was easily convinced to marry him. But things weren’t as he had promised me right after our marriage. He didn’t want me to be in school anymore, he was jealous, and he wasn’t honest with me about everything. He finally started to come home late being drunk and beats me every single day that I run away to my family’s place.”
Dehab didn’t drop out of school this whole time she was suffering from the early marriage for the gender club in her school has been strictly working to keep her in the school against all the odds.
“I used to check on her and advise her day and night so that she still give priority to her education. She opened her eyes and understood that her decision wasn’t right following his abuse in no time after he got her parents consent via community elders per the tradition. Even though I failed to save her relationship from being official marriage I was so happy she finally understood her marriage wasn’t right. This time I get the chance to figure out how to end her early marriage being along with her and her parents and we did it in just three months,” says Abebayehu Bejiga 52 years old gender club leader in Meliyu Primary school firmly.
The gender club of Meliyu school has 60 members who meet every two weeks to discuss on Menstrual Health Management (MHM), girls education, and related topics. Only in the 2022/23 academic year three girls are back to school from early marriage with the endeavor of the gender club. Dehab has been actively engaging in the gender club in creating awareness from her own experience and in empowering girls being role model herself.
“I am not confined to the gender club, I rather actively participate in the children parliament in the district and varied meetings organized at different level to empower girls. The fact that I share my real life experience has helped me a lot to change many girls for good. Mathematics is my favorite subject and I want to be a lawyer so that I can be voice to the voiceless,” says Dehab wisely.
Story 2: Mohammed chasing his dream while playing his parental role in education
“I get back to school after 24 years of dropout just to make sure my kids get all the support they need from me to be an outstanding students. The thing is, my elder child Indaya Mohammed has attended spiritual education while she was a little and she completed it being number one because I was so much supportive. However, she failed to keep up with the same performance while she joined grade one. This is the incident that get me back to school,” says Mohammed Muedin 45 years old grade 8 student in Wate Chimo Primary school.
Mohammed Muedin is an elder child of his family. He has five siblings(two sisters and three brothers). All of them are primary school dropouts. Mohammed had also dropped out of grade one until he got back to school after over two decades. There was lots of resistance including from his grade two dropout wife while he first came up with the idea of getting back to school.
Mohammed says, “Everyone was like ‘are you crazy’ while I decided to go to school with my kids given education wasn’t valued its worth in my community. Of course my only intention back then was to create the opportunity that enables me closely follow up my children so that they better perform in their education. But not anymore after Imagine1day started partnering my school and aware all the community that it is never too late to be in school.”
Imagine1day’s intervention which ranges from creating awareness about the value of education to ensuring the quality of education via capacity building training, scholastic material provision, Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) support as well as enhancing local structures and school clubs role in school has turned Mohammed’s purpose of being in school – from merely playing his parental role to keep chasing his dream of being a doctor.
Indaya Mohammed 13 years of age grade six student says, “I feel lucky I am the reason my dad has come back to school and he ended up being an outstanding student in our school. what is more, he is so much supportive to me and my two brothers studying here. I am ranking student in my class and both my brothers stood first in their class ever since they joined school. I want to be a doctor and my brothers say they want to be pilots. My family is grateful to Imagine1day for all the support.”
Story 3: An intervention that ended Radiya’s struggle to stay in school
“I want to be Gynecologist to revenge the incident that has taken my mom while giving birth to me. I feel bad I neither have a mother nor a sister to turn to for support whenever I needed but having Imagine1day in my life consoles me a lot. I have never worried about sanitary pad and MHM related issues ever since Imagine1day’s intervention in my school,” says Radiya Hussien 18 years old 8th grade student in Awuchecho Awlijana primary school.
Awuchecho Awulijana primary school is one of EAC’s Leaders Educators and Parents (LEAP) project target schools in Oromia. Awareness creation and community mobilization about the value of education, school construction that encompasses classroom including Early Childhood Education (ECE), library and gender segregated latrine, capacity building training at varied level, scholastic and Menstrual Health Management (MHM) material provision as well Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) support are parts of Imagine1day’s intervention in Awechecho Awulijana primary school.
Radiya as an orphan who doesn’t have parents and living with her elder brother has reached with Imagine1day’s OVC support.
Radiya says, “I am provided soap, sanitary pad, exercise book and pen as well as sheep so that I can attend my education without problem. This means a world to a person like myself given I don’t have anyone to support me except my only brother who sacrificed his education to keep me in school. I lack words to express how grateful I am to EAC and Imagine1day. Afan Oromo is my favorite subject for the teacher is so much supportive to me.”
Waliyi Hussein Afan Oromo teacher in Awuchecho Awulijana primary school says, “Radiya is very strong student who is role model to the rest of girls in her community. The fact that she doesn’t give-up to all the challenges she has been facing has inspired countless people to rise up above their problems. What is more, she is so disciplined outstanding student in our school.”
Story 4: A family empowered against consequences of illiteracy
“I don’t want my kids to live all the same life I have been living as a result of illiteracy. My parents gave me for arranged marriage of a man who has a wife and three children. My husband has only one hectare land to raise all the 20 kids he got from myself and his other wife (12 kids from me and 8 from her). Things even worsen following his death nine months ago. Four of my kids would have dropped out if not for Imagine1day as I do not afford their school supplies,” says Seada Hussien, 43 years old mother of 12 in Weltei Chefa community.
Seada get to know about Imagine1day’s intervention in Weltei Chefa primary school during her attendance in the coffee conversation initiated by Imagine1day.
Seada says, “We meet every two weeks and the leader of the coffee conversation is the school principal. We discuss on lots of issues related to education and it has changed us all for good. If you take me, I wasn’t fair in sharing at home responsibilities among my children. It was always the girls who help me with the daily chores while the boys do whatever they want. But now both the boys and the girls have equal time to study. I just don’t leave my kids giving them time to study, I rather follow how they are doing in their education coming to the school. I thank EAC and Imagine1day for empowering me.”
Zekira Abdella is one of Seada’s six children who are attending their education in Weltei Chefa school. She is gender club member grade seven student. She is very grateful to EAA/EAC and Imagine1day for their support.
“My only chance was early marriage if Imagine1day didn’t happen to our school as my mom doesn’t afford my school expense. Apart from the scholastic material provision, I am also able to be in school without absence during my menstruation as I got sanitary pad and soap every month. My mom also encourages me a lot after she started to attend the coffee conversation. She gives me adequate time for study unlike her early experience. I want to make her proud being a doctor as her wish,” says Zekira passionately.
Staff Profile: Shamsudin Muhammedhusen
Shamsudin Muhammedhusen has been a dedicated member of Imagine1day since 2016, initially serving as a site foreman and construction supervisor before being promoted to Construction Coordinator in August 2022. He has well-represented Oromia in supervising and monitoring school and Wash facilities in the region Before promoting to Country Office.
He has completed primary school in Hisu Kebele of Sinana district and secondary school at Robe Secondary School. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Pioneer University of Jimma Institute of Technology.
Fortunately, by joining direct from University, He has over 8 years of experience at Imagine1day, he has held various construction management roles, including site foreman, Zonal/regional construction supervisor, to Construction Coordinator at Country Office. His Commitment were further demonstrated in supporting the organization and communities in activities such as awareness creation and mobilizing communities during community contribution for school and Wash project construction and inauguration.
He is recognized for his flexibility, reliability, and excellent time management skills. His strong work ethic, enthusiasm, and self-motivation enable him to tackle challenges effectively and drive meaningful change in his own and community life.