A $20 start-up fund changed everything for Desta, a mother of five in rural southern Ethiopia. Read her story and support a SHE entrepreneur today.

In rural Ethiopia, a primary school just made history — the first science lab at the primary level in all of Shashogo Woreda. Here's the full story of what changed at Shamo Boyo, from the youngest preschoolers to Grade 8 students preparing for the exam of their lives.

Meet Asnakech, an Ethiopian mother whose life transformed through the SHE program. She went from isolation and dependence to running a thriving butter business. Her training, determination, and the support of women in her group have changed her life. And, now she knows she can earn enough income to keep her children in school. When mothers earn, children learn.

See how your donation helped Degefech grow her onion business from 4 kilos to 20+ kilos a week. Now her kids are fed and in school. Read her inspiring story.

Behind the 74% pass rate for the 8th grade national exam are 1,600 stories. Here is one of them.

When students in rural Ethiopia face a critical choice (pass the Grade 8 National Exam or end their education forever), the odds have usually been against them. But this year's results from our partner schools tell a different story.

A School Sponsorship can change a life when you create an opportunity for a child who is ready to start school, stay in school, and succeed in school.

40 women in two SHE groups planted ginger, harvested 14,000 pounds, and each took home a net profit of $32. A story of collaboration, courage, and success in rural Ethiopia.

School sports help students lead on and off the field.

In Ethiopia, countless families face an impossible decision every day: send their children to school hungry, or pull them out of the classroom to work to help feed their families.

A devastating food shortage and deadly malaria outbreak have left families in Ethiopia in urgent need of assistance.

As a supporter of Roots Ethiopia, you know that education and job creation is at the heart of our mission. While we are laser focused on children, education, and moms, we cannot ignore the urgent needs of families facing unexpected crises.

In Ethiopia’s educational landscape, 8th grade isn’t just another year—it’s a pivotal moment that can shape a child’s entire future. This is Hilena’s story, a bright young girl whose life took an inspiring turn thanks to the straightforward yet powerful intervention from the loving support of donors like you: 10 weeks of grade 8 tutoring.

When you look at this photograph of three young girls carrying water in rural Ethiopia, what do you see?

Are you ready to make a powerful difference in the world? Friday, October 10th, is your chance to shine on DAF Day – an incredible opportunity for you to maximize your charitable giving!

Have you heard about SHOEtember? It’s not a typo, and it’s not about fall fashion trends. SHOEtember is an annual opportunity to ensure children can walk confidently to school – quite literally!

60 women in Gimbichu launched an injera cooking business through Roots Ethiopia's SHE program — selling 700 injera in just 15 days and earning $148 in their first two weeks.

Berbere is the bold Ethiopian spice blend that gives doro wat, lentils, and stews their signature flavor. Learn what's in it, where it comes from, and how to cook with it.

Remember when you first learned to read? The excitement of understanding math? The pride of wearing a new school uniform? For 11-year-old Kokebe, these simple joys are at risk of becoming distant dreams.

40 women from two SHE groups pooled their savings and planted ginger together — the first time women's groups did direct farming in their area. This is Part 1 of their story.

Ayelew lost his hearing as a small child. With a Roots Ethiopia school sponsorship, he finished high school and is now in his first year of university — in the top 3.3% nationally.

Meskel is Ethiopia's ancient festival celebrating the Finding of the True Cross — marked by bonfires, yellow flowers, prayers, and community feasts every September.

Learn how to include Roots Ethiopia in your will and create lasting change for children and families in rural southern Ethiopia through the power of planned giving.

Enkutatash is the Ethiopian New Year, celebrated on September 11th. Learn what it means, how communities celebrate, and why this beloved holiday matters in Ethiopia.

Enset is called the "false banana" and the "tree of life." In rural southern Ethiopia it feeds families, provides income, and offers resilience when the rains fail.

Beletech started with one cow and a $20 SHE group loan. Now she runs a butter, cheese, coffee, and egg business in rural Ethiopia — and plans to keep growing.

Roots Ethiopia built a real-time data system with Ethiopian staff to track beneficiaries, schools, and communities across southern Ethiopia. See how accountability works behind the scenes.

Meet Kongit Girma, one of two Ethiopian-born Roots Ethiopia board members. Her background in education and deep knowledge of Ethiopian culture help keep our work truly community-centered.

The Ethiopian coffee ceremony — buna — is one of the most important social rituals in Ethiopia. Learn how it's prepared, shared, and what each of the three rounds means.

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. Learn the history behind the world's favorite drink and why coffee ceremonies are still a sacred part of daily community life in Ethiopia.

Wayziro Worke is a mother of two young girls, and she is raising her niece. When we first met her, she was alone, worried, with a lot of responsibility; a rent that was hard to pay, lack of confidence that she would be able to keep her children in school, and not enough money to keep her 3 children well cared for at home.

It takes power to stand up for yourself. And knowledge. How do you self-advocate if you don’t have access to the tools needed to improve your life? How do you reach self-reliance? And, finally, it takes a community having your back. Do like-minded community members see your potential and your struggle? Do they believe in you?

There are staggering roadblocks to success for a woman like Hanna. Forced to abandon school in the 9th grade. Married at an early age and soon the young mother of two daughters. Her husband’s mental illness and inability to work. Her younger daughter’s neurological disease. Aging parents who move in with her. Hanna. The 24-year-old who’s already lived a half dozen lifetimes is now tasked with supporting her entire family.

We are so excited for you to meet Barkot Alemu, a 14 year old girl whose name means “Blessing the World”. What a perfect name for a shining star in her 8th grade class at Mugunja Primary School in rural Ethiopia. Barkot is the top student in her class, and she’s an amazing leader among girls and students in her village.

Sometimes we get to witness amazing stories. Today is one of those days. We celebrate this sweet boy, now fitted with an adaptive wheelchair, who will join the Special Education classroom in Halaba in September. He will FINALLY attend school — something he has dreamed about for so long!

A teacher at a rural school tries to angle the mirror of a sunlight-illuminated microscope towards the window to light a biology slide. A student strains his eyes in the cool darkness of a classroom to read his textbook.

Tadelech’s children are headed back to school this week. They attend school regularly because their MOM IS A ROCKSTAR entrepreneur! Tadelech is part of a Roots Ethiopia Self-Help Entrepreneurs (SHE). She sells bananas and eggs in the market – and she even has a secret way of ripening her savory bananas.

It’s one thing to believe in the promise of a child; it’s a whole other kind of gift to see that promise lived. Earlier this year we introduced you to eight-year-old Betsega — one of the 250 kids benefiting from a Roots Ethiopia school sponsorship. Thanks to your support Betsega goes to school.

10-year old Dinkenesh is an Ethiopian education success story. In a worn notebook, she precisely prints today’s school lessons. This book is her greatest pride, and each page represents another day she is back in school.

Our Shone Youth Sports Project has been up and running for a year and we are thrilled to share some of the progress we see playing out on the soccer field.

November was an exciting and busy month for thirty-nine (39) Science Teachers whose rural schools have received science laboratory materials from Roots Ethiopia.