Disrupting deepening educational inequalities during the Pandemic

OLLAA is a U.S. based nonprofit organization that works on human rights, gender, and youth. Our organization advocates for voiceless families and individuals in the U.S. and Ethiopia. The arrival of COVID-19 has worsened the situation of the already vulnerable and impoverished communities in the world and that of Ethiopia in particular. At this time of difficulty, students are staying at home and are dependent on the capacity of their schools and families to continue learning. Those in the developed countries have been trying their best to continue teaching students virtually regardless of the irregularities faced in terms of reaching every student. However, the situation in the developing countries is different; students with access to internet from are the only ones learning. In countries like Ethiopia where only less than 18% of its population have access to the internet and more than 85% its population lives in a rural setting with limited basic infrastructures, the educational inequality or gap caused by the pandemic is deeper. This project therefore, plans to support 2500 students that cannot afford buying textbooks. These students will be selected from five public schools in the town of Adama, Ethiopia. This is a rapid response project aimed at keeping impoverished students continue studying during this time of COVID-19.