Voice and Choice: Empowering Youth and Women

Project Report on

Voice and Choice: Empowering Youth and Women (#70446)

Submitted to the GlobalGiving Community
February 03, 2026

Dear GlobalGiving Community,

Three months ago, No One Down Relief Organization (NODRO) continued implementing the project “Voice and Choice: Empowering Youth and Women,” a transformative initiative designed to amplify voices, strengthen leadership, and expand opportunities for youth and women across Ethiopia.

In communities affected by poverty, unemployment, conflict, and social exclusion, women and young people are often excluded from decision-making processes that shape their lives. This project is rooted in a simple belief: when youth and women have voice and choice, communities become stronger, more peaceful, and more resilient.

Through leadership training, civic engagement, advocacy, and skills development, Voice and Choice is helping participants move from the margins to the center of community transformation.

How the Project Is Progressing

Since November 2025, the project has been actively implemented in selected communities across Addis Ababa, Amhara, Oromia, and Southern Ethiopia, focusing on:

• Young women and men facing unemployment
• Women community leaders and grassroots organizers
• At-risk and marginalized youth
• Emerging advocates for peace and social justice

Working closely with local authorities, women’s associations, youth groups, and community elders, NODRO has ensured strong local ownership and inclusive participation.

Achievements (November 2025 – January 2026)

Youth Leadership & Civic Engagement

• Trained 420 youth (52% women) in leadership, advocacy, and active citizenship.
• Conducted 15 youth dialogue forums promoting peace, inclusion, and democratic participation.
• Supported 10 youth-led community initiatives addressing local challenges such as school dropout, unemployment, and social cohesion.

Women’s Empowerment & Leadership

• Empowered 260 women through confidence-building, leadership, and advocacy trainings.
• Established 6 Women Action Groups to promote participation in local decision-making.
• Facilitated safe spaces for women to discuss rights, protection, and economic participation.

Skills Development & Economic Inclusion

• Provided life-skills and basic entrepreneurship training to 230 youth and women.
• Linked 110 participants to mentorship, savings groups, or income-generating opportunities.
• Promoted cooperative models led by women and youth.

Community Awareness & Advocacy

• Reached 1,200 community members through awareness campaigns on gender equality, youth participation, and social inclusion.
• Engaged community leaders and faith actors to champion inclusive leadership.

Stories of Change & Hope

Finding Her Voice – Southern Ethiopia
Aster, a 28-year-old mother of two, shared:

“I used to believe leadership was only for men. Now I speak in community meetings and my ideas are respected.”

Youth Turning Energy into Action – Addis Ababa
Youth participants organized clean-up campaigns and peer mentoring groups, proving that young people can lead positive change when given opportunity.

Bridging Generations – Amhara
Dialogue sessions brought elders, women, and youth together, reducing tensions and building mutual understanding.

Challenges We Encountered

While implementation progressed well, several challenges arose:

• Economic hardship limiting consistent participation
• Social norms discouraging women’s public engagement
• Security concerns affecting mobility in some areas
• Limited funding restricting scale of activities

To address these, NODRO adjusted schedules, strengthened community sensitization, and relied on trusted local facilitators.

What’s Next? (February – April 2026)

In the next phase, NODRO plans to:

• Train 500 additional youth and women leaders
• Expand Women Action Groups to 10 more communities
• Launch Youth Advocacy & Peace Ambassador Program
• Support small community-led action projects
• Strengthen links between trained participants and local governance structures
• Introduce digital learning and advocacy tools

Sustainability & Long-Term Vision

Voice and Choice is designed for lasting impact by:

• Building leadership capacity at grassroots level
• Strengthening peer networks and mentorship
• Embedding advocacy skills within communities
• Encouraging community ownership and local partnerships

By 2030, NODRO aims to empower 15,000 youth and women to actively participate in leadership, governance, and economic life across Ethiopia.

Why This Project Matters

When youth and women are excluded, communities lose innovation, peace, and progress.
This project is restoring:

• confidence where silence once existed
• leadership where opportunity was denied
• unity where division threatened growth
• hope for a more inclusive future

Your support makes empowerment possible:

• $25 supports leadership training for one youth
• $50 equips a woman with advocacy and life-skills training
• $150 funds a youth dialogue and peace forum
• $500 supports a community empowerment workshop
• $5,000 scales youth and women leadership programs across districts

Monitoring & Reporting

NODRO ensures accountability through:

• Regular field monitoring visits
• Attendance and participation tracking
• Pre- and post-training assessments
• Community feedback sessions
• Progress reports submitted to GlobalGiving

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• 420 youth trained
• 260 women empowered
• 15 dialogue forums conducted
• 10 youth-led initiatives supported
• 6 active Women Action Groups

Together, We Amplify Voices and Create Change

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our donors, partners, and the GlobalGiving community for standing with Ethiopia’s youth and women.

Your support is transforming silence into voice, exclusion into participation, and challenges into leadership.

Together, we are building a future where every voice matters and every choice counts.

With gratitude,
Mrs. Woderyelesh Ashebir Belay
Executive Director
No One Down Relief Organization (NODRO)
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
nodeethiopia.org@gmail.com | +251-967-105-147

“When women and youth rise, communities rise with them.”

Project Report on Voice and Choice: Empowering Ethiopian Youth and Women for SRHR Justice (#70446)

Dear GlobalGiving Community,

Three months ago, No One Down Relief Organization (NODRO) proudly launched its project, “Voice and Choice: Empowering Ethiopian Youth and Women for SRHR Justice,” on GlobalGiving.

This initiative envisions an Ethiopia where every young person and woman—regardless of gender, background, or identity—can exercise their right to make informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing.

We are profoundly grateful for this platform that connects us with compassionate supporters like you, helping us advance equality, dignity, and justice for all.

How Our Project Is Progressing So Far

Since launching, our dedicated field teams and partners—including Women’s Rights Advocacy Ethiopia (WRAE)—have been working across Oromia, Amhara, Tigray, Somali, and SNNPR regions to promote access, education, and advocacy around SRHR (Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights).

 In the first phase (June–September 2025), we have:

ü  Trained 200 youth advocates on SRHR, gender-based violence (GBV) prevention, and human rights.

ü  Facilitated 65 community dialogues on child marriage, FGM/C, and stigma reduction—reaching more than 7,500 youth and parents.

ü  Supported 6 local CSOs with capacity-building sessions and SRHR advocacy toolkits.

ü  Launched a youth-led radio campaign titled “My Voice, My Choice,” broadcasting in 4 regional languages and reaching an estimated 1.2 million listeners.

ü   Held 3 policy dialogue sessions with regional officials to advocate for youth-friendly SRHR service integration into public health systems.

Early Results & Community Stories

Youth Empowerment in Action:

“Before, I didn’t know I had the right to say no to early marriage,” says Mekdes, a 16-year-old participant from Oromia. “Now, I teach other girls in my school to speak up for themselves.”

Local Partnerships Making Change:

Through our collaboration with WRAE, community elders and religious leaders have begun publicly denouncing child marriage and FGM/C practices—creating a visible cultural shift toward respect and dialogue.

Media Impact:

Social media advocacy led by youth influencers has already generated over 20,000 online engagements, sparking intergenerational conversations about SRHR justice and stigma.

Challenges We Face

Despite encouraging progress, the journey is not without challenges.

ü  Deep-rooted stigma and conservative norms still limit open dialogue about sexuality.

ü  Limited access to youth-friendly health services in remote areas hinders service uptake.

ü  Inflation and high transport costs have constrained our field outreach and logistics.

ü  Security concerns in certain zones occasionally delay planned community sessions.

Nevertheless, the resilience and commitment of our youth champions inspire us to continue pushing boundaries for lasting change.

What’s next?

In the coming quarter, NODRO will:

ü  Expand community SRHR dialogues to all 11 target regions, reaching 25,000 more participants.

ü  Train 300 additional youth champions and form regional SRHR advocacy networks.

ü   Develop and distribute comprehensive SRHR toolkits to schools and youth centers.

ü  Influence at least 3 new regional policy reforms promoting youth-friendly and gender-inclusive SRHR services.

ü  Launch a national campaign on safe abortion rights and menstrual health management using multimedia channels.

Sustainability and Long-Term Vision

This project goes beyond immediate interventions.
By strengthening local advocacy capacity and embedding SRHR principles into policy frameworks, we are building a sustainable movement led by youth and women themselves.
Our “SRHR Champions Network” will continue advocacy beyond the project’s lifespan, while policy wins will institutionalize youth-friendly services across regional health systems.

Why This Project Matters

In Ethiopia, 40% of girls are still married before age 18, and 70% of youth lack access to comprehensive sexuality education. Stigma and silence around SRHR issues perpetuate gender-based violence, unsafe abortions, and preventable maternal deaths.

Through “Voice and Choice,” we aim to break this silence—amplifying the voices of youth and women to claim their rights, challenge discrimination, and build a future rooted in equality and justice.