BY BETELHEM BEDLU
Most youths in this generation seem to break the old habit of waiting to be employed in a certain institution. They rather tend to observe their environment, identify gaps and come up with new ideas and business opportunities to be their own boss.
Hawi Debele, the founder and Chief Executive Officer at ELBEE and Gebo Manufacturing Company, is one of these aspiring and hard working women. Hawi was born in Gimbi, Wollega. She stayed there until she turned five and went straight to Bishoftu Town where she attended her primary and secondary education.
Hawi has earned her first degree in Accounting and Finance. Being one of the top students, she became a lecturer after she graduated. Throughout her lecturing career, she was able to teach in various private colleges- from freshman to graduating class. However, she knew deep down that her calling in life was not teaching. It was soon after she realized this fact Hawi decided to quit her job and went to the Capital-Addis Ababa, so that she could take time to identify her calling. Once she realized that ‘living for the service of others’ was more meaningful, she focused on considering it thoroughly how she could serve people especially women.
It was undeniable that benefitting and empowering women was the major pillar that took over her mind through the entire process of trying to figure out the ways. While Hawi was fighting hard to discover how a scholarship opportunity that she was not prepared for stood at her door.
Unlike many people would do, Hawi did not seize the scholarship opportunity she was destined to follow, rather she rejected it. In doing so, she let the institution that offered her the scholarship know she was not interested in leaving her home country; and asked if they could substitute the support with something that would ladder her to get to her dreams.
Fortunately, she was able to receive support which helped her to establish her ELBEE manufacturing company. “My dream was to help people, change their living standard and create ample job opportunities,” she underscored.
ELBEE Manufacturing was built on a foundation where unity, coexistence and prosperity are prioritized. Though she encountered multiple challenges with regard to getting inputs as she started the company in the garment sector, she came up with an idea of performing the entire job at one place. Thus, she decided to do the weaving, embroidery, and other handmade activities there. The fact that she had a habit of doing embroidery on toys during her childhood paved a way for her to cope with her job easily.
Besides her job in the garment sector, she is also engaged in providing training. She said that the reason why she decided to involve in weaving was to address the challenge she faced with shortage of materials. Fortunately, her involvement brought about vast job opportunities for many women (mothers) that were engaged in cotton spinning, embroidery and other handicrafts.
During this process, Hawi learned that she was able to produce essential materials simply using her hands. Then, she began making garbage bin that is made from fibers, house and kitchen materials made from bamboo and other materials.
Apart from supplying the handmade materials to the market, Hawi started providing training to others so that the sector could be flourished as well as preserved.
Her company has so far offered training for close to 300 people on various sectors including weaving and handicrafts. Not only did they have the training, but the people, of whom most of them are housewives, have got the opportunity to be employed at the company working from home.
She said, the fact that the materials are handmade which does not require machinery allowed the women to work from their home, adding that ELBEE manufacturing focuses on producing materials without the need to use any machines.
Cognizant of the fact that people’s interest has shifted to handmade materials, and the availability of inputs locally, have made a huge contribution for the success of the job. More importantly, since the work could be performed at home, it would open more doors to solve the unemployment problem by providing training to citizens.
Currently, there is high demand for handmade materials. A simple example in this regard, as to her, is that their company sold out the entire material it supplied for sale at the Genna (the Ethiopian Christmas) exhibition prior to the closing date of the bazaar.”
Her company which is engaged in producing handmade materials that are made of fiber, weaving, and bamboo, delivers weaving products to various designers in which the designers then add value to the materials and supply to the market in various forms.
One of the activities that are performed at ELBEE is pottery works. Putting various designs on the pottery, the company sells it to various customers while they perform sewing activity that is used to decorate walls and produce baskets used for various purposes.
Scarves, carpets and other closings are also produced in the company. Similarly, they manufacture different mugs that are made from bamboo. “Owing to the fact that the company uses inputs that are available locally, it did not only help us to provide the products at fair price but it would also allow us to create job opportunities for many.”
As women are actively engaged in handmade, similar sectors enable the country to preserve the profession to the next generation, she added. Her company has also come up with a weaving machine that is made from bamboo. Taking the hardship that the previous weaving machine brought up on the employees into consideration, they not only make use of the weaving machine they introduced; but they are also supplying to the market.
Besides easing the labor work, the machine was made to allow the women to use it at home. Currently, ELBEE Manufacturing offers short term training on various issues. While making scarves and carpets took months of training, she said trainees could accomplish a weaving course in three months. Preparation has been finalized to provide training for 200 people, as to her.
As part of exerting her corporate responsibility, she offers financial and in-kind support to disadvantaged people. Currently, she is raising six children by covering their full expenses for food, clothing as well as education. The company that Hawi started with a capital of two million Birr has currently hit 20 million Birr. Currently, receiving 30 thousand hectares of investment land; she is constructing a factory in Sendafa Town.
When the factory becomes operational, it is expected to create jobs for around 10 thousand citizens. She also set a plan to train over 6 million people and create job opportunities for citizens within the coming five years.
The Ethiopian Herald January 26/2023
