Meet Birtukan. She has two children, Kibrom and Fikir. The family lives in a small one-room house without enough space for the family to sleep. When Birtukan joined Addis Jemari’s Family Empowerment Program (FEP), her children slept on the one bed that the family owned and Birtukan slept on the floor. Now a mattress has been provided to each family in FEP, thus improving Birtukan’s sleeping situation.
Working as a cleaner at a factory, Birtukan earns 1300 birr ($40 USD) per month. But this income covers house rent only. AJ’s monthly financial support is crucial in reducing the vulnerability of the family by allowing Birtukan to put food on the table and send her children to school. Birtukan said, “The income I used to make before joining the organization was not enough even to cover house rent. I have been able to change many things because of the support I am receiving from you.̏
The COVID-19 emergency aid the family received in 2020 was lifesaving. As our social worker who recently visited the family reported, the children are now getting three meals a day and this is improving the family’s overall health and increasing the focus children are able to give to school.
Kibrom and Fikir are 10th and 7th graders, respectively. Fikir is doing well in her school, but she is still burdened with the responsibility of supporting her mother at home and in selling snacks that her mother prepares to make additional income. AJ is currently working with Birtukan to create an increased and sustainable means of income for the family, which will offset the work load Fikir is carrying. A household that makes a sustainable income has a better chance of meeting its needs and responding to risks.
Help us make a difference in the life of a family like Birtukan’s! There are several sponsorships that are geared to our Family Empowerment Program, such as Education for $25/month, Healthcare and Nutrition sponsorship for $42/month and a Family Empowerment Program Sponsorship for $60/month. Will you pray about coming alongside us in this way? www.addisjemari.org/sponsorship