Thank you, Northgate Church, for your generous support and partnership with Compassion International to train 15 caregivers at the Debre Zeit Mekane Yesus Student Center in Bishoftu, Ethiopia, in weaving and marketing. These new skills will help Compassion-assisted caregivers earn better incomes to support their families. We are proud to provide you with this interim report detailing what your gift has thus far accomplished — and the incredible difference it will make to families living in poverty.
PROGRESS TO DATE
To initiate this intervention, Compassion Ethiopia provided a half-day orientation to center staff members, church leaders and the project committee. Fifteen caregivers already had been chosen to learn income-generating weaving skills and small-business strategies. Because they earn so little (an average of less than U.S.$1 a day) in retail and petty trading, these caregivers struggle to meet their families’ daily basic needs.
Your gift thus far has allowed this Compassion center to:
- Purchase five weaving looms (three for caregivers and two for life-skills training with children), two spinning machines and two hand looms
- Purchase raw materials, including thread and cotton fiber
- Install the looms
- Train 15 caregivers in business skills and practical training in weaving and producing cultural clothing
- Provide working capital for each caregiver to help establish his or her businesses
Using volunteer experts, the church partner first provided skills and entrepreneurship training to all caregivers at the center for two days. For the next four days, the 15 chosen caregivers were trained in savings and credit management and how to manage viable income-generating activities. Then, 10 caregivers received theoretical and practical training in weaving on the looms. These trained caregivers will in turn provide training for the remaining five caregivers and others in the center.
As part of training session, these caregivers are producing cultural apparel called netela, a handmade scarf-like cloth, and a type of carpet, both of which they can sell in the market.
CHALLENGES
Hiring weaving trainers at a reasonable cost was the church partner’s biggest challenge. Setting a convenient training time for caregivers was the other challenge. The training requires consecutive days and whole-day commitments so that the caregivers may obtain certification and fully complete the required courses. As most caregivers also must work outside the center to earn an income, losing that work time was a big challenge for them.
To resolve the challenge of lack of affordable weaving experts, the church partner mobilized volunteer experts from the church to provide the training. The church partner along with the caregivers prepared a schedule convenient to all.
WEAVING SKILLS ACQUIRED
The church partner was able to equip 15 caregivers in weaving and business skills. With the skills acquired and working capital earned, they will build their weaving business in the coming reporting period. Caregivers are very happy with their training and are sharing their excitement with other caregivers. The caregivers are grateful for your generous support as well as the support they receive through Compassion Ethiopia.
TRAINING PROGRESS
Compassion Ethiopia received the funds of your generous gift in December 2016 and training began in full swing. Compassion Ethiopia provided a half-day orientation for project staff and church leaders to discuss the implementation of this intervention. The project staff identified 15 caregivers who were facing challenges feeding their children, paying for school fees and covering daily basic expenses for their families to be recipients of this training. The project staff then began training the caregivers on entrepreneurship, saving and credit management and creating viable income generating activities. Caregivers later received theoretical and practical training on weaving. The Debre Zeit Mekane Yesus Student Center plans to continue providing similar training for consolidating their weaving skills until the caregivers are able to confidently use their skills and are familiar with the new weaving machines.
The training sessions have taught caregivers how to make cultural clothes called “netela” and a type of carpet. As training continues, the center will purchase material for them so that they are able to produce and sell their products. The center has utilized 43 percent of the funds to provide skills training and purchase equipment, and will use the remaining funds to complete training, purchase remaining equipment and provide capital grants for business startups.
NEXT REPORT
Training and implementation of this activity is expected to last until July 2018. Assuming all continues as expected, a second interim report will be submitted by Compassion Ethiopia in November 2017 and we look forward to sharing the details of their progress in December 2018. Final details of the impact of your gift is scheduled to send to you by August 2018.