Sosina Awoke, in the mid-20s was graduated in 2009 in nursing and she had gone through troubling time in search of job for many years but later she got job with the help of Addis Ababa Women and Children Affairs Office.
She is now engaged in selling of cosmetics and clothes around 4 kilo, Addis Ababa. Speaking to The Ethiopian Herald, Sosina said that she went through unimaginable pains as jobless. She had gone through twists and turns in looking for job.
She said luckily enough, the office has selected jobless youth including her. She then was provided with business training, customer handling and later given kiosk shops to work with her collogue and now the business is doing well these days, she told this reporter.
“Also the office is following up the business on weekly base to make sure we are being self-reliant,” she said.
Addis Ababa Women and Children Affairs Office which helped Sosina said in the city women and girls are being provided with modern kiosk shops constructed on the busy streets of the city.
Office Head Almaz Abreha told The Ethiopian Herald that about 350 women are benefiting from the business activities. Among the beneficiaries are women with disability and women author association and firewood carrying association.
A total of 30 kiosks are constructed so far, of which 28 are given to pair of women and 2 are also provided for the associations.
According to the office, the jobs were created for women and actual business began in last July 2019. Mainly, the beneficiaries are low income class, women with disability and repatriate she added.
These women are working in the kiosk shops located around city roads which is good for doing business, she noted.
The women are engaged in selling fast food, tea and coffee, cloth and jewelry. Besides, the businesses are linked with Ethio-Telecom and Ethiopian Press Agency.
Pilot projects have first been applied around Megenga, 4 kilo, Piasa and Torhailoch and finally expanding into all direction of the city according to the office.
And, the women are provided with credits from Addis Saving and Credit Association, They can borrow from the revolving fund up to 10,000 to 50,000 Birr. On this fiscal year, the city administration has planned to create job for over 250,000 youth of which overwhelming by women.
The Ethiopian Herald Sept 13/2019
BY MISGANAW ASNAKE
