BEREKET’S OPPORTUNITY TO GROW
ereket, 16, is a boy surrounded by harsh realities. He is the second of two children in a financially poor family in one of the most poverty-stricken countries in the world, Ethiopia. He lives with a physical disability, which is made harder by the scarcity and cost of medical care. His family, unable to make ends meet, told him that he would have to quit school: they had made the heartwrenching choice to prioritise his younger siblings. "My family doesn't have enough income to buy school materials for all of us. They told me I had to quit school because we couldn’t afford exercise books," Bereket explains. It was then, at this key moment in Bereket’s life, that his family heard about Project LEID's self-help groups run by INA local lead partner, Bole Bible Baptist Church (BBBC). The Lemo-Ezha Integrated Development (LEID) Project in Ethiopia was established to achieve three key outcomes: to improve education, enhance livelihoods and advance maternal and child health. The project focuses on improving the educational status of pre-primary and primary school children and boosting the livelihoods and incomes of local targeted families. Bereket’s family realised this was an opportunity: they were able to receive vocational training, then generate enough income to stabilise their finances. With these financial barriers removed, Bereket now has access to the necessary school supplies, enabling him to re-enroll and continue his education. B
“WITH THESE FINANCIAL BARRIERS REMOVED, BEREKET NOW HAS ACCESS TO THE NECESSARY SCHOOL SUPPLIES”
"I got exercise books and pens, and now I can continue my schooling. Thank you!” he says. The LEID Project has seen over 400 women enrolled in Self-Help Groups (SHG's), with 180 women receiving vocational training and 340 participating in income-generating activities. In addition to giving Bereket his chance to finish school, these initiatives have greatly improved food security and household incomes for the targeted families. More than 14,000 children are supported through the LEID Project, either in schools, health centres or through ChildLink sponsorship. Additionally, 14 primary and secondary schools have been constructed or renovated, with over 1,000 parents actively engaging in programs that emphasise the importance of education. In the health sector, the LEID Project has strengthened 28 health centres by providing essential medicines and medical equipment.
Last year, it also constructed a waiting room and a postnatal room. More than 300 project participants have been assisted in accessing Community- Based Health Insurance, and 180 pregnant and lactating mothers received training on how to prepare locally available foods rich in iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C. The fruit of this work is wonderful to see, its benefits will continue far into the future. Heartfelt congratulations to all the locals, especially women, who are driving such enriching success!
Image: Bereket being acknowledged at one of his high school events.
To find out more about INA’s work in Ethiopia, go to, ina.org.au
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INSPIRATION NEWSLETTER
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