An Ethiopian mother at the Merkato, Addis Ababa, the largest open air market in Africa, points forward while her son watches. Ethiopia is home to 88 million people, the second most populous country in Africa after Nigeria. Photo Credit: Joel Carillet/Getty Images
Society EthiopiaCity Programme Helps Young Children and Families Thrive
Addis Ababa is expanding early childhood development services across Ethiopia by improving childcare, education, and health support, and by creating safer public spaces for vulnerable families.
“My hope is for Addis to be the best city in Africa to raise a child and to be a mother,” said Adanech Abiebie, Mayor of Addis Ababa, describing the city’s long-term vision for children and caregivers.
Since 2019, the city has supported 330,000 vulnerable households and 1.3 million children through programmes focused on nutrition, responsive caregiving, pre-primary education, and childcare. More than 5,000 jobs have been created for women serving as parental coaches, while over 18,000 teachers and 3,734 daycare workers have been trained in play-based learning methods. The programme has also expanded green public spaces designed to strengthen social connection and child wellbeing, while offering a model for other cities investing in early childhood development.
