‘Enhancing the Capacity of female University Students’

Since the year 2009 The YWCA in Ethiopia has been implementing various capacity building program activities with students of Addis Ababa University (AAU) in Addis Ababa city as well as in Amhara Region Debre Brehan and Woldiya Universities in respectively. The program included orientation session and booklet distribution for first year students to acquaint them with the social and educational environment of the university.

In addition, trainings were provided to the students on Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH), Entrepreneurship and Life Skills. Experience sharing sessions were conducted by inviting successful role model persons to inspire the students by sharing their experience; how they faced and overcame challenges. Mentoring sessions were also held between junior students and senior female students (trained in mentoring). These sessions provide safe space for students to discuss about the various challenges they face and support each other.

Moreover, expenses of photocopying study materials, stationery and other personal supplies was a problem to many female students from poor economic backgrounds. Some female students engage in risky behaviors to earn some money and fulfill their need.  Therefore, bursary support was availed to female students. Students were also made to engage extracurricular activities like women’s ‘Great Ethiopian Run’ and participate in a Transcendental meditation sessions.

Library program has been one of the profound programs of YWCA for more than a decade,. YWCA has been providing library and safe space for young girls and boys. The Library service provision which was started in Addis Ababa was replicated to other towns including; Debrebirhan, Adama, Bahirdar. However, due to financial shortage to rent spaces for library and also limited number of books, except in Adama and Addis Ababa the service provision has now stopped.

In Addis Ababa, the library program is re-established in partnership with Addis ketema Sub City Youth Association during year 2018. The libraries are located on two woredas (woreda 02 and 09) of Addis Ketema sub city. The program was designed to create; suitable study environment especially for young girls,  avail convenient space for young girls and boys to discuss on SRH issues and respond to the shortage of academic reference books and supporting materials at public school libraries. With this partnership, YWCA having allocated books and allowance for librarians, jointly reactivated two libraries and started service provision in Addis Ketma sub city.

On the year 2018 more than 5339 youths and other library users used the library service. Various promotional activities has been conducted on different nearby primary, secondary and preparatory schools by using posts, fliers to promote the re-establishment of the library program. The library also hosts other programs like; book club, girls club, Reproductive Health Club, literature club and etc. These programs have played a crucial role in enhancing the leadership, SRH, and academic performance of young girls and boys.

For more than a decade, one of the profound programs of YWCA has been providing library and safe space for young girls and boys. The program was designed to create; suitable study environment especially for young girls and avail reference academic books and supporting materials for high school and college students. The Library service provision which started in Addis Ababa was replicated to other towns; Debrebirhan, Adama, Bahirdar. However, since 2016, the library service provision continued only in Adama.

Inauguration of the libraries was held on March 02, 2017, where by YWCA staffs and supporters, guests from the local government and youth representatives attended. Currently, more than fifty youth are visiting the library on a daily bases.