“EQUAL Access to Social and Economic Opportunities for Migrants and Vulnerable Groups” project aims to improve the living conditions and increase training and employment opportunities for migrants, returning migrants, internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, people with disabilities, and host communities in Addis Ababa and Debreberhan in Amhara region.
The initiative mainly addresses the root causes of irregular migration. Over the course of three years, from March 2025 to February 2028, the project will work to provide targeted groups with opportunities for social and economic integration, while also promoting safer migration practices.
More specifically, the project aims to
- Promote skills development and decent work opportunities for migrants, returning migrants, IDPs, refugees, and people with disabilities. Special emphasis will be placed on the WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) sectors, environmental fields, and other related occupations within the host communities.
- Improve water, Sanitation, hygiene, and waste management practices in Addis Ababa and Debreberhan cities.
- Strengthen the capacity of local authorities and community representatives to provide sustainable services and raise awareness about the risks of irregular migration, as well as the available legal migration channels.
Key partners in this initiative include the Addis Ababa City Administration Health Bureau, Addis Ababa City Administration Cleansing Agency, Addis Ababa City Administration Finance Bureau, and the Labor and Skill Bureau, alongside their respective sub-cities and
woreda offices.
The project’s beneficiaries include migrants, returning migrants, IDPs, refugees, people with disabilities, and local communities, with particular attention to unemployed youth and women. With funding from the Italian Ministry of Interior through Amref Italia, the
project will be implemented in in Addis Ababa (Akaki Quality, Lemikura, Lafto, Gullele, and Yeka) and Debre Berhan in the Amhara region.
Expected Outcomes
- Skills development and decent work opportunities for migrants, returning migrants, IDPs, refugees, and people with disabilities promoted. Special emphasis will be placed on the WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) sectors, environmental fields, and other related occupations within the host communities.
- Water, Sanitation, hygiene, and waste management practices in Addis Ababa and Debrebirhan cities improved.
- Capacity of local authorities and community representatives to provide sustainable services and raise awareness about
the risks of irregular migration, as well as the available legal migration channels
strengthened.