In 2017, the Cistercian Fathers launched the "Classrooms and Laboratories for Mariam Tsion Catholic School" project in Addis Ababa, to improve the quality of secondary education in one of the most densely populated urban areas of the Ethiopian capital. The intervention involved the complete fitting out of the classrooms for grades 7–12, with adequate furnishings, science laboratories, a library, and a multimedia room, to meet the standards required by the Ministry of Education.
The school welcomes about 800 students aged 7 to 18 and represents an educational reference point for over 3,000 indirect beneficiaries, including families, teachers, and community members. In Ethiopia, where only 10% of students continue beyond primary school, access to quality secondary education is essential to promote inclusion and social mobility.
The project strengthened the continuity of the educational path and the effectiveness of teaching, offering young people a modern and stimulating school environment.
School infrastructures are the heart of our interventions in Africa: without safe classrooms, adequate spaces, and modern tools, learning remains a privilege for a few. This is why we build and renovate schools, create laboratories and educational spaces that allow children and young people to grow up in dignified environments. Every new classroom is not just a building, but a seed of hope and future for entire communities.
Direct: 800
Indirect: 3,100
Addis Ababa is the capital of Ethiopia and the main political, economic, and cultural center of the country, with over 5 million inhabitants. It is a dynamic and constantly growing city, where modern skyscrapers and commercial districts coexist with suburbs marked by poverty and precarious housing. Educational and work opportunities are concentrated mainly in the urban center, while in marginalized areas many families live with limited resources and encounter enormous difficulties in accessing dignified schools. School overcrowding is a widespread problem, with classes often exceeding 70 students, and this reduces the quality of learning. Despite the critical issues, Addis Ababa is also a place of great social and cultural vitality, where enterprising young people seek to build new opportunities and create spaces for development and inclusion.
With the goal of supporting basic education and vocational training, the Foundation invests in infrastructure and initiatives addressing educational challenges such as the empowerment of girls and women.
Each project is developed in collaboration with local communities and aims to promote education, personal growth, and sustainable development.
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The Nuovo Fiore in Africa Foundation is recognized as a public utility organization, registered with the Federal Supervisory Authority, and all donations made are tax-deductible.
