The Story of Gebyanesh.. “Saving is the Key to Improvement”
Gebyanesh Ashenafie, 38, lives in Debre Birhan Town, Kebele 08, with her spouse and four children. Before joining the Biruh Tesfa Community-Based Child Sponsorship Project, she worked as a local “Arekie” producer. However, due to shortage of money and marketing skills hindered her business, making it difficult to afford basic necessities, including educational materials for her children. This difficult situation led her to seek external support, and she was enrolled in the project.
With the project, Gebyanesh and her children received various essential services, including school uniforms, reference books, and educational materials. The project offered capacity-building training, equipping her with vital skills. She participated in Self-Help Group (SHG) foundational training and joined the Ediget SHG, where she saved 10 birr every week. After completing her training, she shifted from Arekie business to dairy farming with a loan of 10,000 birr from SHG, she purchased her first dairy cow and now she own two dairy cows with two calves, selling one litter for birr 45 from producing six litters daily she earned birr 270 ETB per day—a weekly profit of 1,890 ETB.
In a year, she transformed from being destitute to a progressive businesswoman, saving a substantial amount of money. As demand for her milk grew, she wisely invested in an additional cow worth of birr 70,000. Her dairy business expanded, she saved money in her local “Iqub,” and covered her children’s educational expenses, and met her family’s basic needs. She estimates the value of her dairy cow capital to be over 200,000 ETB, a testament to her hard work and determination.
Gebyanesh strongly opposes the mentality of relying on handouts. “Hard work and dedication are essential to success” she states. Her success has not only changed her life but also inspired other women in her community to follow their own paths to empowerment. She often shares her story, encouraging underprivileged women to strive for self-sufficiency and resilience.
While she is proud of her achievements, Gebyanesh is not resting on her successes. She seeks additional finance and space to expand her dairy business even further. Her long-term dreams is to large dairy business that could empower other women in her community, allowing them to share resources and knowledge.
In her concluding words, Gebyanesh emphasizes the importance of a saving culture: “The development of a saving culture is key to improving the lives of the impoverished. Promise is everything.”
