New washrooms in Ethiopia

Funding required: $43,965

This project will help: 750 children and youth

Estimated completion date: December 2025

Country: Ethiopia

Executive summary

At the ET0252, ET0175 and ET4020 Compassion centres in west and southwestern Ethiopia, centre staff are dedicated to supporting the growth and development of 750 registered children and youth. Each week, boys and girls are welcomed into their local centre where they eat nourishing meals, learn educational lessons and receive caring mentorship from program staff. However, inadequate washroom facilities pose significant challenges for both staff and children.

The latrines at the ET0175 centre are unsanitary and in poor condition. There are only two washrooms for 245 program participants to use. Program staff have noted that the washrooms have become so dilapidated that they are no longer safe for children to use. Children and staff at the ET4020 centre face similar challenges—the existing latrines are small and unsanitary, built with just mud and wood. Washrooms are not separated by gender, creating an uncomfortable environment for participants, especially girls. At ET0252, the only washroom available is a church-provided restroom that is not easily accessed by participants and is also used by members of the congregation.

The children and youth served by the ET0252, ET0175 and ET4020 Compassion centres live in poverty, and many do not have access to adequate sanitary facilities at home, including washrooms or showers. Staff report frequent cases of hygiene-related diseases among the children such as typhoid fever, parasitic infections, eye infections and skin diseases. Children often miss program days or school due to illness, impacting their holistic growth and development.

This intervention will see the construction of washroom facilities at three Compassion centres in Ethiopia, impacting 750 registered children and youth. These washrooms will be equipped with six stalls and two shower rooms, providing children who may otherwise not have the opportunity to bathe regularly with access to showers. By improving sanitation facilities, this intervention will promote better health, dignity and well-being for registered children while reducing the risks of hygiene-related illness and disease.

Summary

Background

Compassion International Ethiopia was established in 1993 and serves more than 150,000 registered children and youth across the country. According to UNICEF, only 7 per cent of the population in Ethiopia is using safely managed sanitation services and 2 per cent have access to basic sanitation services. Most of the Compassion-assisted beneficiaries served by our church partners live in high levels of poverty and have little to no access to clean washrooms, showers or other sanitation services. To address this, Compassion has worked alongside frontline church partners in Ethiopia to improve sanitation facilities at their centres, providing children with access to sanitation services they may otherwise lack at home and in their communities.

Church partners at ET0252, ET0175 and ET4020 have each donated a plot a land for the construction of well-ventilated latrine facilities for the children and youth in their care. Volunteers from the churches have also committed to providing labour to help with the construction.

The need

It is estimated that approximately 68.7 of the population in Ethiopia lives in multidimensional poverty, according to the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI). Many children growing up across the country lack access to quality education, regular, nutritious meals and adequate hygiene and sanitation services. Sadly, this puts children at high risk of serious infections, malnutrition and missed educational opportunities. Three centres in western and southwestern Ethiopia lack decent sanitation facilities. These centres only have one to three latrines to serve hundreds of children and staff, and they are in dilapidated condition. Children often miss school and Compassion program days due to sanitation-related illness. Compassion’s frontline church partners know the importance of adequate sanitation, especially for growing children, and want to provide the children they serve with access to clean washrooms at their facilities, but they can’t do it alone.

Your gift will help build new washroom facilities at the ET0252, ET0175 and ET4020 Compassion centres in Ethiopia, giving 750 registered children and youth access to safe and fully functional toilets, hand washing sinks and private shower rooms. The new washrooms will ensure children feel comfortable on program days and will reduce instances of hygiene-related diseases among participants. Children will also no longer need to wait in long lines to use the facilities, allowing participants to better focus on program activities and lessons. Training sessions will be conducted on the proper use, operation and maintenance of the new facilities. Staff members will source local labour and materials for the planning and construction phases and church members and caregivers will help with unskilled labour.

What your gift will do

Your support will help build new washroom facilities, including latrines, hand washing sinks and shower rooms, at three Compassion in Ethiopia, impacting 750 registered beneficiaries:

  • Construction of new washrooms
    • Contractor selection
    • Excavation
    • Masonry, metal and concrete work
    • Carpentry
    • Roofing
    • Water proofing
    • Plastering and painting
    • Installation of sanitary fixtures
    • Electrical installation
  • Training
    • Updating and copying training materials
    • Stationary
    • Venue rental
    • Meals

Logistics

  • Local contribution: US$3,815.35
  • Handling of funds: Compassion International Ethiopia will work with centre leadership to ensure this project stays within budget.
  • Monitoring and follow-up: Church and centre leaders will monitor the construction of the facilities. Staff will be trained on the use, maintenance and safe operation of the new facilities and ensure the participants safely use the new washrooms on program days.
80%

No less than 80 per cent of your donation will be used for program activities and a maximum of 20 per cent for fundraising and administration. If we exceed our funding goal for the initiative shown, the remaining funds will be used to fund other programs where the need is greatest.