Ethiopia | Hawzien Free School, Friends of Waldorf Education (Freunde der Erziehungskunst Rudolf Steiners e.V.)

A school in one of the poorest regions in the world.

Reducing youth unemployment through better education.

Since November 2020, the Tigray region, along with the rest of Ethiopia, has been in a civil war and on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe.
Despite economic growth over the past ten years, Ethiopia, with around 95 million inhabitants, is one of the poorest countries in the world.
The lack of kindergartens, school places, and vocational schools poses major challenges for the Hawzien region.
The biggest problem in this context is the high youth unemployment rate.
By developing the children’s practical and artistic skills, their chances of securing an apprenticeship in a trade improve after they finish school.
Likewise, the development of the teachers’ and kindergarten educators’ practical and artistic skills is supported.

Long-term support with knowledge and school meals.

Dr. Gebre-Selassie fled Ethiopia before the communist regime and went to Germany, where he studied agriculture. In 2002, he founded the self-help association Finks Society for Integrated Development Hawzien in his birthplace, Hawzien, one of the oldest towns in Ethiopia.
This marked the starting point for a major education project. After the kindergarten could be built with the first donations, the site now includes an independent school, an adult education center, a bakery, a large herb garden, and even dairy cows.
The Peter Ustinov Foundation supports arts and crafts classes for grades 1–8.
In the associated cultural center, multipliers such as teachers and kindergarten educators are also trained.
Classes begin at 8:00 a.m. with the flag-raising ceremony and singing the national anthem, and last until around 10:00 a.m. After a break with warm milk and rolls from the school’s own bakery, classes continue until 12:15 p.m.
With mathematics, Tigrinya, English, and science, teaching follows the official curriculum.

Better starting conditions for a self-determined life.

The Hawzien Waldorf school currently has eight classes with 40 children each, as well as three kindergarten groups with 40 children each.
With support from the Sir Peter Ustinov Foundation, art education was established and expanded with special courses in traditional Ethiopian crafts, and extended to include music lessons.
The entire school grounds are lined with trees, look very well maintained, and offer children the opportunity to harvest hay and wheat in autumn and to get to know a wide variety of herbs.

Learn more now about the many projects we have been able to realize in the name of Sir Peter Ustinov with the help of numerous supporters.