Income Generation for 5,000 Poor Ethiopian Women

Global Giving Income-Generating Activities Program

Report on activities between September – December 2011

NEW GG IGA BENEFICIARIES

Over the last four months, Pathfinder International, with support from GlobalGiving, has provided six new women with support for income-generating activities.

1. Yeshareg Abate                                Yeka sub-city                     August 2011       
2. Aylush Denbel                                   Yeka sub-city                     August 2011                      
3. Worknesh Teshome                         Yeka sub-city                     August 2011
4. Tsige Mekonnen                               Yeka sub-city                     August 2011
5. Meriem Kemal                                   Arada sub-city                   November 2011
6. Emebet Abebe                                  Arada sub-city                   November 2011

As a sustainability strategy, the newly selected IGA beneficiaries have been linked to a microfinance office within their respective district administration. This network enables the beneficiaries to receive legal status for their businesses, training and loan services, and assists them in securing work space. Below, please find brief profiles for the six new beneficiaries of the income-generating activities program in Ethiopia.

Yeshareg Abate lives in Yeka sub-city, Woreda 9 and is a single mother with one daughter. She was working as a daily laborer to feed her baby and herself, but through this, did not earn enough money to buy a daily meal. Since receiving the GlobalGIving IGA program support, Yeshareg has started her own business, baking and selling Enjera. She says, “I am very grateful for the GlobalGiving support, now I feel self secured, with this business I can support my family and feed my child properly.”

Aylush Denbel is from Yeka sub-city, Woreda 9. She has a diploma in hotel management, and has embroidery skills. Aylush is a single mother of one daughter. She is educated and has business knowledge and ambition like baking and selling Enjera (local bread), but due to financial issues is unable to work and support her family. Thus, after assessing her problem, the Yeka sub-city women’s association recommended her to the AAWA executive committee to become a beneficiary of the GlobalGiving IGA assistance program.  After receiving the GlobalGiving IGA support, she started working on a small business, baking and selling Enjera bread and she also prepares embroidery products in her spare time.

Worknesh Teshome is from Yeka sub-city, Woreda 13. Her husband abandoned her and their two children, leaving Worknesh with no support. She was working as house maid to support her family; however she makes very little money in this work and cannot properly feed her family. As a result of the GlobalGiving support, Worknesh has no now started a small business baking and selling Enjera bread in order to sufficiently feed and care for her family.

Tsige Mokenen is from Yeka sub-city, Woreda 13. Her husband recently died and she is now the sole supporter for her three children. As a daily laborer, she makes a very small amount of money and is unable to feed her three children and herself.

Though Tsige strongly believes that baking and selling Enjera bread would be productive and profitable work, she had insufficient funds to start the business. The sub-city women’s association reviewed Tsige’s application, assessed the extent of her problems, and as a result, recommended her for the GlobalGiving IGA program support, which was approved by the AAWA executive committee. After receiving the financial support, she started a small business of preparing and selling Enjera as she had hoped.

Merima kemal lives in Arada sub-city, Woreda 7. She has limited education, as she stopped going to school in 9^th grade.  She is widowed and has two daughters and one son who all attend school. However, as a single mother and housewife, supporting her family is extremely difficult. She has the desire and drive to work, but has lacked sufficient funds to run any kind of business. As a result, she was provided with a seed grant from GlobalGiving to start up a small business. She is now running a poultry business with her friend who has also received the GlobalGiving support. She is extremely pleased with the GlobalGiving financial support as it enabled her to start a business and in turn change her life and the lives of her children.

Emebet Abebe lives in Arada sub-city, Woreda 7. She also stopped going to school in 9^th grade, so has limited professional skills. She is a divorced and has 2 daughters and one son, all of whom attend school. As she had no income and no one else to help support her children, it was incredibly difficult for her to properly feed and educate her children. As a result, the sub-city women’s association recommended her for the GlobalGiving seed grant. After receiving the support, Emebet started a small business running poultry in collaboration with Merima Kemal, another GlobalGiving beneficiary. Emebet said, “I am very much delighted and grateful for the GlobalGiving seed grant support, and I am confident enough that, I would work hard, so as to bring a change in my future life and properly educate my children.” 

• GG_IGA_report_12_29_11.doc (DOC)

GLOBAL GIVING IGA PROJECT Update

Introduction

Pathfinder International’s recruitment committee in Ethiopia selected the four women below to support them in starting income-generating activities (IGA) in the last quarter. All IGA beneficiary women were given seed money to start small businesses.  

Profile of current IGA beneficiaries

1. Ayahulush Dembel is living in Yeka sub-city, Woreda 9. She has a diploma in hotel management, and also has embroidery skills. Her husband left her and her daughter with no income.

Ayahulush is compelled to find ways to support her family, and is interested in baking and selling enjera (local bread). Due to lack of funds, she has been unable to start this business. As a result, the Yeka sub- city women’s association recommended her to the Addis Ababa Women’s Association (AAWA) executive committee as a prospective Global Giving beneficiary of IGA funds. After being approved as a beneficiary, Ayahulush received seed money from Global Giving and started her small business, selling enjera and making embroidery products to sell in her spare time.

2. Tsige Mokenen is living at Yeka sub-city Woreda 13 and is a daily laborer. She does not have a steady job. Her husband died recently, leaving their 3 children with no support. Tsige holds the burden of caring for her family, and without an income she could not feed her children and herself. Even with the courage to start a small business she did not have the finances to start a profitable business. 

The sub-city women’s association understood her problem and recommended her to the Global Giving project. Thus, the AAWA executive committee considered her problem, and provided her with Global Giving IGA seed money.  These funds gave Tsige the courage and support to start a business with great enthusiasm.

3.  Worknesh Teshome is living in Yeka sub-city Woreda 13. She has 2 children, and her husband left the family to go to the rural area and left Worknesh and her children with no support.

She currently has the sole responsibility to care for and support her 2 children. With no income, it is very hard for them to get even a daily meal. Worknesh tried to support her family by working as a house maid, but the money she earned was not sufficient to feed her children. Very discouraged, she then applied to be considered for Global Giving IGA support. Worknesh received the IGA support and has since started baking and selling enjera as a means to provide for her family. She is extremely grateful for the Global Giving support; these funds have changed her life.

4. Yeshareg Abate is living in Yeka sub-city Woreda 9. She has a baby and her husband left her. Yeshareg worked as a daily laborer roaming from place to place trying to find work. This work was not consistent, so Yeshareg felt insecure. She did not have sufficient funds to live, struggles to survive, and cannot feed her child. She hoped to prepare and sell enjera, but did not have the funds to support starting this business. The sub-city women’s association recommended her for the Global Giving IGA support. Yeshareg was approved and now receives seed money to start her desired business, and finally support herself and her baby. 

• IGA beneficiaries (DOC)

GLOBAL GIVING IGA PROJECT Update

Over the life of this project, About 109,370.00 birr seed money has been distributed for a total of 58 IGA beneficiary women.

Please see attached word document for full report and details on new beneficiaries.

New beneficiaries assisted during the reporting period:

1.      Woinshet Addis                

2.      Kassech tadesse

3.      Bizuayehu Tilahun

4.      Tsehay Deboch

5.      Tseah Hailu

6.      Meaza Mengistu

7.      Tsige Hilawi

The new selected IGA beneficiaries are linked to their respective district administration microfinance office. Through this connection, they get legal status for their business in order to access:

·        Training and loan services

·        Secured workplace and other relevant support like market assessment services, which is crucial for the sustainability of their business.

NEW IGA BENEFICIARIES PROFILE

1.                 Buzayehu Tilahun is living in Addis Ababa, kolfe sub city, woreda 9. She is a widow and living with her 3 children. Buzayehu is able to send only 2 of her children to school and one of her children dropped out to help in the household. Buzayehu used to prepare and sell Enjera, but because of financial problems she stopped her business. Hence, the sub-city women’s association identified her problem, and nominated her to get the GlobalGiving grant to run her former business again. Buzayehu is very pleased to restart and run her business again; she is very grateful for the GlobalGiving generosity, she said “now I can work and will properly feed my children and send them all to school.” 

2.                Kasech Tadesse is living in Addis Ababa, kolfe sub city woreda 8. She has 4 children, 3 of whom are male. Her husband tries to send 3 of their children to school, but his salary is very low. Kasech tries to support her family through small business, preparing and selling homemade food items, but stopped due to a shortage of finances and family problems. Thus, the sub city women officials recommended her for the GlobalGiving fund, and she has started working her previous income generating activity again.

3.                 Woinshet Aragaw is living at Kolfe sub-city, woreda 1. She has 5 female children, 3 of whom are attending school and the rest of whom are left at home because she is unable to afford schooling for all 5 children. Woinshet is a widow and is working as a house maid to support her family. Woinshet had a small business, selling vegetables and fruits, but stopped due to lack of finances. As a result, the sub- city women association executive committee chose her to be a recipient of the GlobalGiving income generating activity grant.

4.                Tsehay Deboch lives in Gulele sub-city, woreda 8. Her husband is pensioned and they have 5 female and 3 male children. Because of their economic problem they send only four of their children to school. Tsehay used to sell food and tea, but as a result of financial struggles, she is unable to run her business. Her family faced problem to the extent that they have no daily meal properly. As a result of this, the sub city women’s association selected her to receive the Global Giving seed grant. She is very happy and promised to continue her former business effectively and be able to support her whole family and send all of her children to school.

5.                Tsehay Hailu is living at Gulele sub-city, Woreda 7. She is a widow and has 6 children 2 of whom are attending school. She cannot afford the school fees and materials for the other 4 children.  Thus, she is given the GlobalGiving seed grant to be able to support herself and her family. After getting the GlobalGiving fund support, Tsehay is effectively working on food preparation organized with her 3 friends who are engaged in the same small income generating business.

6.                Meaza Birhane lives in Gulele sub-city. Her husband is pensioned and does not have a job. They have 9 children, 3 of whom are attending school and the rest could not go to school because they cannot afford to send them all. As a result of this, the sub city women’s association selected her to get the GlobalGiving grant as seed money to enable her to run small income generating activities, and be able to support herself and her family. After receiving the grant support, Meaza is organized in a group with her friends and engaged in preparing food and tea.

7.                Tisige Hilawe lives at Gulele, woreda 8, she is a widow and living with her child. She makes a small amount of money by making embroidery and selling food items, but the income she receives from this business in not enough for her living, moreover she faced financial problem and was challenged to continue her business. Therefore, the sub city women’s association realized her problem and selected her to get the Global Giving grant. After receiving the seed money, Tisige became a member of an organized group that is engaged in similar small scale income generating activities preparing food and tea and sells these items to the surrounding community and needy people.

• IGA Beneficiaries Full Update and Photos (DOC)