From Despair to Empowerment: A Mother's Journey from Food Insecurity to Entrepreneurship

Fikirte, a 35-year-old mother of four, tirelessly worked as a cook in a small restaurant in Addis Ababa for years. She poured her heart into raising her children on the meagre income she earned as a salary. However, soaring living costs pushed her family to the brink of food insecurity, threatening their survival.

Her husband, lost to addiction, offered no support. The weight of her family's survival pressed down on her as her small income dwindled in the face of soaring prices. " I couldn't afford to feed, educate, and house my children with the little money used to earn," she lamented. In a gut-wrenching decision born of necessity, she sent three of her children to her parents in the countryside, hoping they would be better cared for and protected. But the silence they left behind was deafening. "The ache of their absence became unbearable," she confessed, her voice cracking with grief.

Senait, 15, Fikirte's eldest daughter, was one of the children left in her grandparents' care. Her family's financial burdens and the knowledge that her peers were still in school filled her with a quiet despair. "It was heartbreaking to be kept home from school," she whispered, her voice tinged with sadness.

As time wore on, the yearning for her children became an unbearable pain for Fikirte. The memory of their laughter and their faces became insistent, and painful. Fueled by a mother's unwavering determination, Fikirte resolved to return to her village and build a new life, opening a small restaurant. With painstaking effort, she saved enough to establish a modest hotel and launch her business. Every day, she baked injera (Ethiopia's most popular flatbread) on a traditional clay cookstove, pouring her sweat and toil into the task. The stove demanded an excessive amount of firewood, filling the air with choking fumes, and the cost of fuel consumed nearly all her profits – roughly 6,000 Birr (US$110) each month. "Almost everything I made went straight back out to buy firewood," she recalls with a sigh. "It was backbreaking work, but I had to keep going, somehow, to provide for my children."

World Vision recognises the role of mothers as a partner and a catalyst in her community. Through its diverse programmes, it helps all families, especially mothers, by empowering them with varied tools, resources, and even income opportunities. Thus, it provided her with an improved cook stove and 200kg of teff to revitalise her business. 

The improved, more efficient cookstove proved to be a turning point for her. "World Vision's support changed everything," she says, her face beaming. “This modern stove is easy to use, efficient, and safe. Plus, the food I bake on this new stove is delicious. It tastes better and looks more appealing. My customers love it! My income has increased dramatically." 

The success of her restaurant allowed Fikirte to bring her children home, finally reuniting her family. The income from her restaurant has empowered her to not only provide for her children's basic needs and education but also to start saving a little in her wooden safe box. "World Vision's support has completely transformed my life," she says, her eyes shining with hope. "I'm now saving more than 5,000 Birr (US$92) a week, and I've even been able to buy land – a stepping stone towards building a new home for my family."

Though 15 years old, Senait knows she should be in grade eight or nine, but circumstances have placed her in grade four. Undeterred, she declares, "I need to work twice as hard to catch up and achieve my dream of becoming a medical doctor!" Her words reflect the unwavering determination she has, like her mom.

Empowered by World Vision, Fikirte has transformed from a struggling mother into a community leader, providing jobs for four young people at her restaurant. "It makes me proud to support others and their families," she says, her voice brimming with confidence. "I'm now planning to expand my business, create more opportunities, and continue to grow, both personally and professionally."

By Aklilu Kassaye, Field Communication Manager, World Vision Ethiopia