We operate as an Ethiopian social enterprise business complying with all laws and paying all necessary business taxes but what sets Arakele apart is our sponsorship of students and providing discounted tuition. We provide scholarship training to students from a diverse range of backgrounds, students (primarily women) eager to learn a marketable skill but who lack the funds to take the training.
In addition to Arakele sponsoring students, we work with local and international organisations which also sponsor students through Arakele. As a social enterprise, our mission is to help every student reach his or her potential and to succeed; if a student fails their Certificate of Competence exam (CoC), we give them another chance at their own pace to retake the exam and offer the necessary extra tuition required to help them pass.
Arakele also offers tuition to fees paying students as our way to keep Arakele sustainable (pay for staff salaries, school running costs and machine maintenance). All profit generated by Arakele after running costs is regenerated into the business providing additional scholarships.
Upon course completion and graduation we endeavor to link graduates with employment. After graduation some students go on to work for textile companies that they have spent time with – as part of work experience through Arakele. Many students also choose to start their own businesses. In addition, as a social enterprise, if any non teaching staff member wishes to learn to sew/design, we enable this for them at no charge as a way for our employees to expand their skills.
In 2020-2021 during the global pandemic , Arakele was able to keep all its employees actively engaged and employed even when classes had to close, with production of reusable face masks and hospital gowns.
In 2022 we reacted to a need for girls to receive reusable sanitary pads and began mass production of Period Pad kits and distribution to girls in need…. Using a reusable (easy to wash and quick to dry) pad is also better for the environment.
Although the government is now providing all government school children with uniforms, many families/guardians had been unable to afford to pay for uniforms and we were pleased to produce and donate multiple uniforms to school children in need…. A school uniform is sometimes worn all week for the poorest students…..
PROJECT PENCIL CASE 