Economic strengthening of households

In order to alleviate the challenges that children are faced with, CHADET believes it is essential to work towards improving the livelihoods of both the children and their parents or guardians. Therefore, CHADET incorporates income generating activities into all of its projects. On one hand, CHADET aims to contribute to the reduction of poverty and unemployment of street and working children and other vulnerable groups by increasing the employability, productivity and income generating capacity. They are provided with trainings and workshops to capacitate them with valuable marketable skills and they receive vocational training to enable them to support themselves
On the other hand, the parents/guardians are being supported through the household economic improvement programs, including the establishment and strengthening of Self Help Groups (SHG) and Saving and Credit Cooperatives (SACCO) depending on the context. These initiatives allow local communities to continue their development without the need for external support for an extended period of time.
CHADET's work

Urban areas
CHADET runs its own Skills and Vocational Training Center in Addis Ababa.  The center is aimed at improving the employability, productivity and income generating capacity of disadvantaged youth, especially young girls who are at risk of exposure to sexual and physical exploitation.

CHADET works in cooperation with ETHIOPIAID to provide tailor-made trainings for each beneficiary. The center provides training in the fields of food preparation, catering and housekeeping for vulnerable youth for the last couple of years. In addition, life skill and communication skill trainings, reproductive health education, group guidance and individual counseling are being provided to all trainees to help them improve their assertiveness, self-confidence and decision making skills.  Basic Business Skill (BBS) training and Income Generating Activity (IGA) support is also provided for the trainees to help them to start their own businesses.

Rural areas
Like the projects in the urban areas, CHADET designed a skills and vocational training project that contributes towards reducing unemployment in the rural context. One of the projects that has been implemented in 2014 was the project entitled ‘Social, Practical and Economic Empowerment and Development of Youth (SPEEDY)’, supported by Save the Children. In collaboration with local stakeholders CHADET identified different skills that would transform the youth and contribute to their social, practical and economic wellbeing. Most of the skills identified are related to the fields of agriculture, e.g. animal husbandry and diary production, animal fattening, bee keeping, bakery, edible oil production, vegetable and fruit production and foot wear design. Electronics maintenance skills trainings were also included at a later stage of the project implementation.

Current projects

1.    Self Help Groups and Saving and Credit Cooperatives
2.    Creating Livelihood Opportunities and Reducing Sexual Exploitation Risk of Street and Working Children