To provide young women and men with a professional future, income opportunities, and life prospects, we have initiated this project. We offer young people essential skills for the job market and professional life. A total of 550 young women and men aged 18 to 24 participate in training sessions where they acquire vocational qualifications and entrepreneurial knowledge. For participants with limited literacy or numeracy skills, we provide reading, writing, and math courses. Additionally, 275 young women and men participate in English and computer courses.
In selecting participants, we particularly focus on disadvantaged population groups, such as those belonging to a specific caste or ethnic minority and affected by poverty. Preference is also given to young women and men living in households with children or adults with disabilities.
Because women in Nepal often face disadvantages in their career and education opportunities and are paid less than men for the same work, we promote their equality in the job market. To achieve this, we provide training to employers as well as government and agency employees on labor rights, gender equality, workplace safety, and health protection.
What we aim to achieve
Equal access to vocational training and decent work for young women and men.
What we do for this
Vocational training and entrepreneurial education for young women and men.
Training sessions for employers on labor law, health protection, and gender equality.
Childcare services for young mothers participating in the training program.
Financial literacy training, access to savings groups, and microloans.
Reading, writing, and math courses.
Startup assistance for establishing small businesses.
Patriarchal norms and traditional practices disadvantage many girls and women in Ethiopia on social, political, and individual levels. One in four Ethiopian women aged 15 to 49 has experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. Most women remain silent about these cases and do not report them for fear of stigma.
In the rural project region of Benishangul-Gumuz and its capital, Assosa, gender-based violence against women and girls is prevalent. Young people encounter a traditionally entrenched patriarchal societal order there. Early marriage is widespread, and 63 percent of girls and women are affected by female genital mutilation. According to a counseling center established by the Ethiopian government and UNICEF in Assosa, rapes of underage women are among the most common forms of gender-based violence in the project area. Due to the lack of counseling centers and shelters, affected girls and women usually receive no legal, medical, or psychosocial support. On the contrary, sexual health and the rights of adolescents, especially girls, remain taboo topics.
What we aim to achieve
Improving the living conditions of girls and women.
Protection against sexual and gender-based violence.
What we do for this
Building two women's shelters and renovating a counseling center.
Educating approximately 6,400 people about the severe consequences of sexual violence.
Providing vocational training for 300 disadvantaged youth, especially girls.
Initiating activities at twelve schools, constructing gender-sensitive sanitation facilities and safe spaces for girls, and establishing girls' clubs.
Past projects through which we have already accomplished.
Approximately 1,500 young people in Nepal migrate every day because they cannot find suitable employment. Limited job and training opportunities and poor working conditions, such as low wages, compel them to leave their homes. They often migrate under unsafe conditions. Many young people also migrate within the country, for example, to cities. There, especially young women are exposed to significant risks such as exploitation and violence.
What we have achieved
Access to a safe and supportive environment for young women in male-dominated work areas.
Education on labor rights and training opportunities.
Appropriate working conditions.
Improved income for female employees or microentrepreneurs.
What we have done for this
We provided theoretical and practical vocational training for young women in the tourism sector.
We created potential job opportunities with appropriate working conditions through collaboration with local businesses.
We raised awareness among migrating women about potential risks in urban areas.
We empowered women in their (employment) rights to earn their income independently and according to their preferences.
When girls are married off early, they often drop out of school, become economically dependent, and are frequently pregnant at a young age. This poses a danger to their health and life.
What we have achieved
We aim to empower girls to lead self-determined lives and protect their health. They should be able to decide for themselves when to marry and have their first child. With this project, 580 girls are directly reached, but indirectly, it impacts 86,000 people.
What we have done for this
Through youth clubs, girls and boys can learn about sexual and reproductive rights.
Volunteer multipliers are trained to provide information on child marriage, unintended pregnancy, and children's rights.
Particularly disadvantaged girls are supported in finding a profession and starting a business.
Although basic education up to the 8th grade is compulsory and even free up to the 10th grade in Nepal, 662,250 children aged 5-12 years do not attend school, and among secondary school children, the number rises to 1.6 million. Girls, in particular, are at risk of dropping out of school prematurely.
What we have achieved
We aim to provide access to high-quality education at safe and inclusive schools that create a secure, child-friendly, and gender-sensitive learning environment. Children who have dropped out of school or are at risk of doing so must be reintegrated into schools. We also promote gender equality.
What we have done for this
Repairing school buildings.
Improving sanitation and water supply and constructing gender-separated toilets.
Cross-grade groups for reading promotion.
Targeted training for teachers and parents.
Establishment of mobile classes to shorten and secure school routes for children from high-altitude areas.