Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, is a very large city made up of 10 sub-cities. In one of the sub-cities, Akaki-kality, Addis Jemari currently serves 50 families through our Family Empowerment Program (FEP).
Belaynesh, a mother of four, is one of our 50 families that we enrolled in FEP in January 2019.
Belaynesh lost her husband three years ago due to a post-surgery complication. The shock of loss and the challenge of raising children alone put Belaynesh into a crisis situation.
This is what Belaynesh said to us when explaining her experience of trauma and loss of her husband:
“I lost my husband suddenly. I had no hope of living after he died and I was under psychological pressure because of grief. The pressure began while my husband was sick. It then got worse and persisted after I lost him. I used to get a little calmer only when I went to the church. I did not go to any medical facility. When my husband died, I even thought about going to a monastery. But, I then said to myself, ‘What would I do about my children?’ I therefore had to continue to live for my children.”
Belaynesh’s husband was the breadwinner of the family and his death had put her and the children in a very vulnerable situation. It is when Belaynesh was in crisis that Addis Jemari stepped in to help her out. Belaynesh now says, “Addis Jemari is a very good organization and I am so happy by the support that I am being offered.”
The monthly financial support that AJ is providing has reduced the vulnerability of Belaynesh’s family. Thanks to our donors and supporters, Belaynesh currently does not have to worry about how to provide the essential needs of her children, including food and sending them to school.
Addis Jemari’s Family Empowerment approach enhances the capability of families to solve problems that exist due to poverty.
If you’d like to sponsor a Family Empowerment Program family, we’d be so grateful. For $60/month (that’s only $2 a day!!!), please sign up online at https://addisjemari.org/sponsorship/.