Community Engagement is one of EGST strategic pillars together with academic teaching and research intended to achieve a more impactful outcome. The EGST Community Engagement Program enables EGST to be holistic in its services. The school will base its engagement with local, national and international communities through student practicum engagement, community outreach projects and capacity building partnerships in relation to the academic sphere and efforts to address various pressing needs of the church and society in connection to EGST’s mission.
Our efforts in Community Engagement Programme create opportunities for faculty, staff, students, and the broader community to contribute and enhance local capacity. As an educational institution, EGST leverages its research and teaching-learning capabilities to support the church and society in Ethiopia and beyond, collaborating with professional colleagues, students, partner churches, civil society, government, and others to tackle both local and global challenges.
The Community Engagement Programme serves as a pivotal initiative aimed at enhancing the skills and competencies of church leaders and the wider community to address pressing community issues effectively. The overarching purpose of the programme is to cultivate the resilience of church and society through tailored training, engagement strategies, and collaborative efforts.
As indicated in the Strategic Plan (SP) document of the 2021-2025, the fourth strategic pillar is Community Engagement which is intended to encompass the interaction between EGST and the wider society. The implementation of this pillar enables the school to be holistic in its services. Since its beginning, EGST’s Community Engagement has progressively evolved over the years and takes its present name Community Engagement Programme from the previous Projects and Community outreach services. It is an outgrowth of different projects including Capacity Building, Master Program in Development Studies (MADevS), Church Leaders Training Project (CLTP), Maternal and New-born Child Health Projects (MNCH), and Peace Actors Development Project. The Strategic Pillar for 2021-2025 is managed by the Development and Communications Department, which currently evolved to Community Engagement Programme office.
The current areas of engagement for the EGST Community Engagement Programme include:
Church Leaders Training Project is one of EGST’s community engagement strategies aimed at enhancing the skills and capacities of churches and their leader, especially to address pressing community issues and challenges related to gender justice, holistic youth development, celebrating family, biblical peace building, and similar areas. In recent years, more than 600 key local and fellowship level church leaders have been trained and graduated, and has become agents of change within their respective congregations and communities. This initiative will continue to grow and expand to other regions, churches, fellowships, denominations, and community leaders in the coming years.
Working Areas
The Church Leaders Training Project functions within the Oromia region, specifically in the towns of Adama, Holeta, and Weliso, as well as in the Central Ethiopia Regional State, including Butajira and Hossana. At present, the project’s operations are extending into the Amhara Region, particularly in Bahir Dar.
The Maternal and Newborn Child Health (MNCH) project is another key component of EGST’s Community Engagement Programme, with a primary focus on capacity development to improve the health and well-being of pregnant and lactating mothers and their newborns. The core of this initiative is the Mentor Mother Model is implemented, which is a community-based approach that has successfully increased the use of healthcare services by women and children.
To improve the maternal and newborn child health, the Mentor Mother project closely works with the government health structure called health extension workers (HEWs) and women health development army (WHDA). The MNCH project is committed to equipping communities with the knowledge and skills they need to drive lasting change. It provides extensive awareness and capacity building trainings for Health Extension Workers (HEWs), WHDA members, Faith leaders, Community influencers and groups.
The capacity development activities focus on maternal health (ANC, PNC, and Delivery) and child health (Breastfeeding, Immunization and Nutrition). Additionally, the project works to increase awareness on gender and gender-based violence. By empowering these key community actors, MNCH helps ensure that health knowledge and supportive practices reach every household.
Where We Work
The MNCH project operates in Holeta and Sendafa Town Administrations in Oromia Regional State. In partnership with World Vision Ethiopia, EGST has also implemented the Channels of Hope (CoH) MNCH project in 15 Area Programs across Addis Ababa, Oromia, and the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR).
The EGST Training and Capacity Building Project (TCBP) represents a vital element of the Programme, concentrating on building the capacity of faith leaders and fostering initiatives aimed at promoting religious peace-building. Build the capacity of faith leaders in mediation, conflict resolution, interfaith dialogue, and community peacebuilding; leverage their influence to promote social cohesion, tolerance, and development.
Working Areas
The project is currently active in the Sidam region, specifically in Hawasa, as well as in the Oromia region in Adama. At present, operations are being extended to the Amahara and Tigray regions.
The other component of the EGST Community Engagement Programme, which serves as the essential component, is the Student Practicum Program. Students at EGST are consistently getting engaged with various institutions, including churches, NGOs, public offices, para-church organizations, and community-based organizations through practicum program. The Practicum course requires students to undertake practical work on issues relevant to their areas of interest such as gender, health, peace, and community development. Students are expected to apply the theories, principles and tools covered in the courses to the real life situations of the community problems. This program enables students to transform theoretical knowledge into practical application while also enhancing their skills as researchers, trainers, counselors, and practitioners.
Following the evolution of MADevS Program to a fully-fledged Department of Holistic Development (DoHD) with three areas of specialization: Gender and Theology; Community Development and Theology and Peace and Sustainable Development, the exiting Center for Environmental Stewardship and Holisitc Development (CESHoD) has also evolved to a Center for Environment, Peace and Development (CEPaD) in line with the desire, by the new Department, to embrace peace as one of its core areas of teaching, research and community engagement. The Center is specifically expected to make significant contribution to the Department’s efforts to produce peace makers and community development mangers and practitioners of excellence in Ethiopia through relevant research and capacity building.
EGST is committed to integrating academic pursuit with community engagement to achieve a more impactful outcome. In this endeavor, the Centre for Environment, Peace, and Development (CEPaD) serves as an additional tool for community engagement under the Department of Hoistic Development (DoHD), aimed at improving the integration of community engagement with academia. The center also organizes the Network of Southern Ethiopia Colleges of Education and Network of Theological Institutions (TIs) on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Five public teacher education colleges and other four theological seminaries in (SNNPR) are working closely with EGST on Education for Sustainable Development. This is implemented by EGST Centre for Environment, Peace, and Development, CEPaD).
EGST’s Community Engagement Programme is currently implementing various initiatives across regions, including Oromia, Sidama, the South West Ethiopia, and the Central Ethiopia Region. Recently, in 2025, we have commenced the expansion of our community engagement efforts into the Tigray and Amhara regions.