Background

• Ethiopia has an estimated population of 75 million and an average income per capita of $120USD per year.
• Food insecurity, low levels of education (51% attend primary school, and 18% secondary school), rapid population growth, lack of basic healthcare and unstable incomes in families place children in precarious and often exploitative situations.
• 84% of girls have suffered from some form of physical violence in their childhood.
• There are between 150,000–200,000 street children nationally and a further 1 million vulnerable or at risk of being on the street.
• There is a 12% HIV/AIDS rate of infection in the 15-19 age group.

What We Do

Right To Play’s program directly addresses the challenges stated above through recognition of sport and play as an innovative and dynamic learning tool that emphasizes the holistic development of children.

Right To Play Ethiopia works with children who are directly affected by acute poverty and who may not have a chance to otherwise partake in sport, health and play activities: orphaned children, street children, children with a disability and in and out of school children from disadvantaged neighbourhoods. The Right To Play program directly supports the United Nations Convention Rights of the Child, the government’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper objectives, as well as the Millennium Development Goals.

So Far

Since inception of activities, Right To Play has made significant progress with programming. By working with 7 partner organisations (Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia, Ethiopian Paralympic Committee, Cheshire Services, GOAL Ethiopia, Organization for Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Integration of Female Street Children, Ethiopian Gemini Trust, World Wide Orphans) Right To Play reached 7000 Children and 160 coaches in 2007.