Peace Corps Ethiopia presents its 2018 accomplishments in the Annual Report. Designed, edited, copy-written, and produced locally by Peace Corps Ethiopia Communications and Outreach Coordinator John Space.

1. ETHIOPIA
2 0 1 8 A N N U A L
R E P O R T

2. ፒስኮር ኢትዮጵያ በፕሬዝዳንት ጆን ኤፍ ኬኔዲ በ1961 ዓ.ም ከተመሠረተ
58 ዓመታትን ቢያስቆጥርም የተነሣበት ተልዕኮ “የአለምን ሠላምና ወዳጅነትን
ማጠናከር” ሳይለወጥ አንድና አንድ በመሆን ዘልቋል። ይህንን ተልዕኮ እውን
ለማድረግ የኢትዮጵያ ህዝብና መንግስት እያደረጉልን ባሉት መልካም አቀባበል
በጣም ደስተኛ ነኝ።
እንደ ጆን ኤፍ ኬኔዲ ራዕይ መገለጫ ፒስኮር የሰለጠኑ ሴቶች እና ወንዶች
በጎ ፈቃደኞችን ከተቀባይ ሀገራት የሙያዊ ድጋፍ ፍላጎት ጋር በተስማማ
መልኩ በማህበረሰብ ልማት እንቅስቃሴዎች እንዲሳተፉ በማድረግ ያግዛል።
እንደሌሎች የፒስኮር ሀገራት በጎ ፈቃደኞች ሁሉ በኢትዮጵያ ውስጥ የሚኖሩ
በጎፈቃደኞችም ከማህበረሰቡ ጋር ለሁለት አመታት ያህል አብረው ይኖራሉ።
የሚኖሩበትን ማህበረሰብ ህልም እና ተስፋ ችግሮች እና ስኬቶች ለሌሎች
በማካፈል እንደ አንድ የማህበረሰቡ ተሳታፊ ለመሆን ይተጋሉ።
በዚህ ዘላቂ የባህል ልውውጥም የሁለቱም ሀገራት
ህዝቦች አንዱ ስለሌላው ይማማራሉ ይህም
ሁለቱም ሀገራት ህዝቦች የምንጋራቸውን እሴቶች
በማድነቅ ልዩ የሚያደርጉንንም ነገሮች እንድናከብር
ያደርገናል።
በደቡብ ብሄር ብሄረሰቦችና ህዝቦች በአማራ
፣ኦሮሚያ እና ትግራይ ቀበሌዎች የሚያገለግሉት
በጎ ፈቃደኞች በ2ኛ ደረጃ ትምህርት ቤቶች
የእንግሊዝኛ ቋንቋን በማስተማር የተሻለ የክፍል
ውጤት እንዲያመጡ በማድረግ ተማሪዎች የተሻለ
የከፍተኛ ትምህርት መግቢያና ወደፊትም የስራ
እድሎችን በብቃት ማለፍ እንዲችሉ ያግዛሉ። የጤና
እና የግብርና ዘርፍ በጎ ፈቃደኞቻችንም በበኩላቸው በቀጥታ ከእያንዳንዱ
ቤተሰብ ጋር ለ ሁለት እና ከዚያ በላይ ዓመታት አብረው በመስራት ሁሉም
በጋራ የተሻለ የቅድመ ወሊድ እንክብካቤ፣ የአመጋገብ ስርአት ፣የቤተሰብ
ምግብ ዋስትና፣ ስለንጽህና አጠባበቅ እና ሌሎችንም ለመፍጠር ግብ አድርገው
የተነሱ ናቸው።
የፒስኮር ኢትዮጵያ የዚህ የ2017ዓ.ም የበጎ ፍቃደኞች አመታዊ ክንዋኔን
በሚያትተው የዚህ ዘገባ አካል በመሆኔ በጣም ደስተኛ ነኝ።
በመጨረሻም ፒስኮር ኢትዮጵያን በቅንነት ለምትደግፉ ሁሉ ምስጋናን
እያቀረብን በቀጣይ አመታትም የተሻሉ ስራዎችን የምንሰራበት እንደሚሆን
ተስፋ እናደርጋለን።
Message from the Country Director
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy authorized the establishment
of the Peace Corps, and in the 58 years since its founding, the
mission of Peace Corps has remained singular and unchanged —
to promote friendship and world peace, one person at a time. I am
extremely pleased that the government and people of Ethiopia
continue to welcome Peace Corps as a valued development
partner in pursuit of these worthy ideals.
As a manifestation of President Kennedy’s vision, Peace Corps
offers trained women and men the opportunity to engage in
community-based development activities that are consistent
with, and complementary to, the technical needs and strategic
objectives of host countries. As in all countries, volunteers in
Ethiopia live within host communities for two years. They strive
to earn a place as participating and contributing members of
their community, to share its aspirations and challenges, and to
celebrate its achievements.
It is through this sustained cross-cultural
interaction and exchange that the peoples
of both our countries learn from each
other, negate misconceptions, and come
to appreciate those cultural attributes that
demonstrate the many characteristics and
values we share in common, as well as
celebrate those that make us distinct and
unique.
Volunteers serving in kebeles of SNNPR,
Amhara, Oromia and Tigray engage in
teaching English as a foreign language
(TEFL) in secondary schools to achieve
even higher standards for classroom
performance, and thereby better prepare
students to realize success when
competing for university placements and
future employment opportunities. Other volunteers of our Health
and Agriculture projects work directly with families for two or
more years, to help them reach commonly identified benchmarks
for improved pre-natal care, nutrition, household food security,
and hygiene and sanitation, among many other activities with the
goal of creating an improved and enduring quality of life.
I am pleased to join the entire Peace Corps Ethiopia team in
offering this Annual Report that describes many of the projects
in which volunteers engaged across Ethiopia during 2018, as
well as recognizes individual stories from among the community
initiated activities where volunteers participated.
Thank you to everyone that generously supports Peace Corps in
Ethiopia, and we look forward to many more notable contributions
to the government and people of Ethiopia in the years to come.
Brannon T. Brewer
Country Director
ብራነን ቲ ብሪወር
የፒስኮር ኢትዮጵያ ካንትሪ ዳሬክተር
Brannon T. Brewer
Country Director

3. W
ithin one year of President
Kennedy’s historical announce-
ment to create the Peace
Corps, the first Volunteers landed in
Ethiopia. When the first group of Peace
Corps Volunteers arrived in Ethiopia
(which included present-day Eritrea)
in September 1962, the 279 Volunteers
came to teach in secondary schools and
vocational/technical schools. From 1962
to 1977, Peace Corps Ethiopia was one
of the largest Peace Corps programs in
the world. More than 3,000 Volunteers
served in the country before Peace
Corps suspended the program in 1977
due to political instability.
Peace Corps Ethiopia re-opened from
1995-1999, but conflict with its northern
neighbor Eritrea caused the post to
close again. In 2006, the Government
of Ethiopia and the U.S. Ambassador
signaled strong support for the
placement of Volunteers to strengthen
community-based HIV/AIDS prevention,
care, and treatment activities as part of
The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for
AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Subsequently, a
new country agreement was negotiated
and the post re-entered the country in
2007 with 38 health Volunteers.
Nearly 4,000 Volunteers have served
in Ethiopia since 1962 in the sectors of
education, community development,
business development, agriculture,
and health. The Peace Corps has
been involved in almost every facet
of Ethiopia’s development over the
past decades, making contributions
in the fields of education, health, rural
development, and small business
development. Peace Corps’ current
program focuses on three core areas:
strengthening English-language learning
through classroom teaching and
professional development activities,
advancing family health through
strengthened health practices and
care seeking behaviors, and improving
farming families’ food security through
increased availability of diverse and
more nutritious foods.
The History of Peace Corps Ethiopia
2018 Annual Report 1

4. C
urrently, an average of 145 Peace Corps Volunteers
serve in Ethiopia working as part of the Education,
Health, and Agriculture programs. All Peace Corps
Volunteers are United States citizens and they all have a
degree or advanced degree from a university. Like the broad
range of cultures within Ethiopia itself, the Volunteers serving
Volunteers
55 New Agriculture and Health Volunteers took the oath of service at the US Embassy in April 2018
22018 Annual Report
Peace Corps Ethiopia Today
ProgramGender Age
51+
41-50
31-40
20-30
Male
Female
Agriculture
Health
Education
here represent America’s own diversity, representing a broad
spectrum of ages, races, ethnic identifications, and more.
Women comprise 61% of the Volunteer population. This year
Volunteers represent 40 different states and range in age
from 21 to 74 years old; the average Volunteer’s age is 26.

5. 2018 Annual Report 3
Where our Volunteers Serve
34 New Education Volunteers took the oath of service at the US Embassy in September 2018
Addis Ababa
Amhara
Oromia
SNNPR
Tigray
P
eace Corps Volunteers live and work in communities
in the Amhara, Oromia, Tigray, and Southern Nations,
Nationalities, and Peoples’ (SNNPR) Regions of Ethiopia.
Each Volunteer works with local counterparts to support the
Ethiopian government’s strategy to create and strengthen
their communities’ public health, food security, and English
language education. To best serve the needs of the Ethiopian
people, Volunteers are placed in community health centers,
farmer training centers, community-based organizations, and
public secondary schools.
Most Volunteers live in very small towns in rural Ethiopia.
To strengthen integration and relations, Volunteers live a
lifestyle similar to their Ethiopian neighbors. They speak the
local language, follow local customs and eat local foods.
Volunteers do not have access to funds to construct projects;
instead they focus on building people to people relationships.
Volunteers collaborate with friends, neighbors, and
counterparts in their communities to utilize local resources to
solve local problems. Volunteers use this unique grass roots
approach to promote capacity building, resource utilization
and skills transfer, thus ensuring sustainability long after they
are gone.
Beyond their primary work assignment in the Education,
Health, and Agriculture sectors, Volunteers also work in
Peace Corps’ worldwide priority areas of gender equality,
volunteerism, youth leadership, support of people with
disabilities, malaria prevention, food security and HIV
prevention.
In addition to Volunteers serving their standard 2-year
commitment, Peace Corps Ethiopia has a vibrant community
of 3rd-year Volunteers who have chosen to contribute further
by extending their service for an additional year. These
Volunteers work with local partner organizations around the
country or directly with Peace Corps offices.

6. Increased Food Production
Smallholder farming families will sustainably increase
availability of diverse and more nutritious foods.
Objectives
Improved Garden Production
Improved and Increased Production of Small
Animals (poultry or bees)
2018 Results
24 Volunteers and their community partners worked with
community members to establish new or more productive
gardens. Volunteers conducted trainings and demonstrations
focusing on topics such as bio-intensive nutrition sensitive
gardening, permaculture theory, compost and container
gardening and yield maximization. 12 Volunteers conducted
bee keeping and top-bar beehive trainings and chicken coop
design and construction demonstrations.
184 Individuals were trained on plan, design, and
implement an environmentally sustainable and
climate smart bio-intensive garden
89 Individuals cultivated one or more new crops
143 Individuals implemented one or more new or
improved garden practices
47 Households reported increased access to fresh
foods at six months after establishing a garden
45 Individuals received training in small animal
husbandry production
25 Individuals adopted at least one new or improved
management practices for small animals or honey
bees
Smallholder farming families in Ethiopia will improve their food security.
Project Purpose
42018 Annual Report
Agriculture Program
Goal 1 Goal 2
Improved Nutrition
Smallholder farming families will improve their nutrition.
Objectives
Increased Consumption of Nutritious Foods
2018 Results
55 Volunteers worked with community members to increase
the consumption of nutritious foods through performing
garden and nutrition training, Nutrition for Girls, household
cooking demonstrations, female farmer household programs,
in-home mushroom production demonstrations, nutrition
cooking demonstration, household vegetable container
gardens, orange flesh sweet potato (OFSP) household
education, and cooking demonstration for mothers with
children under two.
226 Individuals trained in improved nutrition related
practices
50 Adults/caretakers who demonstrated how to
prepare a nutritious meal with locally available,
affordable foods
130 Change in the mean number of food groups
consumed, or dietary diversity score, for
beneficiaries of Volunteer activities or programs
I
n 2016, after six years of implementing the Resilient
Environment, Agriculture, and Livelihoods (REAL) project,
the project was reviewed and refocused toward food
and nutrition security, resulting in a programmatic shift to
Agriculture. Peace Corps Ethiopia’s Agriculture program
was launched as the Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture (NuSA)
project in May 2016 and was fully implemented on the ground
with 28 Volunteers sworn in on April 2018. The NuSA project
focuses on food and nutrition security at the household level
and is being implemented by volunteers with community
members in agriculture, health, nutrition, education, and
businesses; the program is designed to mobilize farming
families to sustainably increase availability and utilization of
nutrient dense foods, diversify diets, and increase nutritional
knowledge. Agriculture volunteers implement the NuSA
Project in collaboration with Development Agents at Kebele
Agriculture offices, local farmers and other local stakeholders.
Volunteers under the Agriculture program work to strengthen
individual and organizational technical capacities, and
primarily work in agriculture offices, farmer training centers
and schools; undertaking training and extension activities in
home gardening, poultry management, and beekeeping.

7. Amhara | A balanced diet is essential to maintaining a healthy
and functional lifestyle—though sometimes difficult to
maintain. Agriculture Volunteer Marcia and her counterpart
Mehamed recognized how hard it is for some of the women
in their village to feed their families nutrient-rich meals. They
took initiative to create a community garden for families that
otherwise may not have the access or resources to feed their
families. The project quickly became a community effort, as
others in the village helped with site selection, clearing of
land, and bed preparation. The initiation of the community
garden was an excellent learning opportunity for community
members. Lessons were incorporated during each step of the
process, encouraging members to build their own household
gardens. Cooking demonstrations are planned for the
mothers after the garden’s vegetables have been harvested.
Amhara | Agriculture Volunteer Khai conducted a joint
agriculture and nutrition program with Health Volunteer
Julie in her community located in Amhara. Using their
backgrounds in agriculture and health, they conducted
nutrition and garden-building trainings with community
members. They began by digging and constructing gardens
using bio-intensive methods at the local health center as well
as the nearby primary school. They also facilitated a planned
lesson using hands-on techniques and advised mothers in
the community on the importance of dietary diversity and
Tigray | In a region of Tigray experiencing a surge of HIV/
AIDS, Agriculture Volunteer Anna has started including
preventative dialogues during her weekly house visits with
10 local farming families to reduce stigma and strengthen
awareness of the disease. In her community, there are over
one hundred families living with HIV/AIDS. With her town
lacking regular HIV/AIDS programming and education since
the passing of the head of the local People Living with HIV
AIDS (PLWHA) community group, Anna began conducting
a HIV/AIDS specific nutrition training to 20 mothers with
local Health Extension Workers. She has also included a
preventative health themed day in three English clubs that are
attended by over one hundred children from her community
and the neighboring town.
2018 Annual Report 5
Agriculture Stories from the Field
its nutritional benefits. They facilitated gardening-related
activities with the environmental club at the primary school,
emphasizing the importance of environmental sustainability.
While Khai helped with garden-building and training for the
week, Julie continues to work with mothers through house-
to-house visits and with students through the environmental
club. Their joint effort—and that of the teachers and health
center staff—helped to assist members of the community,
providing them a chance to learn and teach about improved
nutrition and how to grow nutritious food sustainably.
Volunteer Garden Mobilizes
Community to Promote Nutrient
Availability for Mothers
Volunteer Facilitates Nutrition
Class for Mothers Living with
HIV/AIDS
Volunteers Collaborate to bring
Agriculture and Health Together

8. 62018 Annual Report
Community Health Program
To improve individual and family health in Ethiopia through strengthened health practices and care
seeking behaviors.
Improve Household Water Sanitation and
Hygiene and Nutrition
Parents and caregivers will adopt healthy behaviors to
improve the health status of children less than 5 years of age.
Objectives
Improve Household Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
(WASH)
Improve Household Nutrition
2018 Results
55 Volunteers and their community partners worked with
individuals in improving access to household hand washing
stations, improving water storage and treatment of water,
and increasing access to latrines by mobilizing community
members through demonstrations, trainings, and disease
education and educating on nutrition, balanced diets, and
maternal care.
748 Individuals trained on how to build hand washing
stations and correctly clean their hands with soap,
ash or other disinfecting material and water
305 Individuals trained in household environmental
sanitation practices specifically on trash and waste
management, water treatment and storage, and
livestock management
283 Individuals trained by Volunteers on how to
maintain a latrine
234 People reached with individual and small group
level education on evidence-based complementary
feeding practices for infants aged 6-11 months old
261 People reached with individual or small group
level education on the nutritional needs of young
children from 12 months to under 5 years old
Improved School Water, Sanitation,
and Hygiene and Adolescent and Youth
Reproductive Health
Students will adopt behaviors to reduce risk of water,
sanitation and hygiene related diseases and to improve
adolescent and youth reproductive health practices.
Objectives
Improve School WASH
Improve Adolescent and Youth Reproductive
Health (AYRH)
2018 Results
36 volunteers and their community partners worked with
students and teachers in improving water, sanitation projects
and sexual reproductive health by providing handwashing
lessons, promoting personal hygiende and sanitation, training
girls on making reusable menstrual pads, and providing life
skills and reproductive health education for students.
1,296 Students trained by Volunteers on hand and face
washing
447 Students trained by Volunteers on how to maintain
a latrine
410 Students reached with individual and small group
level training on sexual and reproductive health
and modern contraceptive methods
192 Students identify at least two behaviors to prevent
unwanted pregnancy or prevent STIs
92 Students exhibited new life skills specifically
positive identity, communication skills, decision
making, goal-setting skills, and strategies to
support emotional health
T
o best fit the health needs in Ethiopia, and to be
consistent with Peace Corps’ global vision of grass
roots development and people-to-people relationships,
Volunteers work with the Health Extension Program at the
community level. The purpose of the Improving Community
Health in Ethiopia (ICHE) project is to improve individual
and family health in Ethiopia through strengthened health
practices and care seeking behaviours. Health Volunteers
work with mothers and caregivers of young children to help
them adopt healthy nutrition and water, sanitation, and
hygiene (WASH) related behaviors to improve child health.
Additionally, Health Volunteers help to strengthen the link
between community health centers and schools by working
with students. Initiatives at the schools involve WASH projects
as well as interventions to improve sexual and reproductive
health among youth. Volunteers are involved in a variety
of projects including leadership camps for youth, behavior
change interventions, organizational capacity building, and
school clubs.
Project Purpose
Goal 1 Goal 2

9. 2018 Annual Report 7
Health Stories from the Field
SNNPR | In the hills of the Southern Region, there are
empoweredlocalhealthextensionworkers(HEWs)addressing
under-5 child mortality with technology. Health Volunteer
Helene has been helping to support over 50 HEWs with an
innovative and highly effective mobile health technology
project with WEEMA International. In partnership with
D-Tree International, WEEMA provides technology that has
improved health outcomes for hundreds of children through
a user-friendly application that aids HEWs’ decision-making
when treating patients as well as keeps inventory of all the
available drugs at each health post. As a Third-Year Volunteer
with WEEMA, Helene has provided technical support to
health workers on the use of the app and how to troubleshoot
key issues independently. Helene makes frequent field visits
with WEEMA’s Coordinator of Health Projects to gauge the
effectiveness of the application and assess ways to adapt the
tools in order to provide the best user experience.
Oromia | Every Thursday the health center in Health Volunteer
Isabella’s community distributes vaccinations to mothers
with newborns. She has found this to be an opportune time
to hold classes for over 25 mothers as they wait for their
children to be vaccinated. Among the many classes Isabella
has faciliated, her favorite lesson addresses germs, the critical
times to wash ones hands, and the importance of soap.
With the aid of her local counterpart and turmeric powder,
the two are able to teach about microscopic germs that are
too hard to see. Spreading the powder onto their hands,
SNNPR | Health Volunteer Almeda’s community has
maintained a high rate of home births; home births are
associated with high maternal and infant mortality. To
address this problem, she and a counterpart attended the
Project Design and Management Workshop and planned a
Pregnant Mothers’ Forum, a monthly community meeting
to discuss wide-ranging topics from nutrition-in-pregnancy
to prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission. With the
support of Health Center staff and the local government,
they have held two successful meetings with over 50 active
participants. Now that these women and their families are
more familiar with the Health Center’s facilities and staff, and
better understand the advantages of receiving care, there has
been a significant increase in antenatal care attendance and
many attendees now plan to give birth at the Health Center
and encourage friends to do the same.
Third-Year Volunteer brings
Quality Health Care through
Mobile Technology
Volunteer Led Pregnant
Mothers’ Forum Decreases
Number of Home Births
Seizing Opportunities to
Facilitate Health-Centered
Lessons for Mothers
her counterpart washes her hands with soap, removing all
visible powder. Isabella then washes hers with only water,
resulting in a clear yellow residue of turmeric, leaving the
mothers shocked. Lessons like these offer participants a clear
visualization of the impact of seemingly small choices, and
illustrate the power of Peace Corps’ unique grasroots level
approach to behavior change. Through interactive, visual, and
targeted interventions, mothers gain more knowledgeable
and be inspired to help improve their families’ health.

10. Ethiopian high school students and teachers gain access to personal, academic, and professional
development opportunities through improved English education.
82018 Annual Report
Education Program
Increase Student Success In and Outside of
the Classroom
Ethiopian high school students use English more effectively
and confidently to broaden their academic and professional
opportunities.
Objectives
Increase student achievement in English class
Improve student confidence, motivation, and
participation through extracurricular activities in
English
Expand use of library and/or information and
communication technology (ICT) resources
2018 Results
100 Volunteers provided English language education for
high school and preparatory school students. Volunteers ran
clubs which provided support programs such as after school
tutoring. Volunteers worked collaboratively with the school
administration, teachers, and students to support school IT
centers so that students were able to better use and access
computers and practice basic IT applications.
7,861 Students received English language instruction in
the classroom
4,759 Students demonstrated improved English
proficiency
3,517 Students demonstrated improved performance
in reading or written composition in English for
academic or professional purposes
2,296 Students demonstrated increased confidence or
motivation in a class, club, or camp
1,925 Students participated in additional extra-curricular
activities in English
Improve Teaching
Ethiopian high school teachers engage in professional
development to teach English effectively and confidently.
Objectives
Improve teachers’ English communications skills
Improve teachers’ instructional skills
Engage in communities of practice for continuous
proffessional development
2018 Results
71 volunteers worked with local high school teachers,
engaging them in English Clubs to promote English speaking
practice on a range of cultural and educational issues.
Volunteers helped teachers with English proficiency, teaching
methodology, communicative learning techniques, language
teaching skills trainings and effective classroom management
techniques.
216 Teachers participated in teaching methodology
trainings facilitated by the Volunteer
195 Teachers improved their English instruction by
using new techniques for teaching language
skills or more effectively applied established
communicative language learning principles
185 Teachers increased their use of classroom-based
assessments to monitor and inform student
progress
169 English teachers increased their participation in
teacher professional development activities in
English
55 Professional development tasks that teachers
designed for their continuing professional
development as assisted by the Volunteer
P
eace Corps Ethiopia’s Education program began in 2011
with the first Volunteers working as teacher trainers in
primary schools and teacher colleges. In response to
needs expressed by the Ministry of Education and schools,
Volunteers now work directly as English teachers in local
secondary schools around the country within the education
project, Promoting English Language Learning in Ethiopia
(PELLE). Since 2014, Volunteers have been placed directly
in secondary schools as English teachers, instructing
approximately 2-3 sections of their own. Additionally,
Volunteers plan and lead extracurricular activities such as
student and teacher English clubs, gender empowerment
clubs, teacher trainings, and information and communications
technology (ICT) skills workshops. As of 2017, the training
given to new Education Volunteers has been standardized
and updated to adhere to the Center of Applied Linguistics
(Teaching English as a Foreign Language) TEFL program.
This ensures that every new Education Volunteer is an
internationally accredited English Language Teacher.
Project Purpose
Goal 1 Goal 2

11. 2018 Annual Report 9
Education Stories from the Field
SNNPR | Maggie, an Education Volunteer in the Gamo Zone,
has been committed to teacher development at her school.
In her weekly English Club, teachers across departments
develop communication skills through a range of activities
and conversations. She holds computer-support office
hours three times a week, and leads mini workshops where
teachers practice using Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and
Excel. She has also helped to organize an all-day Continuing
Professional Development (CPD) training at her school.
Maggie selected workshop topics after a school-wide
survey and worked with her colleagues and vice-directors to
structure sessions. Teachers reflected on best practices, and
it was a unique opportunity to encourage and motivate each
other. Coming from a family of educators, Maggie knows how
important it is to recognize teachers for the work they do and
the differences that they make.
SNNPR | With her superior Amharic language ability,
Education Volunteer Alima facilitates an impressively diverse
number of activities in and around her community. She
teaches technical college students and orphans at the local
orphanage, consistently demonstrating her compassion and
flexibility. Most meaningfully, Alima works with an eight-
year-old boy for a few hours every week. Coming from an
ethnic minority, the child and his family struggle against
many socioeconomic disadvantages, including an inability to
attend school beyond Grade 5. Alima took the opportunity
Amhara | Education Volunteer Scott has been working
alongside members of his community who have been dealing
with two issues: A lack of availability and funding for library
books written in English, and a small underutilized school
garden that was not located near the school’s water pump.
After noticing a lack of crop diversity in his community, Scott
decided to start a new garden that showcases new vegetable
varietiesandsellthemforthebenefitoftheschoollibrary.While
Scott has been growing a number of foreign vegetables, he
has become most known for his zucchinis which have thrived
in the hot climate and fertile soil of his school compound. Not
only have the zucchinis grown in overabundance, but they
have served as a significant source of income generation,
allowing Scott and students to purchase new, relevant, and
interesting English books, inspiring more students to utilize
the school library and improve their English.
Promoting English Language
Learning through Zucchinis
Recognizing Teachers through
Continuing Professional
Development
Volunteer’s Unique Teaching
Philosophy Promotes Inclusivity
to teach the child crucial language skills in English, Afaan
Oromo, and Amharic. Through puzzles, games, and
interactive educational activities, Alima’s work with this child
exemplifies the sustainable impact Volunteers can have on
the communities they serve. Her unique approach to teaching
and her eagerness to educate the underprivileged represent
just a few meaningful values in her service.

12. P
eace Corps’ Global Stomping Out Malaria Initiative
guides the work of Volunteers and their communities to
make an immediate and measurable impact on malaria
awareness and prevention.
Volunteers from all three sectors are provided with
comprehensive malaria trainings at Pre-Service Training, In-
Service Training, Mid-Service Training, and Regional Malaria
Boot Camp. Following these trainings, Volunteers and local
counterparts facilitate hands-on strategies to mobilize their
communities through education that reaches the populations
most vulnerable to malaria.
Volunteers use the effective approach of social and behavior
change communication (SBCC), implementing activities such
as the Grassroot Soccer’s Malaria program, Hang Up Keep
Oromia | Peace Corps Ethiopia Stomping out Malaria
Committee Regional Malaria Boot Camp (RMBC) participants
visited the Pharmaceutical Funds and Supply Agency (PFSA)
warehouse in Jimma, Oromia, and were exposed to supply
chain management of malaria health commodities. They also
had the opportunity to listen to the zonal health department’s
malaria focal person, who detailed the malaria situation in
Jimma, discussing with the RMBC participants relevant
interventions and persistent obstacles in the fight against
malaria. The Volunteers then generated action plans with
their counterparts in order to make positive changes in their
communities. These annual trainings are led by a combination
of Peace Corps Ethiopia staff and senior Volunteers who
have demonstrated a deep commitment to the fight against
Malaria.
Peace Corps continues its focus on the most vulnerable by
aiding in distributions of Long Lasting Insecticide-treated Nets
102018 Annual Report
Malaria Prevention
39 Community educators and mobilizers who were trained to promote prevention or
care seeking
66 Long-lasting Insecticide-treated Nets (LLINs) that were purchased or delivered to
individuals
53 Individuals who slept under an insecticide-treated bed net
95 Individuals who received behavioral change malaria prevention education
Up campaigns, and educational programs that reach the
populations most vulnerable to malaria. From painting murals
totrainingcounterparts,projectsareuniqueandindividualized
to community needs. A volunteer’s resourcefulness, cultural
integration, and language skills empower them to sustainably
promote healthy practices such as long lasting insecticidal
net (LLIN) use, care seeking behavior, and elimination of
Anopheles breeding sites.
Ethiopia’s Stomping Out Malaria project trained 22
Volunteers and local counterparts in malaria prevention,
diagnosis, and treatment. These intensive two-day trainings
featured excursions to local health facilities, guest speakers
from the President’s Malaria Initiative and Pharmaceutical
Funds and Supply Agency, and in-depth practice with spatial
epidemiology and project design.
Volunteers Learn about
Pharmaceutical Supply Chain in
Fight Against Malaria
2018 Results

13. G
rassroot Soccer is an innovative HIV-prevention
intervention which uses the popularity of football
(soccer) to educate young people about gender
equality, HIV, and sexual reproductive health. After signing
on as a national implementing partner in 2012, Peace Corps
Ethiopia has trained 375 Volunteers and counterparts in the
Grassroot Soccer SKILLZ and SKILLZ GIRLS curriculum;
an innovative curriculum developed specifically for young
people. In addition to the HIV prevention themed curriculum,
GRS also offers a malaria awareness curriculum. Peace Corps
Ethiopia considers GRS one of its flagship cross-sector
programs.
Peace Corps Ethiopia led a GRS PC SKILLZ training of
coaches in August and November of 2018 for 30 Volunteers
and 30 counterparts. Participants were very enthusiastic
Students participate in a Grassroot Soccer activity in Tigray
2018 Annual Report 11
HIV Prevention & Grassroot Soccer
to implement the program at their site. 2019 will to be an
impressive year for the Peace Corps Ethiopia Grassroot
Soccer program, with plans to continue training Volunteers
and counterparts. Peace Corps Ethiopia is committed to
supporting this unique program that provides Volunteers an
innovative toolkit to teach youth about HIV prevention and
life skills strategies.
In 2017, Peace Corps Ethiopia welcomed GRS staff from South
Africa to conduct a Training of Trainers workshop for Peace
Corps Ethiopia Staff to strengthen local ownership of the
training in order to ensure that the expertise and experience
remains in Ethiopia and to ensure program sustainability.
Peace Corps Ethiopia is confident that this program has a
very promising future in Ethiopia.
Tigray | Health Volunteer Tamene worked to help his
community maximize the effectiveness of his local health
center and community structures in the fight against
HIV/AIDS. He helped to organize training workshops in
collaboration with the Network of Charitable Societies of HIV
Positives in Tigray to ensure that patients are switched to the
most effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs and
remain virally suppressed. Tamene took his work even further
by collaborating with local partners to improve HIV/AIDS
response life skills education, mobilize the community to
access HIV testing, promote HIV prevention education, work
with anti-AIDS clubs, and open a youth center to provide
AIDS resources to the community.
Volunteer Helps Community
Combat HIV through Education
and Resource Center
1,122 Individuals were reached with HIV prevention intervention
615 Individuals were reached with evidence-based intervention on gender norms
380 Individuals were able identify two or more sexual risk behaviors associated with
over-consumption of alcohol or substance use
415 Individuals were reported adopting healthy sexual behaviors, consistent and/or
correct use of condoms or abstinence
2018 Results

14. W
hen a girl receives an education, her life trajectory
changes. She is more likely to earn a viable income,
raise a healthy family, and improve the quality of life
for herself, her family, and her community. These are some of
the driving factors behind Peace Corps Volunteers and the
activities that they lead.
Volunteers in all three sectors are driven to encourage girls in
and outside of the classroom using clubs and programs that
are aimed at promoting education, equality, and leadership.
These co-ed activities are aimed at sparking thought-
provoking discussions about gender roles, and to encourage
SNNPR | During a day at the Girls Leading Our World Camp
(Camp GLOW) in Wolayita Sodo themed around ‘Healthy Living
and Self Esteem,’ students spent the day exploring wellness
practices that they could easily incorporate into their daily
lives. In workshops, participants discussed female hygiene and
myths that create barriers for female participation in classes
and social activities. That evening, the girls practiced making
Re-Usable Menstrual Pads (RUMPS) using locally available
materials. RUMP-making is a fun and engaging activity, and
allows students to take with them something tangible that they
have created. Campers are young leaders and role models in
their communities; it is Peace Corps Ethiopia’s hope that the
tools developed at camp will be extended in order to further
empower young women across southern Ethiopia.
Gender Equality & Female Empowerment
122018 Annual Report
Girls Learn to Make Re-Usable
Menstrual Pads (RUMPs) at
Camp GLOW
Peace Corps led Camps promote female leadership and
empowerment through thoughtful and engaging activities
behavior change in the ways men can help the women and
girls in their lives succeed.
Often serving as catalysts of community-led change by
empowering local leaders to implement lasting solutions to
ensure that girls are in school, Volunteers serve a crucial role
in promoting gender equality and female empowerment in
many rural communities.
Amhara | This year, Peace Corps Ethiopia collaborated with
Circus Debre Birhan, a unique organization founded in the
1990s that focuses on circus craft, costuming, and social
change. Campaigning for health, gender equality, disability
awareness, and other social issues faced locally and abroad, the
organization uses their platform to convey deep and thoughtful
messages of social change through creative expression
and education. For multiple years, Circus Debre Birhan has
partnered with the local Peace Corps Camp GLOW, offering the
opportunity for high school students to learn performance art
and get a chance to create their own stories for social change.
Through an enriching and unique curriculum, the teenagers
learn juggling, acrobatics, and teamwork, and present their
newly crafted performances regarding gender related issues
faced by many in their communities.
Performance Art Used to
Highlight Social & Cultural
Challenges in Communities

15. 2018 Annual Report 13
P
eace Corps is driven to empower People with
Disabilities (PWD). The Peace Corps Act of 1961 states
that, “the Peace Corps shall be administered so as to
give particular attention to programs, projects, and activities
which tend to integrate disabled people into the national
economies of developing countries, thus improving their
status and assisting the total development effort.”
In light of this, the agency has made “Empowerment of
People with Disabilities” a Cross-Sectoral Programming
Priority, meaning that all Volunteers in Ethiopia, and around
the world, contribute to this goal. Here in Ethiopia, Volunteers
Tigray | To complement a textbook unit on Disabilities,
Education Volunteer Elizabeth invited Aberu, a Grade 9 Civics
teacher who is blind, to teach her Grade 11 class about Braille.
Aberu explained the Braille system and showed the students
how she uses her Braille keyboard to plan and teach her Civics
lessons. Students practiced writing their names in Braille, first
by writing grids and dots in their exercise books, and then
they had a chance to type their names using Aberu’s Braille
keyboard. The lesson was an opportunity for students to learn
about specific technologies that have assisted people living
with disabilities, and in the following lesson students worked
in groups to brainstorm and create their own technologies to
improve the lives of people living with disabilities.
are actively involved in community projects that directly
benefit People with Disabilities.
In 2015 Volunteers formed the Abilities Committee, which
seeks to empower People with Disabilities. The committee
promotes a disability-aware and inclusive Ethiopia in which
everyone’s ability, humanity, and dignity are encouraged
and prioritized. The committee has developed numerous
partnerships, trainings, and resources, and has made them
accessible to staff and Volunteers, enabling them to work
effectively on this priority.
Working with People with Disabilities
Students practice everyday tasks with a simulated amputation
to understand the perspective of people living with disabilities
Oromia | At Camp English in Jimma, Health Volunteer
Isabella and Education Volunteer Alicia facilitated a camp
session in which students were able to learn and practice
basic American Sign Language (ASL). The Volunteers began
by demonstrating a simple introductory dialogue in ASL for
the campers. The students then learned how to introduce
themselves, express where they are from, and talk about their
likes and dislikes in ASL. They then were given examples of
the sign language alphabet and practiced signing different
common words, eventually creating some simple sentences
of their own. At the end of the session, several brave students
demonstrated their learning by introducing themselves in
ASL in front of their peers.
Volunteers Lead Introductory
Lesson on American Sign
Language (ASL)
English Braille Lesson by
Visually Impaired Teacher
Organized by Volunteer

16. 142018 Annual Report
T
his year 52 Peace Corps Volunteers in Ethiopia invited
475 youth (272 female and 203 male) to summer youth
leadership camps around the country to empower them
to be confident leaders in their communities. A total of ten
camps were conducted this year in Amhara, Oromia, Tigray,
and SNNPR regions.
There were two camp types conducted this year:
4
Girls Leading Our World Camps: Focuses on health
goals, life skills, reproductive health topics, gender
equality, HIV prevention, and leadership
6
English Camps: Focuses on English language
improvement to help students improve their reading,
writing, and public speaking skills
Despite the individual goals of each camp, all focused heavily
on empowering youth to be leaders. Since Volunteers live in
small communities they invited youth to participate in camps
so that they could return to their communities as leaders.
These camps would not be possible without the generous
support from Ethiopian individuals, institutions, and agencies
including local NGOs, universities, primary and secondary
schools, and teacher’s colleges. Volunteers worked with over
60 Ethiopian counterparts to implement these camps. These
counterparts—including local teachers, health officers, and
other community members— all donated their time to help
organize and implement the camps.
Peace Corps Volunteers organize summer camps every year
in Ethiopia. These camps are part of a wider community of
summer camps that the U.S. Peace Corps implements around
the world; this year Volunteers organized camps in over
60 different countries. Additionally, Volunteers in Ethiopia
run smaller localized camps in their communities to ensure
that the message of youth leadership reaches the broadest
possible audience around the country.
Youth Leadership Camps
Students completing English homework at Mekele Camp English
Camp English, Debre Birhan, Amhara
Camp English, Jimma, Oromia
Camp GLOW, Debre Birhan, Amhara
Camp English, Mekele, Tigray
Camps

17. 2018 Annual Report 15
Youth Leadership Camps & Grants
Camp GLOW, Wolayita Sodo, SNNPR
Camp Anbessa, Selekleka, Tigray
Camp English, Mekele, Tigray
I
n addition to camps, volunteers conduct various types of
development projects like strengthening school libraries,
building latrines, supporting farmers with new technologies,
purchasing desks for school, equipping information
technology centers with computers, and promoting youth
empowerment.
There were a total of 23 grants awarded to volunteers in
order to build the capacity of teachers, youth, and other
community members. With these interventions the projects
reached a total of 3830 community members of which 1813
female and 2017 male.
Camp English, Mekele, Tigray
Camp GLOW, Wolayita Sodo, SNNPR
Grants

18. 162018 Annual Report
A
ll Peace Corps Volunteers complete comprehensive
and rigorous training before they begin their work.
Throughout a Volunteer’s 2 years of service, the Peace
Corps also provides training in various topics, ranging from
teaching techniques to project design and management, for
the Volunteers and their counterparts.
Pre-Service Trainings (PSTs) are held around Butajira, SNNPR.
Trainees spend their first three months in Ethiopia in this area
where they live with local families who help them integrate
into the community, learn, and appreciate cultural norms and
values. During their Pre-Service Training, Trainees receive
12 Weeks of Training
112 Technical Training Hours
PST | Imagine diving into a deep lake without knowing how
to swim; that’s how Health Volunteer Ian remembers his Pre-
Service Training (PST). Ian describes learning to navigate the
waters of a new culture, communicating in a new language
and eating new foods. “Diving in was your own conscious
decision,” he says, “and those offering assistance are big-
hearted strangers.” Those strangers are the Ethiopian families
who offer to host Trainees, sharing their homes and their
hearts throughout PST. As Ian explains, host families “welcome
you, encourage you, and work around the clock to help you
adapt to your new environment.” These contributions enrich
a Volunteer’s service immensely, providing invaluable support
as they adapt to the new environment. While the dive may
have been daunting at first, “the practical experience gained
during PST offers buoyancy to PCVs that keeps them afloat
throughout their service.”
over 375 hours of intensive technical, cultural, language, and
development training through classroom sessions, practicum,
and even “on the street” immersion exercises.
While in Pre-Service Training, groups of Trainees create school
clubs, install gardens, build hand washing stations, and lead
mini leadership camps in the community. They learn how to
be effective Volunteers while the communities near Butajira
benefit from the skills transfer and collaborations. This year
934 Ethiopian High School students graduated from Peace
Corps’ 4-week English summer term held in Butajira and
surrounding towns.
Preparing Volunteers for Service
53 Hours of Peace Crops Global Training
33 Hours of Safety and Medical Training
173 Average Hours of Language Training (Amharic, Afan
Oromo, or Tigrigna)
Pre-Service Training Staff
Health Trainee Ian Reflects on
His Experience of Diving in and
Finding Family
2018 PST Results

19. 2018 Annual Report 17
H
ere in Ethiopia, Volunteers strive to integrate into their
community, learn and respect Ethiopian culture, and
make new friends. Volunteers are graciously welcomed
into homes and families, participate in local holidays, and
become contributing members of their community where
they will spend two years. Many Volunteers find that the
people-to-people connections are what they remember most
from their time in Ethiopia.
In exchange, Volunteers also share American culture and
values with their new friends and colleagues. Volunteers
teach their students about American holidays, sports,
diversity, and culture. These cross cultural exchanges are the
backbone of Peace Corps Goals 2 and 3 and the resulting
international friendships.
Many Volunteers maintain blogs where they post stories,
photos, and videos from their experience in Ethiopia so that
friends and family can follow along. Blogs epitomize Peace
Corps’ third goal: sharing Ethiopia with Americans.
1
To help the people of interested
countries in meeting their need for
trained men and women
2
To help promote a better
understanding of Americans on the
part of the peoples served
3
To help promote a better
understanding of other peoples on
the part of Americans
The United States Peace Corps’ mission is to promote world
peace and friendship by fulfilling three goals:
Peace Corps Goals & Integration
“We will only send Americans abroad that are wanted by the host country—who have a real job to do—and who are
qualified to do that job. Programs will be developed with care, and after full negotiation, in order to make sure that Peace
Corps is wanted and will contribute to the welfare of other people. Our Peace Corps is not designed as an instrument
of diplomacy or propaganda or ideological conflict. It is designed to permit our people to exercise more fully their
responsibilities in the great common cause of world development.”
President John F. Kennedy | 1961
Our Goals

20. Peace Corps Ethiopia 2018 Annual Report
Produced, Designed, and Edited by John Glenn Space
Page 3 Map by Free Vector Maps | http://freevectormaps.com
As the preeminent international service organization of the
United States, the Peace Corps sends Americans abroad to
tackle the most pressing needs of people around the world.
Peace Corps Volunteers work at the grass root level with local
governments, schools, communities, small businesses, and
entrepreneurs to develop sustainable solutions that address
challenges in education, health, economic development,
agriculture, environment, and youth development. When
they return home, volunteers bring their knowledge and
experiences — and a global outlook — back to the United
States that enriches the lives of those around them. President
John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961 to foster
a better understanding among Americans and people of
other countries. Since then, more than 225,000 Americans of
all ages have served in 141 countries worldwide.
Visit www.peacecorps.gov to learn more.
2 0 1 8 A N N U A L R E P O R T
T
he staff of Peace Corps believe that the most effective way to assist in the development of
Ethiopia is by ensuring Volunteers are well prepared to meet the opportunities and challenges
of life and work in their schools, work places, and communities. This is accomplished through
rigorous training, thoughtful site preparation and placement, and continual support of the Volunteer
during their two-year service. Volunteers may be the face of the Peace Corps, but their work would not
be possible if not for the dedicated and tireless contribution of the Peace Corps Ethiopia professional
staff. The staff is proud to serve the government and people of Ethiopia, and know that the result of
their work today leads to improved opportunities for the future of Ethiopia.
“Peace requires the simple but powerful recognition
that what we have in common as human beings is more
important and crucial than what divides us.”
Founder & Director Sargent Shriver | 1961
@peacecorpsethiopia facebook.com/peacecorpsethiopia
About the Peace Corps
ETHIOPIA