Three years ago, at our 2019 Night of New Beginnings, we shared about Hermela.
At the time, she lived in a small shelter made of wood and plastic with her sons, Abel and Tsegaye. She struggled to put food on the table for her children.
Soon after we met her, Hermela and her boys became a part of our Family Empowerment Program (FEP).
As a part of FEP, Hermela engaged in our Income Generating Activity (IGA) training, which involves starting a small business to generate household income.
Through the IGA process, Hermela…
- Started receiving a monthly stipend to cover her basic expenses.
- Set up a savings account and started saving 20%.
- Received training on how to create and manage a small business.
- Worked with AJ social workers to identify a business idea that matched her skills.
- Received a grant to help her start her small business.
- Continues to receive ongoing support, helping her to monitor the health of her business.
With the support of people like you, Hermela was able to open a tailor shop for women’s clothing. She purchased the necessary equipment such as a sewing machine, an iron press, an edge tool, and scissors to open her shop.
During the first few weeks of her business, she made an average of 80 birr per day, which is around 1,920 birr (40 USD) per month. Hermela said, “This covers the expense of my household and it has the opportunity to soon make me economically independent.”
This is just the beginning, and we are hopeful that Hermela’s business will continue to grow and her income will continue to increase.
Hermela also said, “God has his own way to visit people, and I believe it is through this organization that God came to visit me.”
The future is looking bright for Hermela and her two children, and people like you can continue to help women like her reach this point in their lives!