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As part of RSH’s commitment to the sustainability and local leadership of safeguarding, Hiwot Ethiopia will be leading and delivering the Ethiopian Resource and Support Hub from April 2024.
If you need support on safeguarding in Ethiopia and would like to hear more about what the Hub can offer, you can contact Hiwot to commission safeguarding services here: hiwotethiopia@hiwotet.org. You can also explore the Hub’s tools and resources by clicking on the links above.
Established in 1995, Hiwot Ethiopia, meaning "Life" in Amharic, began as a youth club driven by fourteen passionate individuals deeply concerned by the impact of HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health hazards, particularly among children and young people. Evolving from a grassroots initiative, it transformed into an NGO and is now registered as a Civil Society Organization/charity in Ethiopia, registered under #0345. Over 25 years, Hiwot has collaborated with local and international partners to implement multi-year programmes in Addis Ababa and the Amhara Region, with its main office in Addis Ababa and additional branches in North Shewa Zone.
Hiwot’s mission is to foster positive community development by raising awareness, providing support services, enhancing capacity and skills, promoting participation and sustainability, and fostering networking and partnerships. They aim to achieve this by focusing on improving sexual and reproductive health, facilitating access to quality education, promoting wellbeing, enhancing livelihoods and food security, and strengthening organizational capacity.
Rooted in values of accountability, ethics, respect, and professionalism, Hiwot advocates for the adoption of effective safeguarding principles and practices within the Ethiopian CSO community.
Getaalem Kassa Kelbe, Executive Director
Getaalem has over 25 years of practical experience managing institutions and serving the community in the areas of health, education, gender equality, children and youth rights, and livelihoods. He has served Hiwot Ethiopia as an executive director and secretary of the board since its establishment in 1995. He has made significant contributions to the well-being of children and youth in Ethiopia, serving as a Board member with different consortia, as well as a general assembly leader. He was a member of the National Expert Board for the RSH Ethiopia Hub. Contact Getaalem to learn more about Hiwot.
Abera Wondimu, Safeguarding focal and technical lead
Abera is an RSH-certified safeguarding investigator and trained mentor. He provides mentorship for partner civil society organisations on safeguarding practice. He also provides technical support on risk assessments for civil society organisations and trains their staff on topics including safeguarding, safe programming, safe recruitment and community-based reporting mechanisms. Contact Abera to learn about Hiwot’s safeguarding work.
Sehen Yitna Seifu, Safeguarding Project Coordinator for the Safeguarding Children and Adults at Risk (SCAR) project
Sehen leads the safeguarding work on the SCAR project, which builds the capacities of Hiwot’s partner organisations on safeguarding activities. This can include developing organisational safeguarding policies, assigning safeguarding focal persons and delivering safeguarding training. Sehen is responsible for organising training, as well as monitoring the implementation of the safeguarding activities of Hiwot’s partners and preparing donor reports. Contact Sehen to learn about Hiwot’s safeguarding work.