When I went to Ethiopia this summer, I had a chance to visit Tigest and her 9-year-old daughter Absera. They live in Kotebe in a small one-room mud house. Their house consists of a room with a small television and a mattress covered with a few blankets. They do mostly everything in this room, such as studying, sleeping, and eating. Absera has a few basic things I take for granted. Some days she does not have light or water. She also shares a community bathroom. A few months ago, her mother had a stroke and could not move her right arm, so Absera had to help her mother while attending school. Through all these challenges, she does well at school.

With the help of Wegene, I know that this young girl will get a good education, and in turn, she will get her family out of poverty. A couple of things that stuck with me from my visit are the importance of Wegene’s support to these families who would otherwise live the rest of their lives in poverty, and how these families with very little can push through many difficulties to become successful.

I am thankful to Tigest and Absera for inviting me to their home and sharing their amazing story.

By Zayma Negussie