The Increased Access to Inclusive Education Project, implemented by LM International Ethiopia from February 2022 to December 2024, worked to expand equitable access to quality education for children facing barriers to learning (CFBL) in Adama, Asela, Bishoftu, Modjo, and Batu in Oromia Region. The project focused on reducing stigma and gender-related barriers, strengthening inclusive and special needs education systems, and ensuring that children with disabilities can participate meaningfully in school and community life.
Through partnerships with government institutions, civil society organizations, schools, families, and communities, the project combined teacher training, advocacy, awareness creation, child support services, accessible infrastructure, parent empowerment, and community networks. Five Inclusive Education Networks and 19 family networks were established, while IE/SNE clubs were created in 14 targeted schools to promote peer support, participation, and disability inclusion.
The project trained 317 teachers in Braille and Sign Language, supported 445 children facing barriers to learning, established two Special Needs Education resource centers, constructed three disability-friendly toilets and renovated another, and trained 360 candidate teachers through collaboration with Asela College of Teacher Education. It also supported parents through income-generating activities, reaching 79 parents with 1,275,500 birr in startup capital.
Overall, the project strengthened local capacity, improved awareness of disability rights, expanded support for inclusive learning, and contributed to more accessible and supportive school environments. Its participatory approach emphasized local ownership and sustainability, while lessons from the project highlighted the importance of parent-led networks, economic empowerment, accessible infrastructure, and continued advocacy to overcome persistent attitudinal barriers.
The Increased Access to Inclusive Education Project, implemented by LM International Ethiopia from February 2022 to December 2024, worked to expand equitable access to quality education for children facing barriers to learning (CFBL) in Adama, Asela, Bishoftu, Modjo, and Batu in Oromia Region. The project focused on reducing stigma and gender-related barriers, strengthening inclusive and special needs education systems, and ensuring that children with disabilities can participate meaningfully in school and community life.
Through partnerships with government institutions, civil society organizations, schools, families, and communities, the project combined teacher training, advocacy, awareness creation, child support services, accessible infrastructure, parent empowerment, and community networks. Five Inclusive Education Networks and 19 family networks were established, while IE/SNE clubs were created in 14 targeted schools to promote peer support, participation, and disability inclusion.
The project trained 317 teachers in Braille and Sign Language, supported 445 children facing barriers to learning, established two Special Needs Education resource centers, constructed three disability-friendly toilets and renovated another, and trained 360 candidate teachers through collaboration with Asela College of Teacher Education. It also supported parents through income-generating activities, reaching 79 parents with 1,275,500 birr in startup capital.
Overall, the project strengthened local capacity, improved awareness of disability rights, expanded support for inclusive learning, and contributed to more accessible and supportive school environments. Its participatory approach emphasized local ownership and sustainability, while lessons from the project highlighted the importance of parent-led networks, economic empowerment, accessible infrastructure, and continued advocacy to overcome persistent attitudinal barriers.
A CHANCE for All is a child protection and empowerment initiative working to prevent and counter child labour and exploitation in Addis Ababa. The project supports vulnerable children by helping them move into safe living environments, access healthcare and psychosocial support, obtain legal identity documentation, reunite with families or access alternative care, and participate in education and vocational training.
The project also focuses on inclusive education for children with disabilities, strengthening families and communities, and improving the capacity of teachers, social services and other local actors. At a broader level, it brings together civil society, government and community stakeholders to raise awareness, build networks and strengthen collective action against child labour, exploitation and social exclusion.
The four main areas of focus
The project takes a holistic approach to child labour, addressing not only the immediate removal of children from exploitative situations, but also the underlying needs that enable them to live safely, recover, return to education, develop skills and build more secure futures.
Project name: Increased Access to Inclusive Education in Addis Ababa, Yeka Sub City
Period: 08/2022 – 07/2024
Ethiopia
Overall goal:
The rights of children facing barriers to learning (CFBL) are respected and promoted, and gender
disparities in education are minimized so that equal access to education for CFBL is ensured in
the target areas.
Background
LM International has been implementing an Inclusive Education project in Ethiopia since 2007.
Currently it is active in the Oromia Region in five major towns (Adama, Assela, Batu, Modjo and
Bishoftu). Through the IE program, it has built the capacity of teachers, education officers and
local CSOs working with IE. LM International has also ensured that a large number of children in
three regions (Somali, Oromia and Southern region) could access quality education. Over time,
it has constructed more than 10 standardized CFBL centers and enhanced the capacity of many
Teacher Training Centers.
Description
The project, funded by LM International, aims to achieve the following specific objectives:
1.Enhance the education of 120 CFBL through the support of services such as training,
educational materials, snacks, assistive devices, transport and construction of facilities
in the target schools
2.Equip 80 primary schools teachers with braille and sign language skills
3.Construct and equip 1 SNE Centre (attached with a Toilet)
4.Renovation and construction of toilets conducted in 3 public primary schools
5.Improved economic capacity of 60 parents of CFBL through business skills training
and provision of seed money.
The strategies adopted to meet the proposed objectives include:
-Strong awareness raising activities with the purpose of bringing about a positive public
attitude towards CWSN through media (print & electronic), training, workshops, and
family networks. Such public awareness programs are designed considering different aspects
related to culture, religion and socio-economic status of the community
-Strengthening of the SNE Assessment and Resource Centers and units where target children
are received for further screening, so that appropriate interventions can be established
according to individual needs
-Capacity-building of local CSOs and CBOs to strengthen their contribution to IE
-Advocacy work from the local to the national level to influence FDBs and MDBs
for the promotion of IE.
-Capacity-building and skills development of regular schoolteachers and school principals
in order to maximize the educational retention, participation and achievement of CFBL
in schools
-Enhanced and integrated service delivery systemin favour of CFBL
Implementing organisations: LM Ethiopia
Contact person: Program Manager LM Ethiopia
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