My name is BizuneshTeklu. I am 38 years old single mom. I am a member of TesfabirhanSHG in Addis Ababa, Yeka sub city, Woreda 10 locally named Ankorcha area. I divorced with my husband 7 years ago and I live with my little sister. The saddening part is that the husband of my little sister also left her with two kids and disappeared. So, we struggled a lot to bring up our children and sustain life.
My family size is 8 i.e me & my sister, our four children and two children of extended family. Life was so miserable and difficult to feed, clothe and send these all children to school. I & my sister used to engage in daily labor work to get daily income for daily bread. My sister has went to Arab land several times for maid work and exposed to abuses to sustain the lives of the family One day community workers from RPC came to our vicinity and mobilized all the residents to orient about self-help group concept. I was one among the women who strongly resisted the community workers. Because, although our vicinity is “so called” Addis Ababa, it is totally rural area which lack basic infrastructures including road, tap water, school and so forth. Many NGOs have come to our vicinity and conducted numerous studies.
However, none of them have get back to support the community. So, we categorized RPC among these NGOs and strongly rejected the community workers. We literally said to them “you need us only for your study. You do nothing to our community. Please leave us don’t bother us. Our life by itself is bothering us much.” The very amazing part was that the community workers were very tolerant. They keep on coming each week with perseverance and consult us on how to come out of poverty. Then they formed 4 SHGs. My group Tesfabirhan was among them. I was hopeless before joining my group. Life was desperate for me and my diligent little sister. Once I become member of my group, we started weekly savings and discussions on personal and social issues. On weekly meetings, the community facilitators used to tell us stories of women like us those lives were transformed and the stories used to inspire us a lot. Then we took several trainings where my attitude started to change. I got back the courage for life and said to myself ‘I can work!’ ‘I can change my family!’
It was amazing for me to think like this and when my group started giving loan for members, I got the first loan amount of 1,200.00ETB and opened a very small shop on my gate. I worked diligently and repaid my loan and got second round loan amount of 1,000.00ETB to expand my shop business and added vegetables, charcoal, bread and the like. Today, my shop’s capital is estimated to be 11,000.00ETB. My sister also became a group member and engaged on tea-coffee preparation business. Our life started to take-off!!! Praise God!
I actively engage in all activities related to my SHG and I am happy with that. This opened another door of opportunity. In March 2020 RPC announced for recruitment of community facilitator for the vacant post and gave prior opportunity for competent SHG members. I applied for the post. I attended written exam and interview and finally won for the position. I got employed by RPC. I was super excited! I didn’t believe that I competed and won for employment because after I divorced with my husband, I used to feel like a paralyzed person and totally lost appetite for life let alone competing and wining for job. So, it created a new paradigm for my life! RPC gave me a rebirth. I am now a new woman.
Now, my shop is expanded and the business is diversified. We strongly work with my sister with full cooperation. I have reached so many vulnerable women and established 12 SHGs and managing them very well. Today, my family members do not lack food, cloth and the students are able to attend their school. Our life is totally changed. We are happy family today! God bless all those became the reason for the smile my family and my children.
