A mother who is a member of a Hope for Justice Self-Help Group has mobilised her community to fix a broken bridge after witnessing a child fall and narrowly escape injury whilst crossing the structure.
Our Self-Help Groups (SHGs) are located in areas where human trafficking is most prevalent. Their members, usually women, meet weekly to financially and socially empower themselves through pooled savings and loans, training in effective parenting, child protection, anti-trafficking, communication and other skills.
Mother-of-five Demekech Shahimo, from our Wode SHG in central Ethiopia, rushed to help a 12-year-old girl who had fallen over whilst running to school to sit an exam. Two years prior, a mother had fallen to her death whilst crossing the same bridge.
The bridge, in the Hadiya Zone of central Ethiopia, is situated over a gully and stream, about three metres below. During school term time, the bridge is used by approximately 800 people per day. During the summer season, it is used by around 200 people per day, mainly those travelling between wards (kebeles).
Demekech, who has five children of her own, two boys aged 8 and 17, and three girls aged 10, 13 and 15, was concerned for the child’s welfare and wanted to prevent anyone else coming to harm.
At the time of the incident, Demekech had been walking home from the Selame Cluster Level Association (CLA) meeting, set up and facilitated by Hope for Justice. CLAs are administrative bodies that meet monthly, each representing a number of different SHGs, and one of their functions is for members to contribute resources and expertise to meet the needs of their community.
Demekech immediately reported the incident to the local council and to leaders of her CLA and asked for the bridge to be repaired.
The CLA informed leaders of the local ward (kebele) about the incident and they were keen to assist. They reached out to community members and the local school, requesting wood, nails and other building materials for the reconstruction.
CLA members and kebele leaders successfully repaired the bridge over three days. The estimated cost of the materials was 25,000 Ethiopian Birr. Thanks to Demekech’s determination and the collaborative effort that followed, the bridge is now much safer for all who use it.
One of the kebele leaders told us: “It is very gratifying to see women empowered so that they can contribute to solving the problems in society.”
This work highlights the crucial role that CLA representatives play in addressing social protection issues.
Demekech has been a member of Hope for Justice’s Wode Self-Help Group since 2021.
Members of Wode SHG elected Demekech to represent them on the Selame CLA. This is one of 24 CLAs in the Hadiya Zone of central Ethiopia, all established by Hope for Justice. Members of the CLAs share knowledge with fellow associations, striving to achieve sustainable development goals. CLAs also exist to mobilise resources to fill gaps in the community, to strengthen SHGs and empower SHG members to engage in small business activities and group income generation activities.
Find out more about Hope for Justice’s Self-Help Groups in Ethiopia.
You can support the women in our Self-Help Groups in Ethiopia by giving a financial gift via our GlobalGiving page.
