Shebedino Programme Unit
Southern Region
Area: 1,035.47 sq. km
Total Population: 597,313 (Central Statistical Agency 2005)
Current areas of operation: 22 communities (3 semi urban and 19 rural)
Caseload: 8,100
Sponsored children: 7,382
Shebedino is the second most densely populated area in Ethiopia. It is an agrarian community and suffers from food shortages which causes the displacement of people - particularly children and women. Plan has been working at Shebedino (Southern Ethiopia) since 2003.
Programme highlights
Child survival and development
This programme helps children and lactating mothers gain access to improved nutrition and youth friendly reproductive health services.
More than 60 health professionals, health extension workers and supervisors, and community leaders are among the major targets of this training.
Water supply and sanitation
Plan Ethiopia works to create opportunities for communities to develop their own water supply and manage them effectively. Representatives from 15 communities have been trained in water management and minor maintenance. This programme has helped reduce water related illnesses and deaths and child labour as children now walk just a few metres to collect water.
Our Community-Led Total Sanitation approach works to enhance the sanitation of urban and semi-urban areas of Shebedino. It has so far inspired 3 communities in Shebedino to declare themselves “open defecation-free”. Nearly 100,000 people now have access to latrines.
Early childhood care and development (ECCD)
Plan supports the holistic development of children. For children under 4 the basic focus is on parenting and home-based care. For children between 4-6 years we promote community-based pre-school centres.
We have supported communities to construct 75 pre-school centres and to rehabilitate 5 ECCD centres, which helped increase pre-school enrolment from 3 to 23.3%.
Promoting quality primary education
In partnership with the local government, Plan works to improve the quality of education. Teachers, supervisors and education experts are trained on school improvement packages, classroom management and leadership skills.
We work with 160 child right clubs in 40 primary schools to promote safe school environments. Representatives of the child clubs are trained on the nature and prevention of school violence.
HIV and AIDS prevention
We work with communities and relevant government offices to increase access to prevention, care and support for HIV infected and potentially vulnerable people.
So far 3,115 people have received counselling and testing services in 5 centres that we set up with the communities. We also support people living with HIV by providing medical and nutrition services and helping them start income generating activities.
Food and nutrition security
This programme aims to increase the availability of adequate year round food supplies with communities. Developing agricultural activities, creating access to microfinance, training income generating activities and providing supplementary feeding services for children are key components.
Child participation and protection
We work with school child protection clubs, community level child rights committees, children councils, community police, parent-teacher committees and indigenous institutions to promote child protection among the rural and urban community.
Ten radio listening groups and 31 school child right clubs are active enough to disseminate child right themes, promote positive discipline and report child abuses to the local law enforcing body.
Support Plan’s work and sponsor a child