Ethiopia Facts

Selami! That’s how you say “hello” in Amharic, one of the official languages of Ethiopia. This country in Africa is known for its rich traditions, including its formal coffee ceremony between friends and family. Learn more Ethiopia facts here.

five Facts About Ethiopia

Here are five fun facts about Ethiopia:

  1. Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. In fact, the wild coffee plant, Coffea arabica, is a native plant to Ethiopia.
  2. The country uses its own calendar, called the Ethiopian calendar, which features 13 months.
  3. Ethiopian cuisine is incredibly unique, featuring dishes like doro wat, a spicy chicken stew.
  4. Ethiopian culture includes many celebrations throughout the year, including Genna, which is the Ethiopian name for Christmas.
  5. Ethiopia is home to many native animals, including the Ethiopian wolf and the gelada baboon.

Where is Ethiopia?

Ethiopia is in East Africa, within a region called the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya and Sudan.

Key Challenges in Ethiopia & Our Response

Ethiopian culture is rich, full of things to do, taste, see and explore. However, the country is also home to thousands of children living in impoverished communities. These children face the devastating and life-altering challenges of poverty daily.

Malnutrition & Poor Medical Care Harm Children From Birth

Children in Africa are at high risk of death from a young age. In Ethiopia, the under-5 mortality rate is high at 46.2 deaths per 1,000 live births. Unfortunately, this is caused by many factors that can stem from poverty, including malnutrition and poor medical care.

Our Response: Survival Programs Provide Critical Care

We believe all children should be given the chance to thrive. Through our Survival programs in Africa, we provide medical care, nutrition support and even delivery care to moms and babies living in poverty.

This critical care continues through a baby’s first year of life, giving them a healthy foundation for growth. After this they’re eligible to be sponsored by someone like you!

Lack of Education Stops Children From Becoming Self-Sufficient

According to UNICEF, only 33.1% of children make it to secondary school in Ethiopia. Around 90% of 10-year-old children in Ethiopia don’t know how to read. And crises and conflicts have resulted in millions of children being out of school in Ethiopia.

Unfortunately, children without educations often lack the skills needed to become self-sufficient adults. This leaves them unable to provide for themselves or their families, keeping them trapped in poverty.

Our Response: Educational & Vocational Opportunities Help Kids Succeed

At Compassion, we provide the educational tools children need to attend school, from supplies and tuition to tutoring. We also provide vocational opportunities so children can learn job skills and become certified in their areas of interest. As a result, they can become financially self-sufficient.

A boy laughing while carrying a water jug on his head

A boy laughs while carrying a bucket of water on his head.

Caption
A boy wearing a red shirt smiling

A child smiles in front of a brick wall.

Caption
A young man teaching boys in a woodworking class

A young man, formerly in the child development program, teaches younger boys about the skill of woodworking.

Caption
Children playing soccer

A group of boys play soccer on a dusty field.

Caption
A young boy celebrating his transition into the Child Sponsorship Program

A young boy smiles as he transitions into the Compassion Child Sponsorship Program.

Caption
Children happily engage in the classroom

Children happily engage in the classroom.

Caption
A group of women and their children being served a meal

A group of women and their children wait to receive a meal.

Caption
A girl wearing a pink dress standing in front of a shade tree

A young girl holding flowers stands in the shade of a tree.

Caption
A group of women wearing choir robes during a worship service

Young women praise God at a worship service.

Caption
Young teens participate in camp activities

Young teens participate in camp activities.

Caption

Our Impact in Ethiopia

Compassion has proudly served the children and families living in Ethiopia for three decades. In that time, we’ve helped release thousands of children from poverty in Jesus’ name through child sponsorship.

136,045

children served (and counting)

588

churches serving

30

years of serving

Sponsor Letters Give Hope to Children in Ethiopia & Beyond

In Ethiopia and beyond, messages from sponsors deliver hope to thousands of children in the Compassion program. See the power your messages hold through the eyes of these children.

See Story
Ethiopian Coffee Brings Vulnerable Moms Together

In Compassion Survival programs, new and expecting moms get together to read the Bible, attend training and connect with one another during traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremonies.

See Story

How You Can Help Vulnerable Children in Ethiopia

You can join Compassion’s fight against child poverty in Ethiopia in three key ways:

  • Pray: Jeremiah 33:3 tells us that if we call on God, he will answer us. When we lift children living in poverty up in prayer, God hears us, and we can trust he's working on their behalf. Join us in praying daily for children living in poverty by becoming a prayer partner.
  • Donate: Children living in poverty face many challenges, from a lack of medical care to dangerous living conditions. You can provide immediate support by donating to fulfill a right-now need.
  • Sponsor a Child: By sponsoring a child, you empower a local church to meet the critical needs of a child's body, mind and spirit as they journey out of poverty. Through sponsorship, you'll help deliver medical care, hygiene training, education, malnutrition monitoring and so much more to a child in need. But most importantly, you'll help introduce them to the hope of the gospel, which changes everything.
Sponsor a Child in Ethiopia