“I have never and ever thought that I will be  self-dependent but everything is changed.”

Fikirte Ejigu is living in Cherecha kebele of Minjar Shenkora wereda. She is 26 years old. She has two children. Both of them are children with special need. She has also a sign of moderate mental disability.

Fikrte and her two children had been living with an old woman before six month. The old woman was not her relative; even though she has no any bad feeling in hosting them, Fikrte always felt discomfort because she     believes that she and her two children were additional burden for the family. She always thought that one day she will be self -reliant.

She started benefiting from YB-HVC program service.  She has been receiving different services like scholastic material, sanitation material etc. As she was enrolled in the program she was selected as Community Self-Help Saving Group (CSSG) she said,  ”My volunteer told me the importance of being a member of CSSG and he called me two times to participate on two trainings. Both trainings were important to me. I have got a lot of    lessons. Then after, ISAPSO gave us 410birr as individual matching fund & 1090 birr as group matching fund. The money was not given for me and the rest of my group members on cash rather it was registered on our pass book & deposited at Commercial Bank of Ethiopia.”

Fikrte has got a lesson from CSSG & ME-Selection, planning, and Management Trainings. She submitted  a  letter and business plan requesting a loan for her “Rucha Lelewt (Running for success)” Community Self-Help Saving group. Based on her request letter & plan, her group gave her the loan of birr 2000 as per her plan.

Fikrte started baking “Injera” and she took it to the nearby “Gulit” (village market) and started her business.

Fikrte said that “I Thank God! I have never ever thought that I will be self-dependent but everything is changed. I have started this business not more than four or five months, but you can see how much my life is changed. With the help of God, and if the market  stays as good as now; I hope my life will improve beyond this.”

Fikrte has left the house that she & her children  were living in before. Currently, she lives in a rented house.

She was not only telling us her success but also she told us her threat that she will face in the future. She said that,

“Even though I’m well at making my business and being self-reliant, economically self-dependent and to able to fed my children, I’M not sure about what will happen to my Children regarding to their health condition.”

She finally extended her heart felt gratitude to “ISAPSO” for its genuine assistance to her and her sons.

Fikrte and hersom
Sense of hope and empowerment