Meet Alemush! Alemush lives with her eight-year-old daughter, Fertuna. They share a one-room shelter, which she pays a monthly rent of 500 Birr ($17 USD).
When we first met Alemush, she was in great need of nutrition and medical care, as well as psychosocial support. Providing her psychosocial support was vital, as she had a chronic health problem.
After giving birth to her second child, Alemush was critically ill and was not able to breastfeed her child. This tragically caused Alemush to lose her child, due to chronic malnutrition.
Thanks to the support of our donors and monthly Family Empowerment Program sponsors, Alemush and her beautiful daughter Fertuna are now able to feed themselves properly and cover their essential needs.
Alemush said this of being part of the AJ Family, “I’m thankful to God that I was made part of Addis Jemari organization. The organization sees us as a family. After joining Addis Jemari, I have witnessed changes in my life. I’ve benefited a lot from the monthly stipend and the psychosocial support that I’ve received. I’ve also learned a lot of lessons from the various pieces of training.”
Before coming to Addis Jemari, Alemush used to lead her life by sporadically working as a cook in people’s houses and making beds. She also used to earn some income from selling roasted maize on the roadside. On a good day, she used to make 40 Birr ($1.40 USD). To support her economic struggle, her Woreda (district office) used to give her occasional material support and a community member used to cover her food costs.
AJ’s next plan is to closely work with Alemush and help her find a sustainable means of income to independently support her family.