Meet Yenenesh

In Ethiopia, it started with a coffee bean...

With each new day, Yenenesh woke up and wondered how she would feed her children. As a single mum, the weight of her world was always heavy on her shoulders.

She never had the opportunity to learn to read or write and money was always tight. So tight, Yenenesh didn’t have enough money to pay for uniforms and supplies to send her kids to school. Still, most days she woke up determined to do her best with what she had and make a life for herself and her children. On busy market days, Yenenesh walked through the bustling aisles scanning the ground for coffee beans left over from the coffee stalls. One by one, she gathered the discarded beans until she filled her cup and could sell it for a small profit she hoped would cover that day’s needs.

The next day, Yenenesh woke up and did it all again.

Yenenesh was invited to join a Self Help Group with Tearfund.

Together with 20 women, Yenenesh learned about
the power of saving and began to put away a portion
of her daily earnings for the future.

Donation Amount $

Over time, the women’s collective savings grew large enough to provide small loans to fund their business ideas. With dedication and the loving support of her women’s group, Yenenesh went from picking up spilt coffee beans to becoming a key coffee merchant in her community.

With that, everything began to change. Yenenesh learned how to read and write through the group. Her business allowed her to earn enough to move her family into a place with running water and electricity. She can finally afford to feed her children three meals a day and send them to school.