”My life has changed in a way that is difficult to believe”

Forty-two-year-old Abebech Setegn lives in Chancho town with her four children. Two of her four sons are beneficiaries of ISHDO’s CFTC Project.

“When I became sick four years ago, I often visited a nearby clinic for medical treatment. The doctors couldn’t identify my illness, but they gave me various medications before I underwent HIV testing. After getting tested I learned that I am HIV positive. I suffered a lot from my sickness and my children went without food for days. My eldest son who was ten years old began to wash cars and my second son who was seven started to work as a messenger boy in the neighborhood. The remaining two children and I lived on the support of my eldest sons and my neighbors.

Later, two things happened that renewed my hope. Two of my children were selected to receive support from the CFTC project. And over time my health improved as I started taking the Anti-retroviral treatment. With treatment I was finally able to work.

Once my sons enrolled with ISDHO, we were organized into a self-help group and awarded a loan to engage in trade or start a business.

I got a loan amounting to 2,200 birr from my group; in four years, my capital grew to 3000 birr. I began selling various commodities in the market such as coffee, incense sticks, matches, plastics bags and food items. As a result, I’m able to feed my family and I now possess some property. I have a cow, a calf, and chickens for breeding. I used to live in a one-room house with my four children, but now I have built two additional two rooms for my family and the animals. In fact, my life has changed in a way that is difficult to believe and I’m sure I will expand my business more.”

Abebech testifies that HIV/AIDS does not prevent one from realizing one’s dream. She is very thankful for the support ISHDO staff members have given her. However, she didn’t want to hide the challenging times she had undergone before she started benefiting from the project. She says: “The only regret that I have is that my eldest son dropped out of school because of my sickness. He does not want to resume school. He says he is too old to attend classes with students much younger than he is. I tried to convince him that age does not limit education. He doesn’t seem to be convinced, but I will do my best to convince him.”