Non-Profit Spotlight: Children of Ethiopia Education Fund

Throughout the month of December, Utah Pulse is offering free space to Utah non-profits to get their message out during the traditional season of giving.  Today we hear from the Children of Ethiopia Education Fund.

The Children of Ethiopia Education Fund (COEEF) seeks to provide mainly females in Ethiopia with a quality, private education through sponsors in America and other developed countries.

If females in Ethiopia don't get an education, they may be forced into early marriage or unhealthy ways of living and have a high chance of contracting HIV/AIDS. With an education, these females have a chance to rise above their poor circumstances and reach their true potential.

School directors, sponsors, volunteers and employees see how dramatic each student's life has changed towards a happier and healthier way of living. Each student is thankful to be receiving a uniform, tuition and books for their education at nearby private schools.

COEEF started out with one little girl named Kidest, who caught the eyes of co-founders Norm and Ruthann. They went on a humanitarian trip in 2001 and were stunned to find out how little the school fees were for a year. They started sponsoring Kidest eight years ago, and now COEEF has over 1,000 students in the program and is continuing to grow and expand to other East African countries. COEEF currently has over 20 partner schools in Ethiopia, and two schools in Tanzania.

COEEF's goal is to empower a nation, one child at a time. With your sponsorship, you will receive an update picture and drawing or letter from your student each year. We encourage sponsors to become pen pals with their students and grow with them in their educational process.

COEEF is proud to partner with already existing private schools to give students the best education possible in their area. Prior to program introduction, COEEF interviews school directors and students to make sure that they are a good fit for the program. Students are chosen based on need and desire to obtain an education up through 12th grade. Once chosen, sponsors can support the same student each year until graduation.

The base sponsorship starts at $225 a year and goes up depending on what other needs you want to provide for the student. The base sponsorship pays for school fees for one year, uniforms, books and other learning materials and supplies necessary for them to get a quality education. Sponsorships can be paid on a yearly basis, or also monthly with our new direct debit payment program. This is a great gift idea for people who are looking to give back and make a difference, while creating new friendships across the world. 

For a complete list of partner schools, visit their website - www.coeef.org