Under the Women Empowerment and Income Generation Sub-Granted by modest fund from Center for Empowerment Ethiopia Association (CEE) https://centerempowermentethiopia.gov.et/ Project implemented by Habitat Holistic Development Association (HHDA) in Wadu Kebele, Sodo Town, the full suite of proposed activities has been successfully delivered, directly engaging the 20 targeted vulnerable women in sustainable income-generating ventures while simultaneously creating indirect employment and daily wage opportunities for up to 100 additional individuals within the community.Comprehensive Basic Business Skills (BBS) training was conducted to enhance participants’ capacity in business planning, customer handling, marketing, record keeping, and financial management, complemented by life skills and entrepreneurship sessions that effectively bolstered their self-confidence, decision-making abilities, leadership, communication, and entrepreneurial mindset.
In alignment with the project’s group-based strategy, the 20 beneficiaries were organized into peer learning groups, with each member committing to a monthly savings contribution of 200 ETB and opening individual bank accounts to foster savings discipline, capital accumulation, and long-term business resilience.
Following this capacity-building phase, revolving start-up capital and material support allocated at 10,000 to 20,000 ETB per beneficiary depending on the scale and type of enterprise were provided to launch or strengthen businesses tailored to local market opportunities, including fruit and vegetable sales, injera making, coffee and tea shops, root and cereal crop trading, small animal production (poultry, sheep, goats, calves, and heifers), handcraft production, and small retail shops.
As a result, all 20 women are now actively sustaining their income activities, achieving measurable improvements in household food security and earnings, and fulfilling the project’s core objective of economically empowering poor women while promoting sustainable livelihoods for their families.
