Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Helmsley Charitable Trust Donates $1.6 Million to Address School Dropout Crisis in Ethiopia
SOS Children's Villages, the world's largest organization dedicated to orphaned and abandoned children, announced today that it has received a $1.6 million grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to fund its EduCare Program.
In recent years, Ethiopia's education system has experienced significant growth in primary school enrollment rates, but the number of students dropping out of school continues to be a challenge. The dropout rate in primary school is 13.1%, and fewer than 50% of students will complete their primary school studies. Sadly, without this educational foundation, the prospects for employment and achieving financial independence are significantly diminished.
The EduCare Program aims to provide vulnerable children and their families with vital services to increase grade-level completion rates in the city of Bahir Dar, Ethiopia....