SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS

Hawassa Hope’s ultimate goal is to come to the aid of vulnerable women and children and if possible restore families and help them reach financial stability and independence.

Using small business grants, we strive to empower widows and family caretakers to achieve independence. We are able to provide training and seed money for ladies to start businesses which enables them to be financially stable enough to support their families with no outside assistance. Not only do the ladies gain the ability to feed and clothe their children and ensure their education, they also receive restored dignity.

One of the best things we get to experience on our trips is to spend some time with the business ladies who have started their businesses that were funded by the generous donors. We hear story after story from the ladies about how their lives have changed for the better.

They say things like –
“I was idle and could not provide for my family but now I can and my children are in school!”
“I was just at home with no income but now I have a business.”

The ladies are always excited to meet us and tell us about their businesses and what they are making and selling. Each chooses something they’d like to and then they take off. They sell eggs, injera, coffee, tea, bread, flour, butter, chickens and so on.

Yichal make blankets basket covers and other knitted cloth items. Her craftsmanship is amazing.

Metasebia started out selling coffee but sold less than 10 cups per day so she quickly decided to restart and bought hens and began selling eggs. Soon she began to sell prepared food in addition to her egg business. Her reputation as a great cook grew and the business expanded. Today she operates a café that sells full traditional meals and seats around 60 people. We had the opportunity to have a meal there which was amazing!! As she shared about her business success she proudly told us that not only is she able to provide for her family but that she also has hired two employees who are now able to support their families!

We always have a group of ladies ready to start their businesses and the path to being self-sufficient. Ladies that will soon have the opportunity to begin a new life. The ladies selected for the program are in deep poverty. They work in groups and are accountable to each other, to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and to local staff. This program has been used to lift so many ladies from poverty and we have the privilege of witnessing these transformations. They have a savings account on their own and then even have a savings account within the group if someone has an emergency money need that they can borrow from.

$150 per grant is all it takes!

Anyone have a book club, business or women’s ministry group looking for a project to contribute to? This is a great way to come together and make a meaningful impact on a woman and her family in Ethiopia!