Saving to End Poverty (STEP)

September 2021

Written by: Mark Wallace, Executive Director of Organizational Culture & International Partners

Bizunesh received the goats, sheep, and chickens from donors who gave through last year’s Christmas Gift Catalogue. Bizunesh is a local entrepreneur in Bekoji, Ethiopia. She is so thankful to be able to sell her vegetables and livestock to provide for her daughter.

She thinks back to how much has changed in the past few years. When our Ethiopian team first met her, she was a newly single mom struggling to provide for herself and her daughter, Ayantu, who is autistic.

When Ayantu was sponsored through our child sponsorship program, she could finally attend an Inclusive Education school to meet her needs. While her mom and primary caregiver, Bizunesh, was enrolled in our Saving to End Poverty (STEP) program.

As Bizunesh gained financial planning skills, she saved and borrowed funds from her peer-lending group to begin her small business. Now, she is working toward financial independence.