HEKS - EPER Ethiopia

HEKS - EPER Ethiopia HEKS champions the cause of a more humane and just world and a life in dignity. Internationally.

| What if a simple pad could change a girl’s future? |Did you know that menstruation is one of the leading causes of sch...
20/04/2026

| What if a simple pad could change a girl’s future? |

Did you know that menstruation is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism among girls in rural communities?

Through the SHIELD project, implemented in partnership with and with support from the , Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER) is changing that reality - one sanitary pad at a time.

In Moyale and Hudet woredas in Ethiopia's Southern Somali Region, Dawa Zone, 500 schoolgirls have received dignity kits ensuring that menstruation no longer disrupts their education.

Before this intervention, many girls relied on unsafe, improvised materials leading to discomfort, missed school days, and reduced participation in class. The support focuses on girls in grades 5–10, a critical age when many girls begin to face challenges managing their menstruation in school settings.

By addressing menstrual hygiene needs, this intervention is removing a key barrier to girls’ education enabling them to stay in school, participate with confidence and focus on their future.

| A NEW HEKS/EPER CLIMATE RESILIENCE PROJECT IS SET TO TRANSFORM 6,160 LIVES! |HEKS/EPER (Swiss Church Aid) officially l...
08/04/2026

| A NEW HEKS/EPER CLIMATE RESILIENCE PROJECT IS SET TO TRANSFORM 6,160 LIVES! |

HEKS/EPER (Swiss Church Aid) officially launched the three-year Climate Resilient Households for Women and Youth Project in Borena Zone, Ethiopia.

The project will be implemented across four districts Gomole, Yabello, Dubuluk, and Moyale aiming to strengthen the resilience of pastoralist and agro-pastoralist households against climate and livelihood shocks.

Funded by HEKS/EPER and co-implemented with our local partner Gayo Pastoralist Development Initiative (GPDI), it will directly benefit 6,160 people, with a focus on empowering women and youth through livelihood diversification, sustainable resource management and anticipatory crisis response.

The project will complement ongoing interventions in the Borana Zone, serving as a hub for the development, refinement, and dissemination of best practices and lessons learned.

The launch workshop brought together stakeholders from regional to community levels, fostering awareness, collaboration, and joint commitment to the project’s objectives.

We look forward to continued collaboration with all partners to ensure long-term impact and success.

Climate shocks don’t wait and neither should we.

| From Seeds in the Field to Health Services at the Doorstep |As part of our Integrated Multi-Sectoral Humanitarian Proj...
07/04/2026

| From Seeds in the Field to Health Services at the Doorstep |

As part of our Integrated Multi-Sectoral Humanitarian Project, funded by the (EHF), HEKS/EPER, in partnership with , recently conducted a joint field monitoring visit in Guto Gida and Diga woredas of Wollega Zone to assess the impact of our interventions.

The visit confirmed tangible benefits for communities through integrated support:

Agriculture activities led by HEKS/EPER are helping farmers improve productivity through access to quality seeds and practical training. Communities are expanding knowledge on wheat and vegetable production, post-harvest management, and best practices for irrigation and livestock support. Local government coordination and women’s participation are strengthened, empowering smallholder farmers.

Health interventions by FIDO, including Mobile Health and Nutrition Teams, are bringing essential services closer to underserved populations, complementing agricultural support and enhancing overall community resilience.

Communities are experiencing real change:
“Services are now closer to us.”

This project demonstrates the power of partnership-based, multi-sectoral action, effectively addressing urgent needs while building resilience and improving livelihoods among vulnerable communities in hard-to-reach areas.

Delivering impact through sustainable agriculture, strong partnerships, and community-centered solutions.

HEKS - EPER World

| Empowerment Knows No Calendar! |At HEKS/EPER, we don’t just celebrate International Women’s Day—we live its mission ev...
01/04/2026

| Empowerment Knows No Calendar! |

At HEKS/EPER, we don’t just celebrate International Women’s Day—we live its mission every day.

This year, HEKS/EPER, in collaboration with the Borena Zone Women and Children Affairs Office, hosted a transformative event as part of the Bridging Borders Project, an initiative under funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and implemented in partnership with our partner . The event brought together 1,806 participants across the Borena Zone.

More than an event, it was a movement. Through impactful dramas, vibrant cultural performances, and meaningful dialogue, we amplified women’s voices as leaders and agents of change, strengthened cross-border solidarity for gender equality, and recognized women as drivers of peace, development, and social cohesion.

Proudly acknowledged at woreda and zonal levels, our work demonstrates the power of partnership and collective action.

To our partners and the incredible women of Borena Zone—thank you for being the heart of this movement. Let’s keep bridging borders for gender equality, every day!

CIFA Ethiopia Community Initiative Facilitation and Assistance- CIFA-Kenya

| How Women in East Borana Are Beating Drought Together |“Our group is organized to work what we know best, and it only ...
27/03/2026

| How Women in East Borana Are Beating Drought Together |

“Our group is organized to work what we know best, and it only takes a small effort from all of us to make a big change,” shares Sake Jaldesa from the Kurkura Women’s Group.

In East Borana, Oromia Region, where recurrent drought has left households struggling with food insecurity and limited income, our multi-year Food Security and Resilience Building Project, led by HEKS/EPER and implemented by six ACT Alliance members is transforming lives.

🔹 The Fulo Women Irrigation Model Group (42 members), trained and equipped with inputs and market linkages, now produces vegetables year-round, generating 698,000 ETB in two cycles while introducing nutrient-rich crops like kale and tomatoes.
🔹 The Kurkura Women’s Group launched a sheep fattening initiative with 82,000 ETB startup capital (60,000 ETB grant + 22,000 ETB savings). They’ve distributed 12 lambs to members, expanded their flock with pregnant ewes, and grown group assets to 188,000 ETB, while building stronger social cohesion and collective decision-making.

This project not only improves income and nutrition but also connects women to local cooperatives and government support, inspiring similar initiatives across neighboring areas.

This intervention is made possible through the support of Bread for the World and the committed contributions of all implementing organizations.

HEKS - EPER World

|Where Water Flows, Equality Grows|This World Water Day 2026, Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER) highlights how safe water is ...
22/03/2026

|Where Water Flows, Equality Grows|

This World Water Day 2026, Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER) highlights how safe water is transforming schools and communities across Ethiopia especially for women and girls.

In Southern Ethiopia, girls have long faced the greatest barriers from unsafe water and poor sanitation, leading to missed classes and protection risks.

Through the , with support from the Swiss Development & Cooperation and HEKS/EPER, WASH services were improved in 21 schools, and safe drinking water reached more than 27,000 people, including 14,005 women and girls. Today, girls attend more regularly, feel safer and more supported, and schools are healthier, cleaner, and more inclusive.

In 2025, HEKS/EPER’s WASH interventions enabled 88,524 people including 45,147 women and girls to access safe water through the rehabilitation of 103 water schemes, construction of 25 latrines, and hygiene promotion for 45,042 people.

These improvements reduced the burden on women and girls by bringing water points closer to villages, enhancing dignity, safety, and opportunities.
Because water is not just a basic need — it is dignity, opportunity, and the foundation for a brighter future.

💧 Where water flows, equality grows.

📢Call for Application: National Expert – Quality Assurance for Participatory Action Prioritization (PAP) Methodology.Loc...
17/03/2026

📢Call for Application: National Expert – Quality Assurance for Participatory Action Prioritization (PAP) Methodology.
Location: Borana Zone, Ethiopia & Marsabit County, Kenya
Contract Duration: 40 days (April 2026 – October 2028)

Role Overview:
The National Expert will anchor quality assurance for the PAP methodology, ensuring meaningful participation, inclusivity, and methodological rigor across all project phases, and providing coaching and advisory support to field teams.

For full details and to apply, please follow the application link: [https://lnkd.in/dCWRpd4D]
Apply before 29 March 2026.

| Solar-Powered Water | Supporting Durable Solutions in Moyale, Somali Region |At HEKS/EPER, we deliver sustainable WASH...
12/03/2026

| Solar-Powered Water | Supporting Durable Solutions in Moyale, Somali Region |

At HEKS/EPER, we deliver sustainable WASH solutions to improve safe water access and community resilience in drought-prone areas. Through emergency WASH services funded by Swiss Solidarity, we rehabilitated a water scheme serving Dhukisu and surrounding kebeles in Moyale Woreda, Somali Region.

The upgraded system featuring solarization and a new borehole pump now provides reliable water for 800 families and their livestock.
The official handover ceremony brought together community representatives, WASH committee members, and local officials, who emphasized the project’s role in addressing water scarcity. Community feedback highlighted the timely intervention and support, noting tangible improvements in daily life and livelihoods.

Through initiatives like this, HEKS/EPER continues to support sustainable and durable WASH solutions in Ethiopia.

12/03/2026

| WORKING TOGETHER FOR LOCALLY LED ACTION |

HEKS/EPER participates in international and national initiatives to further strengthen its commitment to localisation.

Together with other Swiss organisations active in international cooperation HEKS/EPER has signed the manifesto "Locally owned. Globally backed. A manifesto for Locally Led Action." It affirms the leadership role of local actors and commits to investing in equitable partnerships, supporting quality financing, reducing power imbalances, and protecting civic space. At the same time, it strengthens joint learning, advocacy, and alignment across the Swiss NGO sector.

👉 Learn more about our commitment to localisation and a concrete example of how locally led action can be supported in humanitarian response: en.heks.ch/localisation

👉 See the Manifesto here: https://bit.ly/4aGYVGK


| This International Women’s Day, let’s !|The 2026 theme “Give to Gain” reminds us that investing in women isn’t jus...
08/03/2026

| This International Women’s Day, let’s !|
The 2026 theme “Give to Gain” reminds us that investing in women isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s the smart thing to do. When women are supported, families thrive, economies grow, and communities become more resilient. At HEKS/EPER Ethiopia, we see this every day. In 2025, our work directly reached over 200,000 people more than half of them women with skills, resources, and opportunities to lead change in their communities. From livelihood initiatives to peacebuilding, women are at the heart of creating lasting transformation.

Here’s how we’re putting into action because when women thrive, we all do:
HEKS - EPER World

HEKS/EPER is participating in the 5th CSO Week, organized by the Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations Council (ECSOC) a...
06/03/2026

HEKS/EPER is participating in the 5th CSO Week, organized by the Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations Council (ECSOC) and the Authority for Civil Society Organizations (ACSO). Since March 5, we have joined hundreds of CSOs at the Addis International Convention Center to celebrate the vital role of civil society organizations in Ethiopia.

This platform provides an opportunity for HEKS/EPER to strengthen collaboration with like-minded organizations, exchange best practices, and contribute to the collective voice of the civil society sector.

During the event, we are presenting several innovations, including sustainable water purification systems promoted jointly with Clara, hydroponic fodder showcased with our partner organization Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Suisse (VSF-Suisse), and locally produced sanitary products for schoolgirls.

During the opening ceremony, we also received recognition for our outstanding support of the 5th CSO Week.

HEKS - EPER World

|Bridging Borders for a Resilient Future| HEKS/EPER, jointly with its partners Community Initiative Facilitation and Ass...
05/03/2026

|Bridging Borders for a Resilient Future|

HEKS/EPER, jointly with its partners Community Initiative Facilitation and Assistance- CIFA-Kenya and CIFA Ethiopia, launched the Bridging Borders project in Moyale, Ethiopia, bringing together stakeholders from Kenya and Ethiopia.

This cross-border initiative, which focuses on women and youth as primary agents of change, will restore livelihoods, build resilience, and transform conflicts across the border in Marsabit County and Borana Zone.

As part of , the project is funded by the Austrian Development Agency(ADA) and HEKS/EPER (Swiss Church Aid) and will run for three years.

The event opened with a welcome from HEKS/EPER Country Director Jakob Braun, who highlighted the vital role of cross-border cooperation.

Her Excellency Dr. Simone Knapp, Austrian Ambassador to Ethiopia, emphasized the importance of collaboration in addressing shared challenges such as climate change, drought, and resource-based conflicts.

Fekadu Debissa (Oromia Bureau of Finance and Economic Development) delivered opening remarks, reflecting strong regional commitment.

Representatives of the three implementing partners presented their respective roles and provided an overview of the project. Participants engaged in plenary discussions on cross-border dialogue, natural resource governance, and peacebuilding, while technical remarks from Michael Fink, the ADA Head of Office for Ethiopia reaffirmed continued support for the initiative.

The program concluded with closing remarks from Guyo Golicha, Head of the National Drought Management Authority in Marsabit; Beriso Gano, Deputy Administrator of Borana Zone; and Solomon Gubo, Deputy Governor of Marsabit County, calling for shared commitment and continued collaboration to build a resilient and peaceful future, emphasized the importance of joint and community-led action and long-term commitment to ensure the project’s success.

On the sidelines of the event, the Austrian Ambassador and representatives from ADA and HEKS/EPER also visited a women’s savings group in Dida Mega and held an engaging exchange with a cross-border Peace Committee from Moyale.

For more information about the project, see the below link
https://lnkd.in/d95Twdwa





HEKS/EPER (Swiss Church Aid)

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AACC Building Nifas Silk Lafto Sub-city
Addis Ababa
100108

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Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00

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