United States Support Improves Primary-School Education
Donation Ceremony Marks the Handover of More Than 50,000 Books

August 11, 2005
No. 37/05

Addis Ababa (U.S. Embassy) – As part of its ongoing commitment to support Ethiopia’s educational system, the United States is donating over 50,000 English-language reading books for use in primary schools across the country.  This donation is part of a program administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) that is also providing over 100,000 grade-five English textbooks and more than 300,000 copies of educational magazines for use in Ethiopia’s schools.

Speaking at a handover ceremony held at the Institute of Curriculum Development and Research (ICDR) on August 11, USAID-Ethiopia Director William Hammink said, “This donation is made possible by President Bush’s Africa Education Initiative, which we believe has the potential to dramatically enhance teaching in Ethiopia’s primary schools.  We are proud to be working with Ethiopia’s schools to help this country’s children be better prepared for productive futures.”  Also attending the ceremony were Vice Minister of Education Dereje Terefe and ICDR’s Director, Ato Tizazu Asare, along with Embassy Public Affairs Director Sam Westgate.

Created in 2002, the Africa Education Initiative (AEI) is working across the continent to improve educational opportunities for Africa’s children over a five-year period. The Initiative’s Textbook Development Program supports a partnership between Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the U.S. and counterparts in Africa.  Hampton University has worked with a consortium of HBCUs to create high-quality, low-cost, relevant learning materials for six African countries, including Ethiopia. Over the past 10 months, a team from consortium member Alabama A&M University has been collaborating with the ICDR, USAID/Ethiopia, and Ethiopia’s Regional Education Bureaus to develop grade-five English textbooks, 100,000 copies of which will be in use by October 2005. The Initiative is also providing 300,000 Scholastic magazines, which have already been distributed to over 3,000 schools throughout Ethiopia.

Along with the AEI, U.S. support for education in Ethiopia takes many forms, including scholarships that enable girls to complete secondary education, teacher training, and curriculum-development programs such as an August 2004 workshop that brought together experts from across the country to examine how better to pass on vital English-language skills. That workshop was followed by the creation and distribution of over 35,000 copies of English reading books for eighth-graders.

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