LIFE Delivers Back-to-School Supplies to 150 Students in Aysaita and Kibet, Ethiopia

In parts of Ethiopia, overlapping crises have pushed education into a fragile place, with UNICEF reporting nearly 9 million children out of school because of emergencies like conflict and climate shocks. 

In drought-affected areas, the cost of notebooks and pens can become the final barrier between a child and the classroom. Families already navigating instability often have to choose between daily essentials and school materials, a tradeoff that can turn into absenteeism, then dropout, then a permanent widening of opportunity. 

In October 2025, LIFE for Relief and Development delivered a Back-to-School distribution in two Ethiopian towns, Aysaita (Afar Region) and Kibet (Central Ethiopian Region). A total of 150 students received learning kits so they could begin the academic year ready to participate: a school bag, exercise books, pens, pencils, and an eraser. LIFE coordinated distribution through local school leadership and community representatives, prioritizing vulnerable children, including students from drought-affected households and orphaned children, with follow-up monitoring to support continued attendance. 

A teacher notes that these supplies are helping the local children so much: “Education is a powerful tool to break the cycle of poverty and empower vulnerable children to reach their potential.” 

And in describing the immediate impact, the principal pointed to what mattered most in the room: “The smiles and motivation witnessed among the students are a testament to the positive impact of this noble initiative.” 

In a place where education is routinely interrupted by forces beyond a family’s control, small tools can carry disproportionate weight. LIFE’s October distribution helped protect something easy to lose and hard to regain: a child’s steady connection to school, and the belief that showing up still leads somewhere. To the donors and everyone who made the distribution possible, thank you for keeping that path open.