RISE Project Launching Ceremony Jinka Town, Southern Ethiopia
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church Development and Inter-Church Aid Commission (EOC-DICAC), in collaboration with the South Ethiopia Regional Health Bureau (SRHB), officially launched the RISE (Reaching Immunization Success through Empowerment) project from March 25–27, 2025, in Jinka Town, Southern Ethiopia. This initiative is funded by GAVI and supported by Mannion Daniels and Oxford Policy Management (OPM). The project seeks to increase immunization coverage, reduce the number of zero-dose children, and strengthen the healthcare system in underserved and hard-to-reach areas.
RISE is a timely response to the persistent gaps in immunization in 10 woredas across 6 zones of the South Ethiopia region, where geographical, cultural, and logistical barriers have long hindered service delivery. The project commenced on January 1, 2025, and will run through June 30, 2026. This report outlines the key activities and outcomes of the launching ceremony, staff induction, and project plan alignment sessions.
Dr. Ayana Yeneabat, speaking on behalf of GAVI and project partners, provided strategic direction and reiterated the expectation that project staff closely integrate with the regional and woreda health offices. His message centered on collaborative implementation, community engagement, and data-driven decision-making.
Dr. Achenef Bekele, the project’s technical lead, provided an in-depth overview of the RISE project. His presentation focused on the project's key pillars: zero-dose tracking, community engagement, health worker capacity building, and routine immunization system strengthening. Also a new EPI data monitoring tool, designed to complement the existing DHIS2 system and provide real-time insights at the woreda level. This tool would not replace but rather enhance existing reporting systems while improving data quality.
Durring the pannel disscussion, questions raised by participants—including local religious leaders, woreda health office representatives, and other stakeholders were adressed. Implementation strategies and accountability mechanisms to community mobilization techniques and sustainability are key issues. Participants expressed enthusiasm about the project and welcomed the inclusive planning process.
Genet Asefa, a 24-year-old mother from a remote area of North Wollo, has endured an extraordinary journey of hardship. Her daughter, Amen, was born with a birth defect known as clubfoot a condition that twists a baby’s foot out of its normal position.
Instead of compassion, Genet was met with stigma and harmful myths. Some community members told her that Amen’s condition was a punishment or caused by her own actions during pregnancy. Feeling ashamed and isolated, Genet hesitated to vaccinate her child. “I was afraid,” she recalls. “I thought the vaccine might make her leg worse.” Later, she admits, “It was my mistake. I didn’t understand how important vaccination was.”
Determined to seek treatment for her daughter, Genet traveled to Bahir Dar. But life there was painfully difficult. With no family, home, or income, she survived by sleeping on cold floors, renting space for 20 birr a night, or spending nights on the street. For over two years, she struggled to care for Amen in unimaginable hardship.
When the CDC-SIPI project, Health Extension Workers (HEWs), found Genet and Amen on the streets they learned that Amen, now four years old, had never received any vaccines a zero-dose child. Through patient discussion and reassurance, the HEWs earned Genet’s trust and helped her access vaccination services for her daughter. ReadMore/success
“The feeling of having my child immunized,” Genet says proudly, “is greater than anything else.” The fear and shame that once burdened her heart have been replaced with knowledge, confidence, and hope.
After receiving the first round of vaccines, Genet was invited to a Community Conversation (CC) session organized by EOC-DICAC and the local health team. There, she found acceptance and strength. Today, Genet is an active CC member and a strong advocate for vaccination. She tells every mother to let their child vaccinated around Gordema Gebriel Church.
With the support of the Health Extension Workers, Genet has found her voice and now stands beside them, reaching children who are too often forgotten. Her story is a reminder that compassionate healthcare not only saves lives but restores dignity and hope.
When a coalition of committed partners joined forces to reach Ethiopia's most remote villages, they didn't just bring vaccines they brought hope to communities that had been forgotten for years and demonstrated how collaborative action can bridge critical equity gaps in immunization coverage.
Through GAVI's Alliance commitment to reaching zero-dose children and the strategic support of funding management partners Oxford Policy Management (OPM) and Manniondaniel, the groundwork was laid for a transformative intervention through RISE project strengthened health systems to reach ZD children.
EOC-DICAC's through community-based implementation capacity aiming to reach isolated populations a multi-stakeholder partnership was formed to address this equity challenge.
Mariam Ware, a mother of two from Mismo village in Garbrare Kebele, Burji Zone, represents the transformation happening across these remote communities. Living with her husband as subsistence farmers, Mariam had watched helplessly as both her daughters—2-years-old Bereket Samuel and her one and half year sister; suffered from continuous coughing and repeated illnesses.
Neither of them had ever received routine immunization services before the mobile team's arrival. "My children often fell sick. They struggled with repeated coughs. For me as a mother, watching them suffering was heartbreaking," Mariam shared, her voice heavy with the memory of those difficult times. read more>Success
Mela’eke Selam Lealem, a dedicated priest deeply invested in the well-being of his community, resides In the Awi Zone, Banja Woreda, Bassa Kebele.