A woman who was struggling to feed her family now runs a successful business, and says: “None of my children will ever dream of leaving for a better life.”
Senia and her labourer husband live in Ethiopia with their four children. It was difficult to make ends meet on their income, and saving for the future was impossible.
Then one day, Senia met a Hope for Justice Community Development Worker performing their proactive outreach work. The team member told Senia about our Self-Help Groups, and how they empower members to transform their futures by offering the skills and means necessary to start their own businesses.
The groups save collectively, and members take turns to receive loans, enabling them to become more self-sufficient, and reduce the future risk of trafficking for the whole family.
When she first joined the group, Senia had no money to contribute. So to support her, the group began saving coffee beans daily, which Senia sold at the end of each week. After six months Senia had saved money, and the group provided her first loan, with which she began to sell fruit.
In time she was able to pay back the loan, and took a second one to expand her business. With good progress and growth achieved, she paid the second loan back.
The third, fourth and fifth loans allowed Senia to begin selling vegetables as well as fruit, buy a cart for her husband, and finally to rent a shop in the town.
Now a successful and well-known business owner, Senia said: “With the help of Hope for Justice, I have escaped from a hopeless life to a better and hopeful new chapter in my family’s life”.
