In Ethiopia, students in low-income areas face significant barriers to attending and completing upper secondary school. The costs for school essentials, such as uniforms, books, and fees are commonly out of reach for their families. Additionally, these schools are located in urban centers, often far enough away from their homes that students need to pay for lodging and living essentials in addition to school supplies. For female students in particular, these obstacles loom larger. Their enrollment leaves a gap at home, where girls often contribute to management of the household and earn some income for the family.
This combination of issues – increased expenses and decreased home support – puts continuing their education out of reach for many girls in Ethiopia, even top students. As a result, they must forego their best opportunity to escape poverty and sacrifice their potential. The Barzilai Foundation is partnering on a new program that restores this potential to them by providing support for both the student and their family.
Impact of Education
Education has such a profound impact in Ethiopia that even a single additional year of coursework lifts lifetime earning potential by 10-20%. Those students who complete a high school certification see their earning potential double, and if they proceed to university, the impact can reach over 400%.
For low-income families, access to this education is obstructed. The upfront cost of upper secondary school equates to several months’ wages. In addition, since these schools are far from home, students who make that journey are not only paying those fees, but also renting a room at a nearby hostel and furnishing everything for themselves, from books to bathroom supplies. The costs are formidable enough to make this a non-reality for many families, despite the life-changing financial future it could establish.
imagine1day Partnership
To improve this situation for these students and their families, the Barzilai Foundation is partnering with imagine1day, an organization focused on improving access to primary and secondary school education in Ethiopia. imagine1day pursues this goal from many directions, ranging from school construction to teacher training, always striving to improve the situation for their partners in Ethiopia’s rural communities.
Through our partnership with imagine1day, the Barzilai Foundation will be establishing a bursary for 60 students across 20 schools who demonstrate both academic accomplishment and financial need. This bursary will cover each student’s upfront costs, tutoring and mentorship, and a feature that addresses the gap they leave behind in their household: microloans for mothers to generate a new stream of income.
“This is a new way for Barzilai Foundation to support access to education,” said Brandon Sosa, CEO of the Barzilai Foundation. “Similar to our other education programs, we’re removing that upfront barrier of cost to attend school. But what I love that is unique here, is that we’re creating a capability in the family for the mothers to generate income that will both offset the gap from the daughters attending school and also create long-term revenue to fund future educational needs. The mothers establish micro-businesses with coaching and support from imagine1day, and as the students continue and progress in their schooling the loans are forgiven with that continued enrollment.”
“Our partnership with the Barzilai Foundation allows us to extend vital opportunities to students and mothers in Ethiopia, empowering them through education and skills development,” commented Dr. Seid Aman, Country Director for imagine1day. “The Co-creation process with the Barzilai Foundation has been instrumental in ensuring that our programs are responsive to the needs of the communities we serve. Together, we are breaking the cycle of poverty and fostering sustainable growth for future generations.”
Leveling-Up
imagine1day has seen a 90% success rate on these types of micro-loans for mothers, but occasionally circumstances beyond their control, like the death of livestock, derails their best efforts. To limit the impact events like these can have on a family’s future, the Barzilai Foundation is adding a hardship grant component to the program. This way, the mothers can launch their new micro-business with confidence, knowing that they have the support they need to succeed.
“When discussing this program with Seid, I realized that for these families, the difference between continuing to be stuck in poverty and a bright, talented student fulfilling their potential and changing their family’s trajectory could come down to whether their goat falls ill,” added Sosa. “When you see it from that perspective, adding safeguards for those who are working hard not only is logical in protecting the investment in these students, but just an extra layer of compassion in delivering this program.”
"As we look toward the future, we believe that the impact of education is transformative—not just for individuals, but for entire communities,” added Dr. Aman. “We are proud to be working with the Barzilai Foundation to create a brighter future for all,"
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