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 need to be given a hand up.
WOW works with 75 children on an education programme, and 60
women on a WOW programme in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Families in
this suburb of the city live in extreme poverty, with no sanitation, no running
water and without adequate shelter. Many
of the women earn as little as £5 per week, and cannot feed their families. Our
WOW Programme 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 woman to have their own business, and to become self-sufficient. We want these women to know they are women of worth, and give them a hope for the future.
