Thriving Beyond Barriers

Kibra, 15, of Ethiopia has lived with her disability for as long as she can remember. Growing up in Abi-Adi, a town in the Tigray region, whenever she would go outside she would have to lean on something for support. "It was difficult for me to walk long distances," she says.

Friends helped her get to and from school. But Kibra's disability made it challenging for her to participate fully in classroom activities — and to learn.

That all changed thanks to an assistance programme implemented by IHS Ethiopia, a local NGO, in collaboration with UNICEF. Called the Inclusive Education Initiative, the project funded by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) aims to promote equitable access to quality education for children with disabilities and other vulnerable groups in Tigray, where conflict has disrupted livelihoods, leaving many families, Kibra's included, in economic straits.

"My teachers understood my interest in education and registered me [for the programme]," Kibra says. Soon after she was introduced to a social worker, Mikal, who helped her secure financial support amounting to ETB 10,500 ($67) and other benefits, including school supplies and a wheelchair.

The interventions have kept her hopes alive, she says, making an academic career possible, and perhaps someday, a job at a bank. Her school attendance and classroom participation have both improved dramatically, and teachers describe her one of the most dedicated and disciplined students in her class.

"I dream of living independently in the future, without depending on others," Kibra says. "For others with disabilities like me, I want to help them by saying: Be strong, work hard, study and learn," Kibra says in the video. "I also want to convey this message: Don't lose hope."

UNICEF works to ensure that children with disabilities and their families have access to community-based services and support, wherever they may live, in times of stability as well as in humanitarian emergencies.

By Maryanne Buechner and Raphael Pouget