It's more than a birthday, it's a celebration of survival
There’s excitement in the air in Tirunesh’s small home in Woliso, Ethiopia. Family and neighbours have gathered to celebrate her daughter Ididiya’s first birthday. It’s a survival milestone, a moment filled with deep joy.
The table is carefully prepared. Fruit, small treats, and sweet-scented kineto drinks are arranged with care and intention. Every detail reflects a mum who has lovingly stretched what little she has and made it enough.
Outside, children laugh and play.
This is not just a birthday. It is a turning point.
A mother who chose a new path
A year ago, Tirunesh was preparing to welcome her baby into the world while facing the daily pressure of poverty and food insecurity. Like many mothers, she carried both hope and uncertainty.
There were real concerns for her baby’s health. Without reliable access to nutritious food, and limited access to medical care, babies like Ididiya can quickly become underweight and unwell in their earliest months. Tirunesh knew how fragile this season could be.
Support came at a critical time, providing both mum and baby with nutrition and care needed to stay healthy.
Through the support of local church partners and Mums and Bubs sponsors, Tirunesh was able to join an Infant Survival group during her pregnancy. Mergitu, who has supported them through the programme says, Tirunesh “is the most hopeful woman I have ever known.”
With practical support and health care wrapped around her, Tirunesh gained practical skills and training alongside other mothers. After Ididiya was born and during her first critical year of life, Tirunesh found encouragement and community as she nurtured her tiny, resilient daughter.
She also discovered an opportunity to build a livelihood to strengthen their family income.
Building a future
With a small loan from her caregivers’ group, Tirunesh began raising chickens. What started as a simple idea has grown into a steady source of food and earnings. The chickens scratching in the yard are testament to a mother’s determination to provide, to plan, and to protect her child’s future
I took a small loan from our caregivers’ group. I will breed these chickens for the holiday market. But the eggs are the most sustainable and marketable outputs of this business. They are for the future, for my family’s table, and especially for Ididiya so that she can grow strong.
Thriving, not just surviving
Over the year, Tirunesh made careful, courageous choices. She learned new skills, strengthened her confidence, and created stability where there once was uncertainty.
And the change is clear.
Ididiya, once fragile and at risk of becoming undernourished, is now strong and full of life. She toddles through the yard, curious and determined, her small hands reaching out with confidence. She is growing up in the care of her mum who has fought for her wellbeing every step of the way.
A new chapter
The sun set as friends and neighbours gathered. Voices rose, blending English and Oromifa as they sung “Happy Birthday” to Ididiya. The elders prayed for her, speaking words of blessing over her life.
This birthday marks the beginning of a new chapter.
As Ididiya turns one, she moved into Compassion’s Child Sponsorship Programme, building on the strong start she had in her first year.
And just as Mums and Bubs supporters made it possible for Tirunesh to give her daughter a healthy start, Ididiya now has a sponsor of her own to support her as she grows.
It's a relationship that will remind her she is known, valued, and not alone.
A hope-filled future
Today we celebrate a baby girl who’s thriving,
a mother who chose hope when it mattered most,
and a future that is no longer uncertain, but full of possibility.
Because of support like yours, stories like this are possible.
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