BY BETELHEM BEDLU
Sister Asayech Yirga was born and raised in Addis Ababa. She studied Nursing at Black Lion Hospital, Addis Ababa University and she has also completed her first degree in Sociology from Jimma University.
She has been serving in several health care centers. She then joined nongovernmental organization where she learned the deep-rooted challenges of societies. While working there as a field officer, she used to work with sex worker whose lives have been hand to mouth.
Later on, she was able to join Hiwot Integrated Development Organization, and she worked as community Trainer and supervisor nurse where she treats around 367 patients under her.
Concurrent to delivering home to home medical treatments along with 33 volunteers, she also provides trainings in Edir, women and youth associations and ‘Buna Tetu’ (a small community group that was organized to sensitize women on HIV and related issues).
She is the founder and Managing Director of Tikuret Lesetoch ena Lehitsanat Mahber, TLLM, to mean focus for women and children association).
Working close to those who led a difficult life especially those living with children with special needs had increased her passion and motivation to establish the association.
The extent of her commitment and passion for the work she is engaged in had led her to sold her own house to cover the rent, salary and other expenses of the association – to save children with special need that were residing in Tikuret Child Care Center.
The Ethiopian Herald had a short stay with Sister Asayech to talk about her journey and experiences in realizing her dreams. Enjoy your reading!
When was Tikuret Lesetoch ena Lehitsanat Mahber established?
It was established in April 2007. Around ALERT Hospital, where the organization was established and I had been working, the number of people who flew from different parts of the country used to settle.
It was established in April 2007 G.C. In an area where I had worked, which is around ALERT Hospital, a number of people had flown from different parts of the country and used to settle.
Given the fact that life was cheaper, leprosy patients and other residents used to share rooms which had highly contributed for the increasing prevalence rate of HIV virus at that time.
With the increasing number of patients coupled with the high stigma that they used to face, several had died and many children were left out without parents.
However, with a deep compassion, I started bringing the orphans whose parents have died of HIV, TB or leprosy to my house.
In a short time, I found myself with 8 orphans including my two kids. But that left me in unfortunate situation with my house renters.
So, I was forced to search a house that can fit those children. Later, I found a house in a place where the city’s dirt and waste used to dispose.
Following the unfavorable smell emitted from the area, not many people choose to live there which has made the area to be cheaper than other areas.
I then hired two employees and started teaching at nursing school, providing trainings and working part time jobs in order to cover the expense of children’s school and daycare service.
Then after two years, I was issued a license and was able to get sponsors from Denmark. With a vision of addressing more destitute especially women, I was able to open one branch in Hawassa City, then in Bonga, and Sebeta.
Of the projects that you have worked so far, which one do you think had a great contribution for the society?
The Hawassa branch is one of the huge projects where around 6000 peoples were beneficiaries. Working on 20 schools within 5 wereda’s, around five thousand students were provided with necessary supports.
Through the school projects, the association has also been working in finding sponsorship and upgrading rural schools and equipped with materials such as desks, computers, library books, shelf as well as electric power.
Mainly, the project has a significant impact in addressing school dropouts in those schools.
Through pairing best performer students with those with low performers, we were able not only to eliminate school dropouts, but also to improve the performance of several children.
Similarly, close to 900 women were also part of empowering trainings. In concert with Hawassa Agriculture College and GIZ, the women took trainings on saving, mushroom production and producing power consuming stoves etc.
Moreover, hundred women were also provided with small startup capitals, and started a business with the association’s revolving fund after trained by volunteers, and graduated.
Even though the children care center had served more than three hundred children and about 240 children were part of center’s reunification program, we had addressed the problems of many students and women, and created jobs for several people.
Due to the global economic crisis, the Hawassa branch is closed. For me, shutting down branches, creates unpleasant feeling like losing a child or a very close relative.
What were the other projects that you accomplished under TLLM?
The other project which is located in the Southern part of Ethiopia, Bonga, had also a great contribution in supporting women who travelled 60 kilo meters away to sell food and non food materials for road construction workers.
The association has exerted efforts to aware them about various issues such as HIV/AIDS for about five years. The Bonga project was also shut down for the same reason that the Hawassa project did.
The Welete project which is located around Sebeta Town was the other project that has been supporting more than 180 students and serving close to 70 children at the childcare center. Since the activities are suspended currently, it is serving as an isolation center for the COVID-19.
The Addis Ababa center, which is still running, is a childcare center for children with special needs. There are 1500 children drawn from two schools and receiving supports with food and non-food items.
Moreover, nearly 750 female students of Addis Ababa University and Kotebe College are provided with sanitary pads.
In addition, we also work with mothers of children who seek special needs. We provide them with finance and material.
However, with the Coronavirus pandemic and other sponsorship problems, it has been ten months since the support has been stopped.
How many people have benefitted from the association so far?
Since Tikuret Lesetoch Ena Lehitsant Mahiber (TLLM) established, which is 14 years ago, over twelve thousand people have benefitted directly or indirectly. Currently, there are around two thousand beneficiaries excluding those that are getting care under the special needs childcare center.
What are the major challenges that the association has encountered thus far?
Following the pressures that the pandemic put on the global economy, most sponsors are withdrawing which has made center’s services for the beneficiaries very incomplete.
The issue of land is the major thing that draws many associations as well as TLLM from performing their level best in realizing the vision they want to accomplish. For my case, I was granted a land in Nifas Silk Sub City in 2018; but could not still receive it for unknown reasons.
When authorities were supposed to make things easier for us considering the fact that we are working for children with special needs, the bureaucracy is taking association’s time.
In what ways should government and other bodies need to support your and similar organizations?
There is a lot that the government could do to support such associations starting from giving the necessary attention.
Plus, schools need to be available for those children with special needs; or creating a platform where the existing schools can receive a given number of children with special needs is essential.
The bureaucracy also needs to be addressed and concerned institutions should be willing to do their part in easing situations when the associations seek support such as Birth certificate and Identification Card (ID).
Taking in to consideration that the children who are under the childcare center have multilayered problems such as blind-deaf, autism, down syndrome, etc. the medical and other expenses are very hard to come by, everyone should play his/her part in contributing what they can.
The Ethiopian Herald 13 February 2021
