We are so grateful to Northgate Church for your generosity on behalf of 15 caregivers of Compassion-assisted children at the Debre Zeit Mekane Yesus Student Center in Ethiopia. Your kindness is providing these caregivers the skills and small-business training they need to earn an income from weaving cultural fabrics and carpets. It is our privilege to provide you this update on your compassion at work through this important project.
MEETING A CRITICAL NEED
Compassion-assisted children aren’t born into a vacuum—they are born into families. And the better equipped a family is to support a child’s basic needs, the greater that child’s chance of getting the most from the Compassion program and overcoming poverty. But in Ethiopia, where almost 30 percent of the population lives in poverty, it is difficult for parents to adequately provide for their children.
That’s why your gift to this income-generation project is so important! Because you have stepped forward to help, 15 caregivers of children registered in the Debre Zeit Mekane Yesus Student Center have been given the opportunity to learn the skills to operate successful weaving businesses and improve their families’ economic condition.
YOUR COMPASSION AT WORK
The purpose of this project, launched in May 2016, is to organize 15 caregivers in need into a self-help savings group, give them business skills training, and provide a place and the equipment needed to train them in weaving. After attaining competence in weaving, the participants will receive their own weaving looms, equipment and capital to launch their own businesses. They will also receive ongoing mentoring and assistance to ensure that their businesses thrive.
As of our last update to you, the following milestones had been accomplished:
- The staff members of the partner church and Compassion center were trained in Compassion Ethiopia’s requirements and expectations for this project.
- 15 caregivers in dire need — but demonstrating great motivation to participate in the project — were selected for training.
- Caregivers underwent two days of training in entrepreneurship skills and four days of training in how to set up and operate a group savings and loan strategy.
Since then, participating caregivers have progressed in as follows:
- They have established their group savings and loan plan, with each participant giving weekly to an account at a local bank.
- The group meets weekly to review their savings account and share experiences and challenges.
- A professional weaver from a well-known business was hired to provide four weeks of theoretical, classroom training for participants.
- Participants were then provided hands-on training to start practicing what they had learned in the classroom.
Currently, ongoing training is being provided by a volunteer from the partner church who is proficient in weaving. Participants will continue this training until they develop the confidence and skill level needed to launch their own weaving businesses.
Reported challenges in the project include an unexpected increase in the price of weaving looms. Rather than settle for equipping the training center with fewer than the originally planned five looms, the partner church purchased raw materials and made its own looms.
Another challenge has been that because the participants are in training/practice five days a week, a few of them have had to suspend their training in order to work and earn money. The project leaders are currently considering how best to address this issue.
THE WORK CONTINUES!
We look forward to reporting to you again in the coming months on the continued progress of this life-changing project! You are providing participants not just with the skills to earn a viable living for themselves and their families, but also with proof of God’s great love and provision for them. Thank you again, and may God continue to bless the ministry of Northgate Church!