A region on the edge: heat, rivers and uncertainty
The Gambela region in western Ethiopia is a world unto itself. Unlike the rest of the country, it is ruled by scorching tropical heat, and the landscape is cut through by mighty rivers that regularly flood the surrounding area. It is also a place where the fates of hundreds of thousands of people meet.
Gambela today hosts more than 400,000 refugees from South Sudan who found shelter here from civil war. Local communities and refugees live in a fragile balance, facing enormous pressure on resources such as food, clean water and safety.
Why is school here a “luxury”?
In an environment where families struggle to survive on less than a dollar a day, education is often pushed aside. The most common challenges young people here face are:
– child labour: children are often forced to help herd livestock or find food,
– child marriage: for girls in this region, the risk of being married off early (often before age 16) is one of the highest in Ethiopia,
– trauma: many of the children at the Salesian school Don Bosco Gambela carry memories of fleeing violence.
That is why the school in Gambela is not just about learning — it is a safe haven where children feel protected and can, for a moment, simply be children.
Your 25 € a month is more than notebooks
Through the Child Adoption in Ethiopia programme we work to break the cycle of poverty and uncertainty. A regular contribution of 25 € a month transforms the reality of a child in Gambela from the ground up. It lets them attend school without fear that one day they will no longer be able to continue their studies.
We help shape young people with heart
Our goal in Gambela is not just to “produce” graduates. We want to shape a generation that will bring stability to this restless region. The children you support today will, in a few years, be the ones healing, building and leading their communities toward a better life. Education in Gambela is not only about knowledge — it is the only path to stability in a region where peace is rare.
