Ethiopia today is a study in startling contrasts.  

On the one hand, it is struggling with persistent poverty —the per capita GDP is only $936 (PPP $2,432)—and its economy remains heavily dependent on agriculture. Over the past year and a half, the devastating conflict in the north has inflicted a severe toll on the entire country.  

On the other hand, Ethiopia is also a country of enormous potential. Ethiopia’s assets include:

• Until very recently, an economy with some of the highest growth rates in the world

• Compelling demographics—its population of over 114 million is the second largest on the continent, and the median age is just 19

• A geopolitically significant location in the Horn of Africa

• Reform-minded leadership that has expressed openness to broad economic change

• Leadership that recognizes the need for education reform and is supportive of Haile-Manas Academy as a model school

Building on Rock- Solid Foundations  

Ethiopia has always held great promise. With a rich history as an independent nation that can be traced back to the 8th century BC, it is a continental and regional leader that is home to the African Union. Its population comprises a great diversity of peoples, cultures and religions, and it has the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites on the continent, including the stone obelisks of Axum, the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, the historic walled city of Harar and the cultural landscapes of Konso.