Ethiopia program update: Supporting children and women-headed households in Keranyo
The Keranyo Family and Community Strengthening Program improves the wellbeing of vulnerable children while socially and economically empowering vulnerable and marginalized single mothers and other female caregivers to meet their families’ needs.
The program supports families by providing early child development services, nutritious meals and snacks, and health services while caregivers work, train, or develop entrepreneurship skills to start a business.
Impact in 2024:
(hover over each card for details)
194 children between 2 and 4 years old received early child development education and care.
35 caregivers enrolled in vocational training.
113 children graduated from daycare to primary school.
25 caregivers trained in positive parenting.
37 caregivers participated in a business development workshop.
10 caregivers received start-up funds for their small businesses.
Zehara’s story: Single mother in Ethiopia builds a brighter future with her coffee and tea business
Fatima’s story: From isolation to empowerment: How SOS Children's Villages changed a mother's life in Ethiopia
Overcoming barriers and accessing essential services
One of the major challenges for families in Keranyo is the lack of formal documentation, which limits access to essential services such as education, healthcare, social assistance, and banking. Without documentation, families are more vulnerable, unable to obtain small loans to start businesses or enroll their children in public schools. This often pushes them into unsafe work environments and exposes them to higher risks of exploitation by employers.
To address this, SOS Children’s Villages Ethiopia has:
- Advocated on behalf of families by providing address references and referrals. So far this year, 113 children have successfully transitioned from daycare to primary school.
- Through the SOS Family Strengthening Program, supported women’s economic empowerment by helping them develop personal and business skills, find decent employment or access funds to start small businesses, enabling them to work towards independence and supporting their children.
“By providing essential services and advocating to help break down barriers, we are supporting the most vulnerable members of the Keranyo community not only survive but thrive, creating lasting change for generations to come," says Thomas Bauer, President and CEO of SOS Children’s Villages Canada.
Our thanks
Offering comprehensive business training to women is a critical component of the program and a pivotal step toward fostering women’s economic empowerment and financial independence. The Keranyo Family and Community Strengthening Program remains committed to providing essential services to low-income families, especially vulnerable children and single female-headed households needing assistance. These efforts are made possible through the generous support of our donors.
We thank the Unifor Social Justice Fund and Unifor members for supporting the women’s economic empowerment programs in Keranyo.
