Yewag Beyene is a 31-year-old woman living in Sekota Town, Wag Himra Zone. She is a mother of twin children and lives with her younger sister, who supports her as a caregiver. Yewag’s family has been living in extreme poverty, struggling to meet even the most basic needs. At times, she was unable to afford bread for her children.
The father of her children, a soldier, lost his life during the conflict, leaving Yewag as the sole provider for her family. The loss not only brought emotional hardship but also deepened her economic vulnerability.
Before giving birth to her twins, Yewag was engaged in small business activities. However, after their birth, she was forced to stop working due to caregiving responsibilities. With no stable income, she relied only on whatever limited resources she had, which quickly became insufficient.
Yewag’s situation became so critical that there were days she hesitated to return home, as she had no food to provide for her children.
Her life began to change when she was selected by the community committee as a participant in an Income Generating Activity (IGA) supported by Save the Children through the project titled “Joint Force for Food Security and Child Protection in Emergency.” In addition, she was given the opportunity to attend financial literacy training, which significantly improved her knowledge and skills in managing money and making informed financial decisions.
“There were days I feared going home because I had nothing to feed my children.”
My name is Yewag Beyene. I am a 31-year-old woman living in Sekota Town with my twin children and my younger sister. The father of my children was a soldier who died during the conflict, leaving me alone to care for my family.
Life became extremely difficult. I had no income and struggled every day to feed my children. I lived under constant stress, crying day and night, feeling that I was not lucky and had no hope for the future.
Everything began to change when I joined the Income Generating Activity (IGA) and received financial literacy training. Through this support, I gained knowledge, confidence, and a new vision for my life. Today, I have started earning an income and can provide basic food, like bread, for my children. I feel hopeful again and believe in a better future. My younger sister, who had dropped out of school due to our poverty, has now resumed her education.
After the financial literacy training, I shared the best experiences I learned from other participants who had faced many personal challenges. I also encouraged other participants to learn from my own life experience. Before the training, I believed that I was not a lucky woman, and I saw my children as a burden. I felt that the challenges I was facing were unique and not experienced by other women. However, during the five days of training, I began to feel relief from my stress and became hopeful about my future. I developed the confidence to start a small business with the support provided by the project.
I selected a small business focused on tea and coffee. With the support of professionals, I prepared a business plan. After receiving the startup capital from the project, I immediately started my business. As a result, I am now able to provide food and basic needs for my children. My younger sister, who had dropped out of school due to poverty, has now resumed her education.
In addition, the project supported me, my sister, and my twins with dignity kits and non-food items (NFI). Overall, the financial literacy training, income-generating activity (IGA) startup capital, dignity kits, and NFI support have enabled my family to lead a more stable and hopeful life.
This publication was produced with the financial support of the German Humanitarian Assistance
Its contents are the sole responsibility of Joining Forces and do not necessarily reflect the views of the German Humanitarian Assistance.