Women Economic Empowerment at Grassroot Ethiopia

My organization has been devoted to Vocational and skill trainings for training low income women at grass root of Ethiopia. The training opportunities include sewing, embroidery, and hairdressing as well as computer technology. Each training sessions are three months, provided five days a week.  Twenty-five trainees are admitted into each secession and are required to complete 240 hours of training before completion. Upon completion of the training, students are linked with local business (networking will be facilitated by NLK).

 Along the generious fund by the Stephen Lewis Foundation( SLF) and Blue Lupin Foundation ( BLF) based in Canada Toronto, , NLK has  designed and constructed building for community Library, hubs and safe spaces” where women living with HIV and AIDS in community come together to gain confidence, agency, and skills to improves their lives, families and their community. 

The center has started to serve as one stop shopping center and resources to improve the economic and psychosocial wellbeing of women living with HIV/AIDS and or affected by the virus. Community library, office use for NLK, vocational and skill trainings for beneficiaries, institutional IGA are among the major programs accommodated by the building center. Beyond vocational training, the centers provide women, who have been isolated from their communities due to stigma, the necessary support needed to ensure they are successful within their business as well as their personal lives.

Our new building encompasses places for community Library services, conference, trainings, Cafeteria, internet café shopping for income generating activities for women. Besides, there are various vocational and skill training (VST) programs operates from the center for the grass root low income women of our community particularly those affected and infected by HIV/AIDS. These include embroidery works, hair dressing, basic computer skill, weaving and macrame(artisan). The VST programs aim to reduce vulnerability and promote resiliency by providing beneficiaries with opportunities to increase their income and retain or expand their assets. More than 1666 women have been benefited from our program.

The achievements of the program are not just numeric,. Women have transformed themselves from being dependents to becoming service providers in their communities, participating as contributors to community issues and catering to the needs of many deserving and poor members of their community. They have changed the perception of local stakeholders about people living with HIV and have inspired other HIV positive women to embrace innovation and creativity. These efforts have reduced transmission of HIV, prevented violence against women (VAW) and have mitigated impact overall.  Prospectively,  as well, we are  committed and continue to improve the social, equality, economic and health of the grassroots women Ethiopia. Thank you so much all for your solidarity always towards ensuring the women’s socioeconomic, health and women’s human rights.  We will make better future of our society through empowering our women.