Begosew Dagne, 21 was born in Amhara region, Awi zone. He grew up as an obedient child to his family. He said that, his parents frequently reminded him that education is the only way out of dependency. Begosew noticed their advice and remained focused on his education. He graduated from college with good grades. After graduation, he applied for a number of vacancies and even travelled long distances for job interviews and written exams.
He did everything he was told to do, but to no avail. As days went by without any job prospects, he started to frequent the local bars. He drank with his friends and when their money dried up, they traveled to the desert area to engage in the available jobs there which turned out to be dangerous due tothe environment. Begosew’s parents were shocked to see the dark side of their humble kid, but they did not know how they could help him to overcome his depression.
Begosew spent his days drinking, sitting around the neighborhood, and making fun of passersby until the day he was recruited to participate in training offered by USAID’s building the potential of youth activity.Reluctantly, he attended the first two transferable lifeskills trainings.
Launched in 2015, the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) Building the Potential of Youth Activity is implemented by Save the Children and its partners. The goal of the program is to assist unemployed and underemployed youth ages 15-29 to attain skills, knowledge, and social capital that lead to increased income and economic self-sufficiency, with a particular focus on youngsters.
This is addressed by increasing youths’ access to skills building and employment promotion services tailored to technical and life skills training to create viable livelihoods prospects and employment opportunities.
Genet Lemma Chief of Party at USAID said that, it has been nearly years since we started this journey with partners to empower and guide Ethiopian youth towards self-reliance. It has been a period full of learning, achievements, challenges and remarkable experiences. In the six implementation regions the team capitalized on a variety of available opportunities to create a youth friendly enabling environment.
She said that, concerning stake holders starting from community leaders, to the private sector, individuals, governmental and nongovernmental stakeholders all played a vital role in our support to young people. The Ministry of Women, Children and Youth has led this effort to support youth to change their lives meaningfully and cascade the learning and best practices of the Activity.
Along with skills trainings, Begosew also received post training support, such as coaching and networking opportunities.After participating in the integrated support of potential training offered by USAIDs, Begosew realized he could be in control of his own destiny.Using his new skills and renewed energy, he mobilized his friends and formed a business group for woodwork and metalwork. He also approached his kebele administration and applied for a workplace and a loan on behalf of the group.
The process was tiresome, and when it failed at kebele level, he contacted the higher authorities in his woreda but to no success. Then he took the matter to the zonal administration.“I was trained not to give up; I was empowered to try nomatter what. So, it was the time to test myself, and finally I succeeded,” Begosew said.
Finally, Begosew secured a 270,000 birr ($9147 USD) loan from the youth fund forhis business group, and they built a workshop in the heart of the small town. Since Begosew and his friends have been able to set up theirworkshop and equip it with the necessary tools, the space hasbecome the best place to them. Begosew works and even lives there. After a few months, Begosew’s community began to wonder about his location, and when theylearned that he had started managing his own workshop, somecame to his workplace to make sure it was true.
He under went such as huge change that he now far exceeds the expectations of others.“I understood them. I mean, who would believe such a complete change in a matter of three or four months. I know that theycare about me, and every time I see them in my workplace it reminds me how blessed I have been lately.”
Currently, he is coaching six other business groups in Amhara region’s Awi zone. He constantly advises them where to go, whom to contact, or what to do to make their startups successful.
Recently Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed while addressing the parliament said that, the government plans to create about three million jobs during the 2019-20 fiscal years. He said that most of the jobs will come from small businesses. This will help deal with the two million job seekers who join the market every year.
Director for Youth Mobilization and Participation Enhancement Director at the Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Mathias Asefa said that, supporting the youth to develop new attitudes toward employment and exploiting their potential must be the primary activity of the government to create sustainable job.
He stated that, those youth who develop a new and positive attitude and outlook about the potential for identifying employment opportunities and creating a livelihood for themselves in their community, and nearby area, was much more likely to be employed.
Genet said by the end of 2019, the Activity will have built the economic self-sufficiency of 34,537 youth across 30 woredas of Afar, Amhara, Oromia, SNNPR, Somali, and Tigray regions.
The Ethiopian Herald October 26, 2019
BY HAILE DEMEKE
