Kidist Mariam Pastoral Centre (Phase II)

56% of women in Ethiopia are illiterate*

1,447 women have been supported since 2016

3 years project duration

For many women in Ethiopia, especially those in rural areas, employment opportunities are very limited; young women who drop out of school may not have the skills required to get a job or create their own career. This creates dependency and a lack of autonomy over their lives. The Kidist Mariam Pastoral Centre (KMPC) is working to change this.

Located in the Dugda District in the Apostolic Vicariate of Meki, the KMPC offers vocational skill training courses to help empower young women to create their own livelihoods, earn income, and manage their own resources.

Project location: Meki, Ethiopia

Partner profile

Project Code: ETPT-1200064

Funding needed: AUD $ $158,695

Born in Barcelona, María José Morales Jurado is the director of KMPC. She has been a member of the missionary Community of Saint Paul since 1988 and moved to Ethiopia in 2013.

María is currently responsible for pastoral and development projects with youth and women in the Apostolic Vicariate of Meki.

Your support can help:

• Empower women to claim and secure their right to employment and self-employment

• Establish and maintain an organic communal vegetable garden

• Equip women with vocational skills and work experience through courses of their choice including hospitality, hairdressing, and tailoring

• Offer a range of services to the surrounding community including food cooked by students sold at an affordable price, and reusable sanitary pads and school uniforms made by the tailoring service.