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 next to a mattress covered with few blankets. This room is where they do mostly everything such as studying, sleeping and eating. Absera does not have many of the basic things that 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 going to 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 is the importance of Wegene’s support to these families who would otherwise live the rest of their lives in poverty, and how these families who have very little can push through many difficulties to become successful. 

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

By Zayma Negussie