From Shoe Shiner to Millionaire

Born to a large family size of seven siblings, Abreham was born and raised at Kacha Bira District, Shinshicho town, some 420km south of the capital Addis Ababa. His family's subsistence farming income was not able to adequately feed and send them to school.  Abreham had to work as a shoe shiner after school to support himself.

"The training was a turning point of my life and my dream. It changed my destiny and attitude of life," he happily explains.

Attending school while working as a shoe shiner became a big challenge for Abreham. He was looking for a better way to meet his needs and finish his education.  He heard World Vision was training local youth on shoe making and he applied. Abreham, along with 19 other youth, got an opportunity to attend a four month long training on shoe making from WVE.

"The training was a turning point of my life and my dream. It changed my destiny and attitude of life," he happily explains.

After the training, Abreham packed and carried his luggage on his shoulder to Hawassa, (some 100km from his house) to find a job opportunity in shoe making.

Employed as shoe repairer for over a year in a private shoe repairing shop, he saved some money and opened a small shoe repairing shop a year later. Gradually, he expanded his little shop and began to produce shoe using local materials. To date, he has opened four shoe stores in Hawassa and Shashemene cities. Providing contract and permanent job opportunities for about 20 people, his annual income has grown to millions of Birr a year. In 2013/2014 alone, he secured more than 5 million Ethiopian Birr.

Abreham did not forget his birth place. He is now constructing a modern hotel investing more than 10 million Birr to serve his community and encourage others to do the same. He recently visited China to participate in an international shoe expo. He is in discussions with a Chinese shoe company to purchase a huge shoe factory and open a shoe company here in Ethiopia in the next three years.  “I have a vision to open a huge shoe company that can produce high quality shoes both for export and local consumption,” he explains.

He says, “I have high respect and honor for World Vision.  Had it not been for World Vision training, I wouldn’t have been what I am today.”