Not long ago, Zenia was living on the streets of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Now, thanks to Retrak, she's enrolled in a vocational training program in that will enable her to earn a living and once again be a part of the community.
Over 75% of street children at Retrak Ethiopia identified poverty and lack of education as two of the reasons they came to the streets. However, as poverty pushes youth to the street, a stronger economic environment can pull them back off the street. Retrak provides street children with education, training and financial support to lift them out of poverty and build better lives.
The overall aim of the Vocational Training Program is to enable older children to meet their basic needs and gain the education or vocational skills to prepare them for future employment and for independent living as healthy, active and empowered citizens. Retrak covers the costs of all classes, equipment, accommodation and daily living expenses.Once they complete their training Retrak will help each child develop an exit strategy and give them practical help in finding work.
Children who participate in Retrak's Vocational Training Program learn valuable skills that enable them to move away from the streets and become self-supporting members of the community, benefitting not only themselves, but their families and the wider community.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).