Ethiopia: Let the future take shape
Loans for small businesses enable a fresh start, provide a livelihood and promote forward-looking environmental and economic change.
In Adama, young people face a double challenge: youth unemployment nips many ideas in the bud – and environmental degradation is taking an ever-greater toll on life in the region. A project run by the partner church is offering new hope, enabling young people to build a future not only for themselves but also for their community.
“We had ideas, but no way of putting them into practice. Now, with these beehives, we’re no longer just waiting for jobs – we’re creating our own. At the same time, we’re protecting our environment and showing what the young people of Adama can achieve together.”
Fifteen motivated young people from the Beehive Self-Help Group want to take on responsibility. However, their drive to take action was hampered by a lack of capital, tools and material support. That is why the partner church is providing start-up capital and expertise.
With modern beehives, high-quality beeswax and the necessary equipment, the young people were able to launch their initiative. It was also crucial that the young beekeepers received guidance: through training, technical advice and the development of skills that one doesn’t simply ‘have’ but must learn – such as how to manage beehives properly, control swarms, harvest honey and produce goods to quality standards. They now work with expert knowledge and are proud of what they are building.
The group now actively contributes to environmental protection, strengthens the local ecosystem and supports agriculture through pollination. At the same time, the self-help group has evolved into a functioning cooperative model: the young people generate an income through the sale of honey and beeswax and are building skills that will provide them with long-term security. That is why the beekeeping operation is set to grow, with various products being developed and new markets being tapped into.
Please help, through your donation, to ensure that young people can build a sustainable, ‘buzzing’ future for themselves – in an environment worth living in. Thank you!
