We’re delighted to announce the completion of a brand-new toilet block at Delo Primary School in a rural area of Bishoftu, Ethiopia. The facilities now serve 560 students and 10 teachers from kindergarten to Grade 8. These clean, safe new spaces provides much-needed sanitation and a place for girls to manage their periods during the school day.
Our match funded Delo School Christmas Campaign ran from 2nd to 9th December 2025. Your generosity raised £5,520 in donations, which was matched by our pledgers and Charity Champion Ethiopiaid, bringing the total to £11,040. These funds have built safe, gender-separated toilets and handwashing stations for the school.
On 9th October 2026, the school held an inauguration ceremony which brought together the community to open the new block. It was a joyful day, celebrating what we have achieved together to help children access their education at Delo.
What’s been achieved
Construction
The new toilet and handwashing block is complete and open. It includes:
- three girls’ cubicles and three boys’ cubicles (with locks)
- a room for children with disabilities
- running water and hook to hang a bag in one of the girls’ cubicles
- handwashing points on two sides of the block, which were tested and demonstrated on the day. The children were delighted to try them.
Banners with messages on handwashing and hygiene are now on the walls, developed by our Ethiopia team. The roof was an upgrade to the design we agreed upon, provided through the goodwill of the building contractor.
A safe space for girls
The school has set up a private safe room for girls, with a table and chair, a mattress with sheets, a curtain and carpet, emergency sanitary pads, and a dignity kit. Girls were shown how to use the room, and there are messages on the wall to support them. The school has been supported to set up its own Girls Club and provided with empowering training sessions. What we didn’t expect was that the school would also persuade the contractor to concrete the floor at no extra cost. Our Ethiopian staff commented how enthusiastic the teachers are for the school to be the best it can be.
Looking after it together
The school, teachers, students and the community committee have all taken responsibility for keeping the facilities clean and well used. The school will also run awareness sessions for pupils and staff on hygiene and the proper use of the toilets.
What’s next
Because of your generosity, children who once had no safe place to go can now use clean toilets with a door that locks, wash their hands, and, for girls, have a private space of their own. You’ve helped create not just a building, but a place where children can learn with dignity.
For the past year, a Girls Club has been operating at the school with 15 female and 10 male members, led by a teacher. They have taken part in empowering workshops, received reusable sanitary pads and sessions on how to use them. In the coming year the club will become more embedded in school life, with three more training sessions to go.
We know from our experience that opening new buildings should not mark the end of the project. As planned, we are tracking whether these new facilities have an impact on how pupils feel about how safe, healthy and inclusive their school is. We will continue to support and monitor the school for the next year.
Our next Christmas campaign starts on 1st December. We’ll be in touch, and we hope you’ll join us again.