A Better Place to Learn: Supporting Refugee Students Through Clean Water and Hygiene in Ethiopia

On the outskirts of Asosa, in Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region near the Sudanese border, Tsore No. 2 Primary School stands just a short walk from the nearby refugee camp. The school primarily serves refugee students and has recently seen significant improvements thanks to the World Bank-supported General Education Quality Improvement Program for Equity (GEQIP-E).

Ethiopia, the third-largest refugee-hosting country in Africa, is home to over 1,150,203 refugees and asylum seekers as of April 2025. A large portion of Ethiopia’s refugee population are children, many of whom, if given no access to education, face the danger of being left behind, missing out on essential learning, skill building, and future opportunities. Education plays a vital protective role, shielding young refugees from risks like exploitation and early marriage. It also lays the foundation for long-term stability, independence, and stronger ties between refugees and host communities.

In hot, dry areas like Asosa, providing quality education is particularly challenging. The arrival of refugees strains the already limited local resources, and schools like Tsore No. 2 often struggle to meet students’ basic needs.

Through a range of support tools provided by GEQIP-E, the school—guided by the leadership of Principal Yetinayet Girma—benefited from improved WASH facilities, including access to clean water and menstrual hygiene management (MHM) equipment. Prior to this support, the school had no access to clean water, and the harsh climate made dehydration and poor hygiene daily challenges for students.

As a result, absenteeism and dropout rates have decreased. Girls can now attend school regularly and manage their health needs without fear, shame and embarrassment. These improvements have also led to better academic engagement. Students are healthier and more focused, and the school has noticed increased participation in learning.

These school-level gains are the result of a broader shift in Ethiopia’s education policy. For the first time in the country’s history, GEQIP-E officially recognized refugee schools as part of the national education system. This shift marked a significant change in both policy and financing, aligning with Ethiopia’s Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) and the 2019 Refugee Proclamation. This new approach gave refugees access to national services, including education, which was previously not the case. Prior to GEQIP-E, refugee students were largely reliant on parallel education systems run by humanitarian organizations, with minimal government involvement. By including refugee schools under GEQIP-E, Ethiopia demonstrated a transformative commitment to equity, integration, and long-term support for refugee education within the national system.

The support provided through GEQIP-E to refugee education was delivered through two key strategies: service harmonization and service integration. Service harmonization aimed to ensure that the quality and delivery of education in refugee schools were aligned with that of host community schools, including equitable access to learning materials, teacher training, and school grants.

Meanwhile, service integration focused on fully embedding refugee schools, particularly secondary ones, into the national education system. This involved bringing these schools under the oversight of regional education bureaus and enabling them to operate within national policy and financing frameworks. Together, these efforts strengthened Ethiopia’s commitment to inclusive edu64 schools across Ethiopia - 54 primary and 11 secondary - received support through GEQIP-E, along with 12 additional secondary schools in host communities that enroll refugee students.received support through GEQIP-E, along with 12 additional secondary schools in host communities that enroll refugee students. The program has benefited over 167,000 refugee students.

Additionally, GEQIP-E has provided training to more than 11,372 teachers in Ethiopia, updating their skills in lesson planning, active learning, classroom management, and continuous assessment. Teachers were also trained on how to make their teaching and learning processes more gender-responsive, from lesson planning to evaluation and feedback. Moreover, schools received teaching and learning materials to further enhance the quality of education.

 “The program has allowed our students to continue their education without interruptions,” said Principal Girma. “The school has become a better place for all students, and the community feels more integrated.”

Despite these improvements, the school still faces challenges. With more than 2,000 students, access to water remains limited. “Based on our student population, it’s not enough,” she lamented. “We need more water tanks and access points to meet everyone’s needs.”

The MHM room also requires more supplies. “Reusable pads alone aren’t sufficient,” she added. “We also need soap, lotion, and other hygiene items to support the girls properly.”

Although GEQIP-E made a meaningful difference, the program has now ended. Sustaining this progress—particularly for refugee education—will require continued commitment from the government and development partners. Without it, many of these gains could be hard to maintain.

The experience at Tsore No. 2 Primary School shows what steady investment in inclusive education can achieve. With the right support, all students, including refugees, can have a fair chance to learn, grow, and succeed.