Changing Lives Through Work

Income-Generating Activities in Ethiopia

MAY 2009 — Recognizing the need for expanded livelihood opportunities for Ethiopian mothers and other women affected by HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty, Family Health International (FHI) has been implementing the Household Economic Strengthening (HES) project since 2004, offering families a chance to learn new skills, produce quality goods, gain access to markets, and become economically independent.

Funded by the Royal Netherlands Embassy and implemented by FHI, the project has made vocational training and income-generating activities key components. FHI is partnering with two local organizations in Addis Ababa—Beza le Hiwot and Wogen Aden—to manage income-generating programs and develop criteria for selecting participants. Most are poor women with no fixed income or other reliable means of support; most are also single mothers or young women responsible for siblings in households where there is no other adult.

Working with the local organizations, FHI developed a nine-month, intensive training course in sewing and embroidery, and design, quality, and marketing skills. The training takes place in the context of wider care and support, with FHI facilitating links with referral networks to ensure trainees have access to literacy, education, and nutritional support for themselves and their children.
 
Working Together
Graduates of the training course are offered the opportunity to form a women's support group and be supported in producing items for sale. On average, each support group has six members who work together to produce their goods. FHI and the local organizations give each group a different set of products to prevent direct competition.

More than three-fourths of graduates are now working or earning a wage, and almost half have joined a women's support group. The women are now gaining incomes higher than that of many Ethiopian government employees. As one graduate reports, "Before, I was gloomy and hopeless thinking of the fate of my children. We were so poor, I didn't know how we were going to survive. My friends and neighbors can't believe what I earn now, and my children are all at school. I have really changed my life through work." 

The support groups provide products to two shops in Addis Ababa and at least two monthly craft fairs in the city. Supply has not been able to meet demand, indicating a large potential local market for quality handicrafts—and for more women's support groups. FHI has begun preparations to begin income generation programs with a third organization in Addis Ababa and one in Nekemte.
 
Creating a Long-Term Vision
In addition to providing assistance in product development and design, marketing, and sales, FHI is committed to helping support group members acquire other needed skills. Some participants, for example, have low self-esteem that contributes to non-productive behavior. Abaynesh Biru, a senior technical officer in FHI's Ethiopia office, explains: "Most…have no experience of working or being part of a team. They are not used to being managers or being managed." In response, FHI supported workshops to help the women learn to communicate with each other more effectively and find solutions to their problems.
 
FHI has supported each local organization to recruit an income generation officer, who is responsible for implementing all aspects of the project. Efforts are also underway to assist several women's support groups to establish a registered cooperative that can work independently, select new members for training, and guarantee graduates jobs. The cooperative would also be responsible for identifying new markets and monitoring product quality.
 
Moving families from absolute poverty to economic independence is a challenging goal, but the potential for long-term success is clear. In the words of Tafessu Gemechu, 34, graduate of the first Beza le Hiwot course and a support group member: "My family and friends told me we'd never make money selling silly items like children's toys. …But then I went to the monthly craft bazaar and saw how many people were buying the toys and didn't even question the price! I was shocked, but then realized we were making something very valuable."
 
PHOTO: (Top) Abiyot Desalegn (center, seated) is part of a women's support group that displays and sells their products at the monthly NGO bazaar in Addis Ababa and Enmar Alehegn (right) is an IGA officer. (Bottom) A woman sews a handbag as part of FHI's income-generating activities in Addis Ababa. (Photos by Francesca Stuer, top, and Ren Kolka, bottom)