Norwegian Church Aid Ethiopia

In 2022, NCA Ethiopia successfully delivered emergency assistance to 575,626 individuals spanning 30 districts within the Amhara, Tigray, Somali, and Gambella Regions. Yet, the needs on the ground persist, revealing the enormity of the ongoing challenges.

Recent data from UN OCHA indicates a staggering 28.6 million people in Ethiopia requiring humanitarian aid, with a pressing urgency for 20 million among them. Each number represents a human life teetering on the brink.

In light of this, we earnestly appeal to both individual and institutional donors to continue providing the crucial, life-saving support that Ethiopia urgently requires. Your sustained contributions will make a tangible impact on the lives of those in desperate need, reinforcing our collective commitment to alleviating human suffering in the region.

"In the Gambella Region, the practice of marrying off girls at an early age for dowry is commonplace, contributing to the high prevalence of child marriage." says Adanech Abdella, an eighth-grade Amharic teacher at Wibur Primary School in Gambella Region, where 3,000 students are enrolled.

Since 2018, Adanech has been receiving several trainings as a focal person for the school’s Sexual Reproductive School Club supported through the “Accelerating Action to Ensure the Wellbeing of Adolescent Girls” project.

This initiative, supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA Ethiopia), and implemented by Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) Ethiopia through the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus Development and Social Service Commission (EECMY DASSC) aims to mitigate gender inequalities and child marriage, and optimize opportunities for adolescent girls.

“Before the training, I had some level of awareness about the consequences of child/early marriage on girls, but I lacked the capacity and motivation to effectively convey information to students on the issue.”, she notes.

Since the training, Adanech says she has a newfound motivation and is determined to reach out and educate girls in her school community. She highlights that over 150 female students are participating in the current round of training, meeting two days a week.

Adanech acknowledges that the path to reversing the practice requires coordination but is achieveable. "Because early/child marriage is closely tied to local social norms, reversing it requires consistent effort. We have initiated steps to prevent occurrences of child marriages that negatively impact schoolgirls. I hope that our efforts will extend to the broader grassroots community on a larger scale and in a more organized manner."

Since the project’s start in 2020, some 7,290 (2,646 Male and 4,644 Female) parents, teachers, and community members have been empowered to develop attitudes that favor the rights of girls to education and in delaying marriage.

"In the recent past, the incidence of female students becoming pregnant in the 5th and 6th grades and subsequently dropping out due to early marriage was high. However, we are now witnessing an improvement," explains Adanech.

NCA Ethiopia wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, 2024!

This week, an agreement was formalized between Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) Ethiopia and Pingstmissionens Utvecklingssamarbete, Sweden (PMU) for the implementation of a peacebuilding initiative titled "Peaceful and Resilient Programme in Ethiopia." Spanning the years 2023 to 2026, this project is dedicated to fostering inclusive and sustainable peace in Ethiopia.

The primary objectives of the initiative include enhancing social cohesion and promoting peacebuilding efforts with the involvement of religious figures at both national and regional levels. Additionally, the project seeks to build the capabilities of program providers and local peacebuilders, equipping them to conduct peace-related activities, such as providing psychosocial support. Furthermore, the initiative aims to develop effective approaches and practices to ensure the quality of interventions throughout the peacebuilding process.

Ethiopia stands as a hub of biodiversity, boasting elevated levels of endemism where unique plant and animal species thrive, found nowhere else on the planet.

Unfortunately, the swift pace of deforestation has transformed landscapes into largely barren expanses, causing detrimental effects such as soil erosion and the loss of biodiversity.

This concern was underscored in 2005 when the Global Trees Campaign (GTC) released The Red List of Endemic Trees and Shrubs of Ethiopia and Eritrea, pinpointing 46 woody trees and shrubs facing the critical designation of "Critically Endangered."

As threats in this region continue to rise it is likely that more tree species will face an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.

This week, NCA Ethiopia conducted a four-day training of trainers on Integrating Therapeutic Technique into Case Management and on self-care strategies in to everyday work and personal life.

Participants included implementing partners' GBV case managers, and supervisors including NCA staff.

Panel Discussion in Ethiopia Stresses Marriage Counsellors’ Role in Preventing Intimate Partner Violence.

In observance of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, NCA Ethiopia today held a panel discussion centered on intimate partner violence and the indispensable role marriage counsellors play in its prevention.

This panel discussion brought together marriage counselors representing diverse faith groups, opening up a platform for the exchange of insights into their current practices in counseling couples on gender-based violence. The dialogue also delved into the prospects of strengthening their collaborative efforts in this domain.

The different faith institutions also issued a call for action underlining the need to solidify evidence-based counseling efforts that cater to building healthier couple and family relationships. Furthermore, they emphasized for stronger coordination among faith-based organizations, psycho-social service providers, government sectors and other concerned stakeholders.

Religious leaders and faith-based organization representatives, civil society actors, Government representatives were in attendance.

NCA Ethiopia, together with ActChurch of Sweden, conducted a training on Psychological First Aid (PFA) to peacebuilding actors from December 6-8, 2023.

Participants included Abronet consortium members, representatives from the Ethiopian Peacebuilding Network, and implementing partners (EOC-DICAC, EECMY-DASSC, and EMRDA), as well as NCA staff.

The aim of the Psychological First Aid training is to increase participants' awareness and equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to provide effective psychological first aid during crises.

Men play a crucial role in ending violence against women. We encourage men to be allies, challenge harmful behavior, and promote positive masculinity. Together, we can redefine societal norms and expectations.

በሴቶች ላይ የሚደርሱ ጥቃቶችን በማስቆም ረገድ ወንዶች ወሳኝ ሚና ይጫወታሉ። ወንዶች አጋር እንዲሆኑ፣ ጎጂ ባህሪን እንዲቃወሙ እና አዎንታዊ ወንድነት እንዲኖራቸው እናበረታታለን። ርህራሄን፣ መግባባትን እና መከባበርን ከፍ አድርጎ የሚመለከት አወንታዊ ባህሪን እናሳድግ፡፡

In Jewi refugee camp, Gambella, where NCA Ethiopia is providing sanitation, and hygiene services to South Sudanese refugees, a soap production pilot initiative is bringing dignity and livelihood to refugees.

The pilot project, supported by UNHCR Ethiopia, brings a livelihood opportunity for 50 south-Sudanese refugees (23 women) who have acquired work permit to organize as a cooperative and produce soap.

Support systems for survivors of violence are essential. These include accessible helplines, shelters, counseling services, and legal aid. Together, we can create a network that provides safety and assistance to those in need.

ሴቶች ወሲባዊ ጥቃት እንዲደርስባቸው ከሚያደርጉት ዋና ዋና ምክንያቶች አንዱ ግምት ወይም ፍቃድ ማስገደድ ነው።

• ፈቃድ ግልጽ እና በፈቃደኝነት ነው።
• ስምምነት ግልጽ፣ ቀጥተኛ እና ያለ ምንም አይነት ማስገደድ ወይም ጫና የተሰጠ መሆን አለበት።
• ያለፈው ስምምነት የወደፊት ስምምነትን አያመለክትም።

One of the primary factors contributing to women experiencing sexual assault is the frequent assumption or coercion of consent.

• Consent is clear and voluntary
• Consent must be explicit, enthusiastic, and given without any form of coercion or pressure.
• Previous consent does not imply future consent.
• Every new situation requires explicit agreement from all parties involved.
• It is an ongoing process and can be withdrawn at any time.

Media has the power to shape perceptions. We encourage media in Ethiopia to raise awareness, promote positive behavior, challenge gender stereotypes and the normalization of violence.

Norwegian Church Aid, Act Church of Sweden and Christian Aid launched today the "Abronet" Consortium— a collaborative initiative by ACT alliance member organizations to foster social unity in conflict-affected regions of Ethiopia.

The "Abronet" consortium, financially supported by the Royal Norwegian Embassy, is dedicated to restoring social cohesion in regions marred by violent conflicts, including Oromia, Amhara, Tigray, and Gambella in Ethiopia.

The consortium will give primary focus to integrating mental health & community based psychosocial support into peace initiatives, recognizing its importance for sustainable peace and adopting community-led strategies, emphasizing inclusivity by prioritizing marginalized groups.

Royal Norwegian Embassy in Addis Ababa

ፆታዊ ጥቃት የደረሰባቸውን ሴቶች መገለል እንዳይደርስባቸው በማህበረሰቡ ውስጥ ግልፅ የሆነ ውይይት እናድርግ። ማግለልን እናስቁም።

To survivors of violence, you are not alone. We stand with you. Let's create a support system that empowers survivors and helps them rebuild their lives.

United Against Gender-Based Violence: It's Time to Secure a Future Free from Violence for Ethiopian Women and Girls.

📣 በሴቶች ላይ የሚደርሱ ጥቃቶችን ለማስቆም የሁላችንም ድምፅ አስፈላጊ ነው!

It is with profound sorrow that we convey the passing of Mr. Hans Birkeland, the former Resident Country Representative of NCA Ethiopia from 2003 to 2011.

Mr. Hans' connection with Ethiopia surpassed the eight years of his official role, as he was born and raised in Yirgalem, Southern Ethiopia, into missionary families. Spending 35 years of his life in Ethiopia, he cultivated a profound bond with the country, becoming fluent in Amharic and wholeheartedly embracing the Ethiopian culture.

Beyond his official capacity, Mr. Hans earned the admiration of those he encountered due to his deep understanding of the local culture. The trust he fostered with religious leaders of diverse faiths played a pivotal role in NCA's collaborations with faith actors in Ethiopia. His contributions, ranging from peacebuilding initiatives between Ethiopia and Eritrea to consecutive national dialogues and declarations addressing Female Ge***al Mutilation and Child Marriage, have left an enduring impact.

Among his notable achievements as the country representative were his committed engagement with Ethiopian religious leaders, grassroots community members, and his adept networking with the leadership of various faith institutions. His instrumental role in the establishment of the Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia underscored a very crucial step in fostering inter-faith action among religious institutions in Ethiopia.

Mr. Hans possessed a unique gift for connecting with individuals from all walks of life, earning endearing titles such as "Wondim" or "Brother" from religious leaders of diverse faiths. Colleagues at NCA Ethiopia, both past and present, fondly described him as "diligent, understanding, concerned," a "fatherly figure," and a "people person."

During this challenging time, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his beloved family, whom he cherished deeply, as well as to his friends and colleagues, both past and present.
Embedded in our memories. May his soul find eternal peace.

📣 ድምፃችንን እናሰማ ፣ ሴቶችን ከጥቃት እንከላከል 💙

📣 Raise your voice, break the chains! Say NO to violence and YES to a brighter, safer future for every woman and girl in Ethiopia. 💙

የትዳር አጋር ጥቃትን ለማስቆም የወንዶች ተሳትፎ በጣም አስፈላጊ ነው። ተባብረን ከጥቃት ነፃ የሆነ ማሕበረሰብን እንፍጠር፡፡

The involvement of men in ending intimate partner violence is paramount. Let's redefine what is acceptable and create a culture of respect and equality.

NCA Ethiopia is pleased to announce that the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Forest Protection Initiative has won the 2023 ACT Climate Resilience Award.

The Church Forests project was among projects submitted for evaluation that demonstrated various approaches to climate adaptation, resilience building and disaster risk reduction.

We congratulate our partner the Ethiopian Orthodox Church- Development and Inter Church Aid Commission (EOTC DICAC) that has been implementing this project for this milestone!

ጾታን መሰረት ያደረጉ ጥቃቶች በህብረተሰቡ ውስጥ ቦታ የላቸውም። ኢትዮጵያ ውስጥ ሴቶችን እና ልጃገረዶችን የሚያስረውን ሰንሰለት ለመበጣጠስ እና ከጥቃት የጸዳ የወደፊት ጊዜን የምንገነባበት ጊዜ ነው።

Gender-based violence has no place in society. It's time to break the chains that bind women in Ethiopia and build a future free from violence.

ማንኛዋም ሴት ከጥቃት ነፃ የሆነ ሕይወት የመምራት መብት አላት። ሴቶችን ከጥቃት መጠበቅ ግብ ብቻ ሳይሆን እውን የሚሆንበት ማህበረሰብ ላይ እንስራ።

በሴቶች እና ልጃገረዶች ላይ የሚደርሱ ጥቃቶችን ለማስቆም የ16ቱ የንቅናቄ ቀናት ዛሬ የጀምራል። ይህንን ጥቃት ለአንዴና ለመጨረሻ ጊዜ ለማስቆም በግለሰብ እና በቡድን የሚደረጉ እንቅስቃሴዎችን ለማጉላት አላማ አለን።

በውይይቱ እንድትሳተፉ እንጋብዝሃለን።

Every woman and girl deserves to live a life free from violence. Let's work towards a society where the protection of women and girls is not just a goal but a reality.

As the 16 Days of Activism to End Violence Against Women and Girls commences today, we aim to highlight messages for individual and collective action to put an end to this violence once and for all.

We invite you to engage in the conversation.

Globally, 4.2 billion people live without "safely managed sanitation".

As it does every year, NCA Ethiopia's Gambella field office observed World Toilet Day yesterday in Jewi Refugee Camp, along with stakeholders RRS, UNHCR, and ZOA to bring attention to the gap in accessing sanitation services such as toilets.

The field office demonstrated a model household latrine that is constructed from locally available and culturally accepted materials.

NCA continues to be the lead organization in the Jewi Refugee Camp, overseeing the provision of sanitation and hygiene services for South Sudanese refugees.

Following an extended drought period, parts of the Somali Region are now hit by yet another form of natural disaster— this time flooding. As of 09 November, 101,940 households have been affected by the flood and 39,985 households displaced, according to OCHA.
• NCA Ethiopia, with funding from EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid through International Rescue Committee, is providing an integrated emergency response for people displaced by the flood in four localities of Afder Zone, West Imi District.
• 1,500 households will receive assistance through multi-purpose cash transfer, as well as essential shelter and WASH non-food item distribution.
• Urgent additional support is needed to reach the affected population.

To strengthen financial and logistics management capacities and foster collaboration, NCA Ethiopia's Finance and Logistics Department is currently providing a capacity-building training session for finance staff represented from various local implementing partners.

The training, which commenced yesterday, covers a diverse range of topics critical to financial, logistics and procurement management and will continue today.

“Forests and plants are the veins and clothing of our world. In order to preserve the essence and vitality of our world, we must prioritize the care and protection of forests."

- His Holiness Abune Mathias I, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church, Archbishop of Axum Echegue of the See of St Tekle Haimanot in his remarks on 09 November 2023
during a national conference on the role of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Forests for forest conservation and management.

Yesterday, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church-Development and Inter-Church Aid Commission (EOTC DICAC) organized a national conference to discuss the important role of Ethiopian Orthodox Church forests in forest conservation and management.

The event was graced by His Holiness Abune Mathias I, the Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church and the Archbishop of Axum Echegue of the See of St. Tekle Haimanot, who delivered the opening remarks.

The conference included discussions on various topics, including the historical and theological significance of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church forests, the Ethiopian Interfaith Initiative for Forest Conservation, and the Ethiopian forest policy and strategy. Governmental and non-governmental organizations such as NCA Ethiopia, PADD/Brot fur die, religious leaders from the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and different researchers were also present at the event.

Norwegian Church Aid and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church have been collaborating since 2018 to protect the Ethiopian Church forests and to expand them to other areas.

Meet Mesfin Abebe, Driver and Logistics Assistant and one of the long-serving colleagues at Norwegian Church Aid Ethiopia.

“The level of trust bestowed upon us, drivers, by our colleagues regarding safety during both near and distant travels is extraordinary. We greatly appreciate this trust and strive relentlessly to fulfil our responsibilities in each journey we undertake. Regardless of the type of roads or terrains we navigate or the obstacles we encounter, we approach them all with wisdom and find effective solutions.”, says Mesfin.

“I find a great deal of mental satisfaction from playing a part in my profession to support various humanitarian endeavors aimed at tackling the diverse challenges present in society.”, adds Mesfin.

We thank Mesfin for his service.

The majority of farmers in Ethiopia are smallholders with limited access to resources, modern technology, and market linkages.

Through the Norad- funded Ethiopia-Connect project, since its start in 2021, a total of 835 informal producers in the agricultural sector were organized into 7 cooperative groups and 13 small-scale enterprises. The aim is to help facilitate access to financial institutions, skills training, and market linkages bridging the gap between informal producers and commercial value chains.

Learn more about some of the innovative projects at NCA that are spearheading development and humanitarian efforts, ultimately improving lives and livelihoods.

Tomorrow's Aid Future aid must be innovative to address global challenges.  Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) is an important actor and a driver for change and development. Here are some examples how big and small changes and innovation can change lives.