Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries
in Africa, and many girls travel to the cities to escape child marriage and to
find work. Once in the city they are vulnerable to homelessness, exploitation,
and abuse. How desperately these young women and girls need to hear that they
have value and worth and to be given a hand up.
WOW
works with 75 children on an education programme, and 60 women on our WOW
Programme in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Families in Kebena, a suburb
of Addis Ababa, live in extreme poverty, with no sanitation, no running water,
and a lack of adequate shelter. Many of the women earn as little as £5 per week
and cannot feed their families. Our WOW Programme in this region provides
shelter, healthcare, and business opportunities for the women, as well as an
education for the children. Extra nutrition is provided to women who are
struggling with health problems, and counselling is given to those who have
experienced trauma and abuse. The women are encouraged to save money and to
support one another.
Our
aim is for each of the women to have their own business, and to become
self-sufficient. We want these women to know they are women of worth and to give
them real hope for the future.
