At the Ethiopia Reaching Beyond Words NGO in Addis Ababa, we have continuing programs where we take ten widows and single mother’s and put them in a training program. The program focuses on different trades the ladies might be interested in and after four to six months we give the ladies seed money to begin a new business of their choice. It’s been very rewarding to see ladies taken out of severe poverty begin to have a sense of accomplishment as they see their business grow. The ladies are taught how to manage their money and for the first time for many have a bank account.
When the class of ladies graduate from their training a new group is started, so it is an ongoing program. We have many success stories of ladies now off the streets and able to pay for rent , clothes and food for them and their families, so marvelous to see.