“If we work hard despite the type of job, success is guaranteed.”

My name is Elifnesh and I was born in the western part of Ethiopia. Because I was born in a rural area, I don’t exactly know how old I am. My families didn’t care to send me to school since the society in that rural area didn’t believe that educating a girl benefits her or anyone in the community.

 I went to Addis Ababa to be able to financially support my family and got hired as a house maid and in 1978 , I married a guy I knew from the textile business I started and we started living together. I gave birth to eight children.  Even though, I raised my children with the support of my textile business and ‘Equb’ (a traditional scheme of saving money in a group) I failed to raise them properly and our living standard declined day by day.

 It was while I was in such a situation that I heard about WISE opening an office in my area. I looked for the office, got myself registered and took a business skill training. Although, my job didn’t reward me with the capital I needed, I believed the training I took would get me a better life and so dared to take a 500.00 birr ($50) loan to expand my textile business. I used to sit in the sun for the whole day and so built a plastic shield over my head. I gave back the money I took from the loan on schedule and took consecutive loans afterwards still keeping on paying the money within schedule so I became profitable.

I took eleven different trainings provided by WISE. The trainings I took not only thought me planning, saving and sharing job experience but also how to apply them in real life. Before I took the training, I was more of a spender than a saver. I spent huge amount of money to make my kids happy during the holidays especially well celebrated in my area and culture. But now I am leading and managing my life with well executed plan. Now I save more money to compensate for the years I spent much and use my savings to support my children who are now in universities. I also used to stay home during holidays but now do my job for profit. The marketing training I took from WISE made me an expert in treating my customers well which has contributed to my success and profit. Currently, I have taken a loan of birr 36,000 ($ 2000) in eight rounds and have saved 27,000 birr ($1500) in my account.

In the future, I plan to stick to my business and expand it further to have an even better life. My message to all unemployed women is “if you work hard regardless the type of work you do, you will definitly become successful and be able to live a better life.”

Women in Self Employment (WISE) is one of the four partner institutes of the African Centers of Excellence (ACE) for Women's Leadership program run by the Institute of International Education (IIE) , Ethiopia Office.

For more on IIE , ACE or WISE please follow the links below.

 www.iie.org/

www.iie.org/en/Programs/ACE-for-Womens-Leadership, 

www.wise.org.et/     

The Business I started with $5 …

My name is Hadera Ahmed and I came to Addis Ababa with my uncle when I was just four years old. Living with my uncle, I was never given the chance to go to school. Instead, I was busy helping his family with household chores.  When I got older, I left my uncle’s home and started working as a maid in a different household for $1 (10 birr) per month. I stayed at the same house for three years and when I got tired of being a maid, I started my own business of selling second hand clothes with a capital of $5 (50 birr).  A friend introduced me to my present husband while I was on this job and we got married and stated running our life with the money he earned and the money I got from the business.

Another friend advised me to expand my business; and I told her that I would only if I had the capital for it and that it would really help me if we form an “ekub” (a traditional rotation saving & credit scheme).  This was when she advised me to join Women in Self Employment (WISE) which didn’t take me much time to decide on.  I went to the office and talked to a staff.  After knowing the organization’s mission, I got registered as a member in 2007 and started saving.

Taking the basic business skills training offered at the organization, I learned a lot on how to manage time and money properly, how to save, plan business and implement the plan. The training opened up new ways for me leading to my success. 

I took the first round loan of $47 (700 birr) and started to sell different vegetables.  I paid back the loan in six months time and continued taking different levels of loans, increasing my savings and attaining more income.

 Recently, I took a loan of Birr $1,706 (30,700 .00 birr) and pay back $38 (680 birr) to my cooperative each week. My saving has now reached $722 (13,000 birr).  I was also able to purchase household furniture and equipments after I joined WISE and continue to support my family with the money I get from the business.

 I have seen a big change in my life. My husband and I continue to work hand-in-hand as I continue to do well in the business. Currently, I sell soft drinks, spring water, fruits etc in my shop.

Women in Self Employment (WISE) is one of the four partner institutes of the African Centers of Excellence (ACE) for Women's Leadership program run by the Institute of International Education (IIE) , Ethiopia Office.

For more on IIE , ACE or WISE please follow the links below.

 www.iie.org/

www.iie.org/en/Programs/ACE-for-Womens-Leadership, 

www.wise.org.et/     

THIS IS WHAT A FEMINIST LOOKS LIKE!

I am a feminist J and if you ask what most people I’ve interacted with think of me, top of mind would be “Assertive feminist”. From my adolescences I have constantly amazed people with my strong approach to feminism. Come to think of it, to be nobody but yourself – in a world that is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else – means to fight the hardest battle. I have been fighting my entire life and I got no intention of losing this battle.

I am a 3^rd born in a family of four and recently graduated from Maseno University with a degree in BSc. Actuarial Science with IT. I have had a longtime fascination with women rights affairs and this is reflected in my active participation, starting in primary school, all through high school and university in activities such as students governing council, peer education and inter-university nonviolence and peace keeping forums. As each new cause came along, I was ready to support it whole-heartedly. I realize that as I grew up, the world did help me develop, at an early age, a deep sense of concern for young women plight and a genuine desire to play an affirmative role.

In order to succeed in my endeavors as a leader, I realized that professional training and capacity building was essential. In June 2011, I saw a Call for Applications to the Annual Feminist Leadership Institute at YWLI on the internet and I applied. I was amongst the 25 successful applicants who attended the residential Leadership Institute Program by Young Women Leadership Institute, YWLI in Mombasa, Kenya. The Institute was designed to equip young women with feminist leadership skills and build strategies for harnessing young women’s collective power for social transformation in Kenya. It was a milestone for me in my women-rights activism as I got an opportunity to learn and appreciate our diversity and uniqueness in tackling the plight for African women. To start with, the Institute put great emphasis on leadership and personal empowerment skills that have greatly strengthened my ability to approach problems logically and systematically. The Institute used real life situations which helped me bridge the gap between abstract principles and reality. This interdisciplinary approach is essential in responding to young women problems today.

My calling in activism began as a program intern at I Choose Life – Africa, Nyanza Program – a leading SRH NGO. As a Program Intern, I led a team of Peer Educators in initiating sustainable behavior change communication programs in Maseno University. For instance, we founded the Blue Pink Association – BLUPIA that worked collaboratively with the Female Students Association of Maseno University (FESAMU). FESAMU’s overall goal was to create safe space where female students could articulate their views and vision on the women rights development agenda whereas BLUPIA hosted a dynamic network of young men and women who were committed to promote gender equality and equity by taking into consideration the differences in women and men’s lives and recognizing the different approaches targeting young women needed to produce outcomes that are equitable. In partnership with the Maseno University AIDS Control Unit and office of the dean of students, we ran several successful campaigns that involved door to door hostel visitations that sparked focus group discussions, hosting ‘Girls’ on the Block’ radio show on Equator FM and the #SITAKIMYA social media campaign. To date, I take pride in having these programs running sustainably notwithstanding that all founders have already graduated.

From my experiences, I have learnt how I want to shape my future. My goals are clear: I want to be actively involved in developing and advocating for policy decisions that will benefit young women in my society. I want to unveil the objective truth of young women problems and tackle them to the best interests of the nation. I aspire to seek justice and bring to a halt all forms of sexism that undermine women while developing alternative visions for a just world.

In conclusion, feminism as a philosophy has a good deal to offer both men and women and there is great need to debunk the myths surrounding it. Africa is bubbling with opportunities in this “golden age” of economic significance and we need vibrant, visionary and competent individuals to steer her to greater economic heights – it is time for young women to stand and be counted. Remember, it is always small actions that make big differences.

By Moraa Osoro

Young Women's Leadership Institute (YWLI) is one of the four partner institutes of the African Centers of Excellence (ACE) for Women's Leadership program run by the Institute of International Education (IIE) , Ethiopia Office.

For more on IIE , ACE or YWLI please follow the links below.
www.iie.org/
www.iie.org/en/Programs/ACE-for-Womens-Leadership, 
www.ywli.org