A total of 14 team members got to know each other and agreed on a timeline and distribution of responsibilities for the first year of the project. Interests and capacities of all participants were assessed and linked in order to structure meaningful teaching exchanges. Further sources of capacity building were established, including a workshop on qualitative research methods and an assessment of the needs for further (university based) training of Ethiopian community based rehabilitation workers. In addition, key issues addressed were financial matters, communication and dissemination strategies, as well as the need to make special efforts in evaluating the situation of female students with disabilities.