Education can change people's lives. It is a good that every person should have the right to, regardless of their respective life situation. With our association we would like to make a contribution to our basic philosophy. The focus is not on the academicization of children, but rather on the opportunity to lead a self-determined life: education should give them the tools that they will need later in order to be able to realize their own goals.

How do we implement our concerns?

KaJo eV is a small non-profit organization based in Nürtingen. The board consists of idealistic students. In the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, the association supports poor families from the outskirts of the city by financing children's education at the Future Generation Hope private school.

We now enable nine children to receive an education at this school:

Mahilet (born 2007), Nahom (born 2007), Alazar (born 2009) Josef (born 2008), Kalkidan (born 2004), Hilina (born 2004), Bruke (born 2002) and Tensa ( born 2009). A total of nine sponsors and 28 members support us in this project. The board travels to Ethiopia at least once a year to cover the costs of school training there. The costs for a sponsored child are between 350 and 550 euros per year, whereby we not only cover the school fees, but also the transport costs, school uniforms and school materials. Our trusted people Biruh and Kibret work for us on site. We are in close contact with them. In order to maintain an adequate overview of our children's motivation and success, we receive regular reports about the situation on site.

The criteria by which children are accepted into our support program are intentionally kept open. We are reluctant to judge the well-known criteria of performance and motivation based on school grades. Of course, it is important for us that the children perform well, but this is not the primary priority, but rather the fascination with education and the opportunities that arise from it should be awakened. The primary admission criterion is getting to know the children and their families. We accept suggestions for families worthy of support from Kibret and Biruh, followed by getting to know the children and their families personally. Only then do we decide for or against recording.

Why Ethiopia?

Although there is 10 years of compulsory education in Ethiopia, the Ethiopian school system is very backward. Almost all Ethiopian children begin attending primary school, although only around 38 percent of students complete it (World Bank, 2014). Only 38.4 percent receive secondary education and 7.3 percent of young Ethiopians attend university (Foreign Office, 2015). This is due, on the one hand, to the lack of capacity and, on the other hand, to the lack of qualifications of most school leavers. They often leave school very early because they have to help the family or see no point in the often very poor quality school education - for example, they are often taught from very old books due to a lack of resources or the teachers lack the necessary training. Attending a private school is a sensible alternative here, as such schools offer a much better qualification and often make it possible to finish school in the first place. This gives young people the opportunity to shape their future freely and even go on to university. By sponsoring a school with KaJo eV, you enable a child from the poorest backgrounds to have a better future.