Project improves children’s safety and supports women in Ethiopian settlements

Almaz Adane is a mother of five living in the Mai-weyni Internally Displaced Persons site in Mekelle, Ethiopia. Before Adane was forced to leave her home, she ran a successful restaurant. But then in November 2020, when conflict broke out in the West Tigray region of Ethiopia, she and her family had no choice but to flee their hometown.

Adane and her five children began a difficult journey to safety, walking through bombings and shootings. After reaching the Mai-weini IDP site in Mekelle. Adane found comfort and safety in the services provided by Lutheran World Relief, including child feeding programs and child-friendly spaces for her youngest children.

From April 2023 to May 2024, PWRDF supported LWF with $100,000 in a project to bring hope to the families in the camp. This project aims to create a safe space for children to learn, play, and express themselves creatively, addressing the severe threats faced by children due to conflict. These threats include displacement, violence, trafficking, and emotional distress.

Child-friendly spaces have been established, providing organized activities, education, and psychological support to more than 1,200 children, helping them recover from trauma and regain a sense of normalcy. The project also empowers caregivers like Adane through financial support, skill training, and entrepreneurship opportunities, enabling them to start small businesses, earn a steady income, and regain dignity and hope.

With the financial support, Adane was able to launch a street shop with 7,000 Ethiopian Birr ($165 CAD), selling everyday essentials like soap, candles, soft drinks, coffee, and sugar. She also creates woven baskets, which she sells to eager customers. Beyond her own small business, Adane was able to invest 10,000 birr ($236 CAD) in her firstborn son’s tuk-tuk driver training thanks to the program. Her son completed training and was able to purchase his own tuk-tuk, now earning a monthly salary of 3,000 birrs ($70 CAD).

Adane’s daily net income of 100 birr ($2.60 CAD) enables her to provide for her children more effectively than before. She dreams of returning to her land of origin once peace is restored, where she can rebuild her life, reunite with her husband, and contribute to her community. This project demonstrates the power of humanitarian work in addressing the difficult and diverse effects of conflict while empowering families to rebuild their lives.