The Integrated Community Education and Development Association
ICEDA is a national non-governmental organization founded in Ethiopia. It is registered with the Ministry of Justice of Ethiopia and works in partnership with the Oromia Education Bureau (OEB). ICEDA’s work is focused in the rural Akaki district of the Oromo region. ICEDA’s head office is located in Addis Ababa, and a branch office is located in Dukem town, Akaki district.
Mission
To improve the lives of Ethiopian people by prioritizing education, creating safe environments for girls, and eradicating harmful traditional practices. ICEDA is putting education first for all children through alternative approaches with the active involvement of all stakeholders.
Objectives
•To promote basic education in disadvantaged communities.
•To promote human rights and civic education against harmful traditional practices.
•To promote community conversation and dialogue on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS.
•To initiate projects that improve the livelihoods of poor families and women.
Activities
• Providing Basic Education in 18 disadvantaged rural villages where more than 8,000 out of school children and adults now have access to primary education
• ICEDA is fighting harmful traditional practices such as FGC and early forced marriage through literacy advocacy programs.
• ICEDA establishes local support groups to organize women into self-help associations, which mobilize resources and advocate for change. ICEDA also works to get women elected to positions in local government and parliament.
• ICEDA lobbies the government to adopt new laws. They push for both civil and criminal codes concerning violence against women, women’s rights and marriage. They also lobby the ministry of education to incorporate information about children & women’s rights into the curriculum of public schools.
· ICEDA is also particularly focusing on youth. ICEDA has organized young people in to anti-HTP/HIV clubs and trained them in outreach work, leadership and networking. They organize more clubs and awareness-raising events at community level.
Partnerships
ICEDA works collaborates with community-based organizations, social institutions, local and international NGOs, and government organizations. ICEDA is a founding member of BEN (Basic Education Association of Ethiopia), a member of the Anti-FGM national network, The Network of East Africa NGOs on Ending Gender-Based Violence, the Pan-African Coalition Against Gender –Based Violence, the Pan-African Coalition against Violence Against Women, Women in Law and Development in Africa (WILDAF), and the AWID (Association of Women and Development). The mothers’ forums are members of Mothers International Network for Empowerment (MINE).
