Raising income for 70 single Mom's living in slum

                                                                                                                                           May, 2023

This is a quarterly project report on raising income for 70 single mom’s living in slum area of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Report period from January –April, 2023

Dear our partner, thank you for your contribution in supporting us in changing other’s life!

Introduction

Yenegat Birhan Charity organization is an indigenous humanitarian organization that works on women empowerment, child education, and health since 2016. The main support areas includes supporting women in income generating activities, providing school materials and tutorial class with snack for school children and creating awareness on health related issues and cover  health care cost for those who are  in need of it.

Yengat Birhan works in Yeka sub city, Woreda 08 slums (Sholla local Market) for about six years after it has got the license. The focus of the organization is to reach marginalized families by supporting families especially single mothers who are struggling to support their children and child headed family (orphan) who lost their parents and become responsible for their younger siblings. The main support areas in the project is supporting women to engaged in income generating activities and to create awareness on some important social issues and to support them sending their children to school in a sustainable way.

On the reporting period, the organization was working in assisting a total of 64 mothers under Economic Empowerment since the remaining 12 stope participating with different challenges. It was to make changes in the mothers and on their families’ life mainly on the economic part, by assisting the women to engage in income generating activity so as to improve their families’ living standard. The project facilitated meetings of five self-help groups/ SHG (5 group, one group contained 13-20 women) for a total of 64 women, by using SHG approach as a women empowerment model. During their weekly meeting they also saved money in order to engage and improved their business.

• The project provided startup capital Birr 6,000 for 18 SHG members who took BBS for four half consecutive days on market study, customer handling, balancing expenditure and income, proper usage of resource and etc. Since that time, 12 of them have continued to operate their businesses, and 4 have started new ones. Individuals who already run a business continue doing so despite inflation. Individuals who launched their business with loans are unable to withstand inflation and rapidly rising product prices. Some of the members modified their original business strategy in consideration of the above reason and now are working within their financial means. One of them didn’t start her business because of her health condition. And the other one chose not to begin because of the rising cost of products and mentioned she is searching for any suitable option.

 We have been following –up them at their work places and they started returning the money back. And also, life skill training was provided for three half consecutive days on April for the 18 SHG members and it went well.

 In addition the project selected other 26 potential SHG for BBS training and filled format for their business plan. We are planning to provide the BBS training and start-up capital in the coming month.

As our main intervention area, YBCO is working on income generating activities to make a visible difference through introducing a sustainable community owned projects, strong partnership to its stake holders, building self-esteem among the mothers and equipping the mothers with basic skill trainings. Current national situation added up with inflation and rapid raising of product prices are making it difficult for them to withstand and improve their life. 

The following activities were accomplish in the reporting period under the women project

By using Self-help group /SHG approach as a women empowerment model. We facilitated and lead the following activities with 64 women with in five groups. One group contains in average 13 to 20 members. In all their discussion, Yengat Birhan’s community facilitator was there to help them in their challenges.

We performed the following activity on this quarter under this project:   

• Discussed on their varies problems and issue on weekly basses for one hour in their villages  
• Facilitated them to save weekly contribution from Birr 5 to Birr 20 in order to engage them in income generating activities
• Provided stat-up capital and BBS training
• Followed up women who started small business and who revised their business by using their loan and group savings.
• Providing life skill training for one SHG group
• Learning and discussing of the family need and related intervention is continuing, In the discussion, the project team is learned specific family need and further discuss the type of future intervention, how it will be implemented and expected role and responsibilities.
• Selecting 26 potential SHG for BBS training and filled format for their business plan
• Health education was provided for 64 mothers during their weekly meeting by facilitating the discussion and to learn each other on health issue by our staff member and it focused on non-communicable diseases. It was to create health seeking behaviors and to help them to go to health facilities by advising them to use government health facilities.
• We organized an Easter celebration for our students’ parents on April 2023. The purpose of celebrating the holyday was to have a get together day with the students’ parents, to discuss on different subjects and to create smooth and friendly environment. We discussed on different issues, served snacks with coffee, tea and soft drinks, and celebrated Easter together. They were very grateful and happy.

There are many more mothers who are struggling to raise and send their children to school in the slum areas of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Keep sharing Yengat Birhan for others so that we can involve more in changing other women’s life. 

With regard

Thank you again!

Meseret Tesfaye, Director

Yengat Birhan Charity Organization