"This Self Help Group's approach has transformed my life.”

Thirty-five year old Mulu Kebede has lived in Semen Ambukuna kebele for fifteen years. Her home has seen the birth of five children, a marriage, and the hardships she faced in raising her family after her husband left.

For the last twelve years, Mulu has done everything in her power to support her children on her own. Sometimes this meant begging, other times searching for food, and taking on daily labor jobs in the village when they were available. If there was no food or work to be found, Mulu was forced to return home with nothing to give her children.

This past year, Mulu learned of a WEEMA International Self Help Group (SHG) named Shanshame that was established in her village. She approached the WEEMA SHG facilitator, Bezunesh, and asked for more information. After speaking with Bezunesh and receiving much positive encouragement from a SHG community volunteer named Kababush, Mulu joined Shanshame.

“I joined the group with nothing to give,” Mulu explains. She now says that “this Self Help Group's approach has transformed my life.” As a member of Shanshame SHG, Mulu is saving money together with other group members, learning and practicing basic business development skills and resource utilization .

Before joining Mulu had no bed, no dishes and very few clothes for herself and her children. Shanshame SHG helped secure all of these basic necessities, as well as helped Mulu enroll her three school-aged children in classes.

WEEMA’s hundreds of SHGs are empowering nearly 2,000 women just like Mulu in kebeles throughout Tembaro Woreda and parts of neighboring Hadero Tunto Woreda!