In June 2014 EEL started with support from UK AID (DfID) a 3 year inclusive education project aimed at supporting children with disabilities to access schools. Our local partner, Nekemte Rehabilitation for People with Disabilities, will be working with 150 schools over the 3 years to provide training to teachers, set up disability clubs in the schools and facilitate surgery and mobility devices for children to enable them to access school. In addition cluster resource centres will be set up to enable schools to borrow assistive devices. We will keep you updated with this exciting new project.

In 2015 we were fortunate to be awarded a grant from Comic Relief for a three year project to establish libraries & reading centres in 75 schools, and to provide training for the teachers and librarians. During the first year our project manager and team in Nekemte worked with 27 schools in Nekemte town and the rural area of Wayu Tuka. We are now in the second year of the project and have added 15 more schools in the rural areas of Diga and Wayu Tuka. The objective of the project is to improve literacy levels leading to access to wider opportunities in life. Part of the project aims to create an attitudinal change to disability. Information about disability is provided through stories in mini books made for the project. The mini books are made by students with hearing difficulties, giving them an opportunity for a little income. We have not been able to cover as many schools as first intended - maybe 75 was too ambitious. We are currently starting the 3rd year and have added 10 more schools to the project. By December 2018 52 schools will have a functionning reading centre and library and all teachers and librarians will have received training. Again we will keep you updated with this project.