A humble donkey library bringing books to small children in Ethiopia is set to be a casualty of Australia's $11.3 billion overall cuts to foreign aid.
The mobile library on the outskirts of is Addis Ababa is part of an Australian-funded Plan International child development project helping 1572 children.
The six-year project will now end three years early, despite hopes it would be scaled up to reach more than 4000 children in the next two years.
The federal government has slashed the aid program to Africa by 70 per cent as part of a $1 billion cut this financial year.
As a result Plan has been left with a $990,000 shortfall and must close down the project next year.
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It has been working with families living on $2 a day or less, to improve the health, nutrition, vaccination and sanitation access of kids under five and help get them ready for school with early learning activities.
Labor opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek visited the donkey library project this week while in Ethiopia for a United Nations conference on financing for development.
She said the project's closure was heartbreaking.
"The donkeys are all decorated in colourful pompoms and embroidered blankets and they open up the sides of the cart and there's books written in the local dialect - traditional stories that the grandparents have told that are illustrated by other children," she told AAP on the phone from Addis Ababa.
"These are kids who couldn't afford books in their home."
Labor faced a huge challenge to repair the aid program if it wins government, she said.
The opposition was committed to the UN target for developed countries to give 0.7 per cent of national income as aid.
Plan International Australia director Dave Husy said Africa is home to at least 18 of the world's poorest countries and deserved Australian support.
Comment was being sought from Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.
