Poverty forces girls to drop out of school in southern Ethiopia

A girl learns at community-managed preschool center in Ethiopia. With drought affecting the ability of many parents to provide for their families, girls are the first to be pulled out of school.

In a small community in Shebedino district, Ethiopia, pottery making is a sustainable income for many families. However, with the current drought affecting many countries in eastern Africa, parents are struggling to support their families and as a result have been forced to remove of their children from school - and most often it is girls who miss out. 

Meskerem (12 years old) and Senait (16 years), are two girls who have dropped out of school to help support their families. They are now contributing to the family income by working up to 12 hours a day, making and selling pottery, a heavy and labour intensive activity.

"Since we cannot afford the school fees, we have no choice but to stop going to school and focus our full attention on work and helping to feed the family," Meskerem says. If any assistance arrives and lifts us out of this situation, we will return to school and pursue our education so that we will achieve what we want to be in the future - doctors," Senait says.

Another girl who has faced the same situation as Meskerem and Senait is Shibre, (13 year old), who stopped going to school despite being a very promising student with high grades. Since Shibere’s father passed away she has had to stay home to help her mother take care of her five younger brothers.

"Under the present circumstances, attending school is unthinkable, because I and my mother have to work very hard to produce as many pottery products as possible and sell them to feed the family," Shibere says. "I would some day hope to save enough money to help me continue my education and realise my academic potential."

As part of our education support program, Plan has been working with Ethiopian public schools to help keep children in school. In Shebedino, Plan has supported 38 girls and boys to stay at school by covering the costs of their school fees, books and stationery.

Plan is also providing vulnerable children with school meals. The school feeding programs encourage parents to let their children remain in school and not send them out to work.

To find out more or to make a donation, visit our East Africa Appeal - Children in Crisis.