Before joining our Family Empowerment Program (FEP), Assegedech said she always prayed for success but continued to find herself in a position where she and her husband could not even provide pairs of shoes for their three children, who are all under eight years old.
Shortly after joining the Family Empowerment Program, Assegedech worked at the FEP Center for a short time as a cook. She then embarked on an integral part of FEP — Income Generating Activity (IGA) training, which includes classes, resources, and interventions to help families increase their household income and become self-reliant.
Combined with her background as a cook and the financial literacy training she received through Addis Jemari, she gained skills related to budgeting, maintaining cleanliness, and cooking nutritious meals.
At the end of last year, Assegedech completed all phases of the IGA training. Equipped with resources provided by generous 2021 Giving Tuesday donations, she and her husband launched a new fast-food business.
In recent days, the AJ team recently made a field visit to check on the progress of Assegedech’s new venture. Her kiosk-style restaurant is located close to her residence on a small plot of land that has been provided rent-free by the local government. The proximity of her workplace to her home is very convenient as it helps them to save time and money.
The visit was incredibly encouraging, as the team was able to see firsthand the hard work and determination of Assegedech and her husband, as they lift themselves out of poverty.
To get this business off the ground, the family used IGA seed funding, along with money they saved from the monthly stipend provided by Addis Jemari to the family over the past few years, which is all part of the FEP program.
With these funds, Assegedech purchased vital equipment and kitchen supplies needed to establish her business.
According to a recent social worker report, Assegedech is now able to sell approximately 260 sambusa (stuffed triangular pastries with lentils) daily, which provides an average of 3,750 birr ($75 USD) of net income each month (after covering her electric bill and other overhead expenses). In just three months, she was able to deposit 9,000 birr ($180 USD) into her savings account. This was more than she made last year alone!
Assegedech now has many customers and has found her business more profitable than she anticipated during the IGA planning stage. One of her long-term goals is to rent a small shop nearby, providing an improved workspace and the opportunity to increase the volume and quality of her product.
Assegedech told us that she always gives thanks and prayers for the work of AJ. She is grateful that she and her husband are no longer wondering where their next meal will come from. They are well on their way toward ending the cycle of generational poverty, and they now have plans to purchase their own home and are saving to do so now
None of this would be possible without the generosity of people like you.