Mother in Ethiopia feels the pain of not being able to feed her children

© Petterik Wiggers 

 

On a bustling street in Iteya, a town in southeastern Ethiopia, Tsehay, 37, runs a small restaurant. The restaurant is one of three businesses that she owns. Many customers stop by to have a meal or drink coffee. Tsehay’s culinary skills have earned her a reputation for tasty dishes and homemade injera, a traditional Ethiopian flatbread.  

 

Tsehay has come a long way since the father of her three children moved to another city, leaving them without financial support.  

 

“The past was very difficult. I could not feed my children properly,” Tsehay says. “If I gave them breakfast, there were times when I could not feed them for the rest of the day. I did not have the means to provide them with three meals a day.”  

 

The mother of three was barely able to sustain her family. She did not have money to set up a business because she could not afford to buy teff,  the main ingredient of injera. Instead, she washed people’s clothes or cleaned their homes for a few Ethiopian birr. “These tasks were very labour intensive and paid very little. It was not enough. The financial problems were affecting my children,” Tsehay says. 

 

Multidimensional child poverty in Ethiopia

 

According to UNICEF, 36 million out of 41 million children in Ethiopia are multidimensionally poor. These children are severely deprived of at least two of the following: access to water, education, housing, healthcare, nutritious food, and protection from harmful practices. Multidimensional poverty afflicts children more commonly and intensely than adults, and the effects often last a lifetime.  

 

While access to public education is free in Ethiopia, many families cannot afford to send their children to school due to additional costs like learning materials, uniforms, and transportation. Shockingly, it is estimated that more than 50% of Ethiopian children aged five to 17 are deprived of an education.  

 

“The financial problems were affecting my children. For some time, they could not go to school. Now, they are back in school, but their ages do not match the grades they are in. The fact that I could not properly care for them affected my mental health. It is very painful if you cannot feed your children,” says Tsehay, unable to hide the sadness in her voice about this period in her life. 

 

Preventing families from breaking down

 

SOS Children’s Villages Ethiopia aims to strengthen families like Tsehay’s through our Family Strengthening Programs with livelihood support, parenting workshops and covering education costs and other social services. This ensures they have the necessary support to provide their children with the strong bonds they need for healthy development. 

 

Through the community outreach program, Tsehay was approached by SOS Children’s Villages in Iteya. She attended training on earning and saving money and child protection and care.  

 

“The commitment and energy of the staff in the childcare and protection training were really motivating,” Tsehay says. “They showed me that if they can care for their children and look after their education, I can do that too. It really changed my thoughts from being hopeless to becoming someone who is successfully doing a job.”  

 

She also received 100kg of teff to set up the baking businesses and restaurant she successfully runs today.  

 

“The 100kg of teff was a turning point. I saw a real change in my home when I was able to start saving money. The condition of my house used to be worse than the food situation. We did not have a single chair and only one mattress for all of us. I still keep the mattress to remind myself of these difficult times. Now, I can afford everything for my children.”

 

A role model in the community

 

The mother of three not only takes care of her children and runs three successful businesses, but she is also actively engaged in her community, teaching others about child protection, hygiene and how to earn and save money.  

 

“Now that I am in a different situation, I want to support others to end their misery. I have been there and experienced these challenges myself,” she says. “When I was replacing my household materials, I gave the old ones to other mothers in need. I also teach them about the importance of saving money. I always tell them it’s not about how much money you get in, but about how much you are able to save.” 

 

Tsehay’s sons are very proud of their mum and see how hard she works to provide them with a stable home. “My mum works very hard so I can go to school. I love her a lot. Sometimes she works too much, she should slow down and get some rest. Our home has become so much better. We even have a TV now, and I can choose which channels to watch,” says her 10-year-old son Anbassa* happily.   

 

Tsehay now feels confident about standing on her own feet: “I feel like I don’t need the support of SOS Children’s Villages anymore because I have changed already, my children are back in school, and I have a plan for the future. I am confident that I will materialize that plan for myself.” 

  

“I have faced many challenges in my life. I wish for my children to be successful in their education so that they can be independent without the worries I had.” 

 

*Name changed to protect privacy.