Carman’s House Girls Hostel

For a girl born in rural Ethiopia, there is a very high chance she won’t finish school. In fact, only 25% of Ethiopian girls attend secondary school and this is even lower in rural areas where there are not many schools.

Girls in rural areas often need to relocate to a larger town to access secondary school, but most farming families simply cannot afford this and worry about safety issues. So, girls drop out of school and face early marriage and pregnancy.

It’s for these reasons we opened Carman’s House, a hostel for girls (previously known as the Kidus Girls Hostel). This purpose-built accommodation facility is within the grounds of a large secondary school and allows 36 selected students to live on-campus whilst they complete school.

Carman’s House consists of dormitories, a well-resourced library, dining room, kitchen, bathrooms, and a garden compound. The girls receive all meals, bedding, washable menstrual pads, school uniforms, books, mentorship/support, and security.

Carman’s House makes it possible for these girls to finish school and possibly even attend University. One of the students, Ayana, now talks about her future with enthusiasm, “I will make the decision when I want to marry but I want to finish my education first and become a doctor. I like studying biology, and now I can continue on that path.”

You can read more about Ayana’s story here.

Girls that graduate from Carman’s House continue to be financially supported whilst they pursue higher education programs.

Carman’s House is made possible through the generous support of Carman’s Kitchen.