We aren’t very good at self-promotion over here… but wanted to THANK @meccampower for recently interviewing our co-founder & director Georgina!! ❤️💜​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ 👉🏼 You can read the full interview via the link in our profile.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ And if you want to see in your feed inspiring stories & news from changemakers & organisations that are advancing equality and opportunity for women and girls, then check out @meccampower!

✨ The JOY of a PHOTO ✨ When we were recently in Ethiopia, we took hundreds of prints to give back to students & staff across our projects. Most people in rural Ethiopia don’t have photos of themselves, so this was very exciting (and amusing!). Meseret had her portraits taken in 2018, 2019 and now in 2023! We were thrilled to see her completing her last year at one of our Primary Schools and looking forward to going on to secondary school. A HUGE thank you to the legends at @charingcrossphoto for generously printing all the photos for us! 🙌🏼📷💕

“At the heart of everything I do is people… I love photographing people and learning their stories”. We were so thrilled to have documentary photographer Nafkot Gebeyehu (@fuabilich) along with us as we visited our projects in Ethiopia recently!! It’s really important for us to use local photographers. Through their lens, they bring cultural sensitivity, build trust and empower local voices. We learnt so much about Ethiopia from Nafkot and really enjoyed spending time with such a passionate & inspiring person! Along with her work as a documentary photographer, Nafkot co-runs @studio11.et, an art studio in Addis Ababa and she’s recently been interviewed on @theawazepodcast. Loved listening to this Nafi x

Say Hi to Getaya! 👋🏼👋🏿 Getaya is one of the wonderful female teachers at our new Primary School in Aydafer. Getaya had her own baby 10 months ago. The opening of our new school in her community means she can access local employment, allowing her to return to work after having her baby! 👶🏾 💫 Female teachers in Ethiopia are game-changers! They inspire girls, create safe spaces, break barriers, and promote equality in education. 🌎💕 We are so thankful to all of the female teachers working across our schools… their dedication, passion, and tireless efforts in transforming lives, one lesson at a time. 📚🙌🏼 📷 | @fuabilich

DUCK, DUCK, DUCK…. GOOSE!! 🏃🏾‍♀️🏃🏾 Loved watching the kids at Aydafer primary school enjoy some games between classes. This is a brand new school that will save the kids walking over 2 hours. That means… more time for kids to be kids, and enjoy in play time! 📷| @fuabilich

⚡️⚡️We are on a DESK MISSION!! 🪑🪑​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ We know, desks seem like a really boring cause to contribute too. They aren’t cute or cuddly… BUT they are actually essential for kids to succeed in school! Kids need a comfortable place to sit in order to focus and learn. ​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ Right now, our new primary school in Aydafer doesn’t have enough desks, so kids are sitting on the floor.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ It costs $150 to buy one school desk and we need 60!!​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ A tax-deductible donation of $150 will ensure three children at Aydafer have a seat in the classroom.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ Please DONATE A DESK this tax-time via the link in profile 🫶🏼 ​​​​​​​​ 📷| @fuabilich

🚸We are thrilled to announce the opening of our brand new Primary School in Aydafer!! The Aydafer Primary School is providing access to education for hundreds of children who were previously out of school or walking over 2 hours a day.  This region is recovering after a 2-year conflict, during which schools were closed. These children have therefore had a large gap in their academic, social and emotional learning. Never before has a safe school and a sense of normality been more important. But they still need our help... the school urgently needs desks!  A tax-deductible donation of $150 will ensure three children at Aydafer have a seat in the classroom. Donation link in profile 🫶🏼 📷| @fuabilich

💫 Adina* was 6 when her mother died during childbirth with her fourth child. Then, only a few years later, her dad died. Adina and her two younger sisters were bounced between different family members until they started living on their own as teenagers. They supported themselves by selling firewood they collected, or offering to wash clothes. And somehow, they stayed in school and were topping their classes. But as they reached secondary school they just couldn’t afford the costs and were about to drop out of school That’s when we met her. Adina was aged 17 and in Grade 9. She joined our sponsorship program, which has enabled her to finish school and now go on to tertiary studies. This is in the face of a civil war and the pandemic. ✨We are looking for NEW SPONSORS to support girls like Adina so they can remain in school and go on to tertiary education. It costs $70 a month (100% tax deductible) to support a girl for one year. 📲 Please DM us to find out more, or email us 📧 [email protected] 📷| @fuabilich (*name changed for privacy purposes)

Adina* joined our sponsorship program 7 years ago, when she was in Grade 9 and at high-risk of dropping out of school. Three years later, she finished school, which just 2% of girls in rural Ethiopia achieve. But then the pandemic and civil war completely derailed her life, threatening her safety and future. During this traumatic time, we continued to support Adina and thankfully now, she has returned to her education. ✨We are looking for NEW SPONSORS to support girls so they can remain in school and go on to tertiary education. It costs $70 a month (100% tax deductible) to support a girl for one year. 📲 Please DM us to find out more 📧 [email protected] 📷| @fuabilich *name changed for privacy purposes

Fasika is one of the healthcare workers at the Aydafer Health Post, which we constructed in 2019 and then recently repaired after it was damaged in 2021 during Ethiopia’s northern conflict. Around 1/3 of children in Fasika’s catchment area are suffering from severe or moderate malnutrition, a rate that has dramatically increased since the conflict. Thankfully, the Health Post has a steady supply of nutritionally fortified foods donated through the @worldfoodprogramme, so Fasika can treat these children. 📷| @fuabilich

Georgina & Sophie here 👋🏼 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We are back in Australia after an incredible & inspiring trip to Ethiopia! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ✨ We have so many wonderful stories & project updates that we will be sharing over the coming weeks. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⚠️ We also have some very important projects that need urgent funding.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So please stay tuned & if you’re in the position to make a tax-deductible donation, please do so via the link in profile.⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Thank you! 🙌🏼 📷 | @fuabilich

“The only reason we wanted to marry Ayana off is because we couldn’t afford sending her to the town for school. But she was very bold about her education. So we abandoned the idea and told her she can continue her education, if she found a way.” ~ Mariam (Ayana’s mother) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Ayana and her sister, Hirut (not her real name), aged 20, were both offered a place at the Kidus Girls Hostel. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Mariam explains, “I used to be so worried about them every day. When it got dark, I would go out and look for them, calling out their names in the woods.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Now she no longer worries about their safety and is happy that her children are getting free accommodation at the Kidus Girls Hostel to attend their school with full attention. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 📷 & 📑| @marthinolly