Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

ESD is a local non-governmental organization (NGO) that was established in 2007 GC with the goal of ensuring a better future for children, youth, and women through direct investments and enhancement of high-quality education, ensuring gender equality and empowering youth and women, upholding community health, and supporting early childhood development. Operational regions for the organization include Amhara, Oromia, Sidama, and SNNPR. Before the National ECCE Policy Framework was issued, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) was initiated by ESD in 2008 in its operational rural Ethiopia. ESD introduced the center-based, school-based, and community/village-based ECCE models. The Center Based Approach was the first effort for 4-6 year old rural children, and in 2008-2009, ESD built 4 model ECD centers. The facilities, which were constructed on the grounds of elementary schools, can accommodate 120 children (ages 4-6) for ECCE services annually. They serve as role models for various settings in the area and are currently held by the schools. As part of the extension of ECCE services in the targeted areas, ESD launched the School Based Approach in collaboration with the education sector (zone and woreda education offices and schools). Since 2011, more than 100 school-based ECCE centers have been established on the premises of primary schools in the North Shoa Amhara, North Shoa, and Sidama regions. These centers have been taken over by the schools. In regions where it is still in operation, ESD continues to run ECCE programs in schools (North Shoa of Amhara and Oromia). To offer ECCE services to the target children who live in communities far from their individual primary schools, ESD established village-based centers (and for whom school-based centers are inaccessible). ESD continues to employ this tactic, and it will be broadened to include kids in isolated rural areas.