Ethiopia facts and figures

One of the villages where we work

Women often walk for miles to get water and firewood

A local water-pump

Ethiopia is Africa's oldest independent country, and proud of its unique heritage. Fragile and very beautiful, Ethiopia is an ancient and diverse country of 90.9 million people, some 85 percent of whom live in rural and remote areas.

Ethiopia remains one of the poorest countries in the world and its children suffer the worst consequences. Poverty deprives young children of adequate food, clean water, and medicine. One child in every six dies before his or her fifth birthday.

Poverty is especially severe in rural areas, where many people work as subsistence or coffee farmers. In Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, 58% of school-age children are in school. In Haraghe, the rural area where we work, even fewer - less than 25% - get the chance of an education. The same injustices exist in healthcare. The capital city benefits from one doctor for every 3,000 people – almost as many as England. But in rural areas, there is just one doctor for every 70,000 people. This means that many complex conditions, such as facial disabilities, go untreated.

The average annual income of a coffee farmer is estimated at 2,500 Ethiopian Birr or $287 (2004 prices), making it impossible for a rural farmer to send family members to hospital. Because of this inequality, many rural Ethiopians are denied access to healthcare.

We exist to solve this problem. Our outreach team cover great distances, working with local health and social workers to raise awareness of the treatment available for facial disabilities. We arrange free transport to the hospital, accommodation and care. With our support every child – no matter what their background – can get the care they need.

It costs just £250 to reach a child with facial disabilities and secure the complex treatment and follow-up work which they require to rebuild their lives. If you can help, please click here.

Links and references:

If you’re interested in Ethiopia, read the extensive wikipedia page, the BBC country profile or the Guardian page.

For some of the facts that we’ve quoted here (and more), look at the report Health and Health Related Indicators and the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia.

You can find thought-provoking comparisons between Ethiopia and the UK here. 

If you find any more interesting websites or facts about Ethiopia, please post them to our Facebook page or email smile@projectharar.org

View Larger Map. This map shows the distance (around 500km) between the areas we work in, Harar and Bale from Addis Ababa, where our patients must go for treatment.