Two years of war and around 30 percent inflation for the past three years have left many Ethiopian young people without hope, said Argaw Fantu, regional director of Catholic Near East Welfare Association in Ethiopia.
In a 23 July webinar, hosted by CNEWA’s office in Canada, Mr. Fantu spoke about the challenges Ethiopians face and what the Catholic Church, “which is always with and among the people,” he said, is doing to address those challenges.
The two-year war in the northern Tigray region between the Ethiopian military and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front ended in November 2022, but more than 1 million people were still displaced in 2024, according to estimates by Refugees International. Tigray is mountainous and much of it is inhabitable.
“After the two-years’ war, what we can see is the very heartbreaking situation of the people,” Mr. Fantu said. “People have really lost everything.”
“The outcome of conflict is instability,” he said. “When you resolve one challenge, another will come.”
While schools have reopened, the children arrive hungry and malnourished. CNEWA has responded by implementing a school feeding program for more than 5,000 children.
Mr. Fantu reported about 80 percent of Ethiopia’s rural population lives in poverty; in urban areas, that percentage is between 20 and 25 percent. While inflation dropped to about 13 percent in March, the devaluation of the local currency by more than 100 percent has impacted people’s purchasing power.
Mr. Fantu said the first victims of poverty, displacement and war are orphaned children, and CNEWA is supporting six church-run orphanages throughout the country.
“Most of these children are abandoned children,” some within a few days of birth, he said. He showed photos of smiling orphans and asked viewers to imagine where those children would be if not for the orphanages.
“Some of them might be in prostitution … in drug dealing or some also could be trafficked,” he said. Church-run programs spare these vulnerable children from such abuse, he added.
One of CNEWA’s most significant contributions in Ethiopia is its support of the formation of church leadership, both clergy and lay people. Since the early 1970s, CNEWA has funded the formation of Ethiopian seminarians. As a result, Ethiopian-born bishops now lead the church instead of foreign missionaries, he said.
“Most of the local clergy are the fruits of CNEWA’s longstanding … and continued support,” he said.
These leaders are important in mitigating the challenges in the country, he add. Many programs that respond to basic human needs “are run by the leadership of the church: the clergy, the nuns and also the lay professionals.”
CNEWA also supports church-run schools, including schools for children with physical disabilities, such as visual impairment, which families in rural areas consider “a curse,” he said. Visually impaired children are usually “kept in hiding, in a dark place,” he added.
However, church-run schools help to break this social stigma, giving these children opportunities to learn and to become contributing members of society. One woman who attended a church-run school for the blind is now a leading advocate for women’s rights, he said.
The rampant poverty throughout the country places greater demands on schools and health care institutions, which have faced increased pressure after the recent cuts in foreign funding.
“The number of parents who cannot even afford [school supplies] is becoming a very demanding need,” he said.
As well, insufficient food and poor nutrition lower general health and immunity, making the health care and treatment that are available less effective. Mr. Fantu said church groups are exploring free or partially subsidized medical services.
Mr. Fantu expressed gratitude to CNEWA donors. In church terms, he said, “the profits are people, not wealth.”
The webinar titled, “Hope in Action: Ethiopia on the Ground,” was hosted by Adriana Bara, national director of CNEWA’s office in Canada. Watch the 39-minute webinar below: