In rural Ethiopia, long distances to school and financial pressures can prevent girls from continuing their education and increase the risk of early marriage.
The Underhill Scholarship Scheme, implemented by our partner the FDA-E, helps address these challenges by providing rural girls with stipends, school uniforms, academic support, mobile phones with solar chargers and access to our training centre, Toby’s and Prudence House where they can get access to various support including mentoring, extra tutorial, extra curricular training and more.
Addressing menstrual knowledge, dignity and access to safe menstrual products is also an important part of this work, with hundreds of schoolgirls receiving high quality reusable sanitary pads, and well-being training to improve knowledge, fight stigma, and offering support for consistent school attendance throughout the academic year.
The impact extends beyond secondary education. Graduates from the programme are now attending university, becoming role models within their communities and building careers in sectors including banking, healthcare, and more . Many are also supporting their families and helping younger siblings to continue their education.
Supporting women and girls to access education creates opportunities that extend beyond the individual. By working alongside local partners and communities, we aim to strengthen long term outcomes for girls, families and communities through improved access to education, greater independence and increased opportunities for future generations.