More Than a Business: Creating a Future for Her Children

Seventeen-year-old Alazar remembers the days when uncertainty shaped his family's life. His mother, Senait, spent each day searching for whatever work she could find, never knowing whether she would earn enough to feed her family. Today, he watches her run a growing poultry business and dreams of helping her expand it even further.

For Senait, a mother of two living in Kilite Awlalo Woreda in Tigray Region, life was once defined by hardship. Without farmland or a stable source of income, she relied on irregular daily labour to support her family. Meeting basic needs was a constant struggle, and opportunities to build a better future seemed out of reach.

“Life was very hard for me because of irregular income. I had to run from place to place, taking whatever work was available just to meet my family’s basic needs,” says Senait.

Seeking greater stability, Senait joined Ethiopia's Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP) in 2019. Through the programme, vulnerable households receive cash or food support while participating in community activities that strengthen local resilience. In 2024, PSNP activities in her community were supported by World Vision’s Strengthen PSNP Institutions and Resilience II (SPIR II), creating new opportunities for families like hers. As a member of a Village Economic and Social Association (VESA), Senait received cash support and training that helped her turn a small opportunity into a sustainable livelihood.

Starting with four goats, Senait carefully reinvested every profit she earned. With business skills, livestock production training, and access to local market actors supported through SPIR II, she gradually expanded into poultry production. What began as a small investment grew into a thriving enterprise that now provides both food and income for her family.

As her business grew, so did her confidence. She accessed additional capital through local savings and lending mechanisms, expanded her poultry operation, and strengthened connections with market agents who supplied chicks, feed, and technical advice. Together, these services enabled Senait to increase her earnings and build resilience against future shocks steadily.

The impact was felt not only in her income but also at home. Through SPIR II's Nurturing Care Group sessions, Senait learned about maternal nutrition, child feeding, responsive caregiving, and backyard gardening.

“Before, I did not know how important vegetables were for my health during pregnancy. Now I grow them in my backyard and use them to prepare healthy meals for my family,” says Senait.

The additional income from her poultry business made it easier to put these lessons into practice. While her business generated resources to support the family, her backyard garden improved access to nutritious foods. Together, the livelihood and nutrition interventions helped create a healthier environment for both Senait and her children.

When Selome was born, the family was in a stronger position than ever before. Now six months old, she is being introduced to nutritious complementary foods prepared from locally available ingredients that Senait learned about through the Nurturing Care Group. At the same time, Alazar can focus on his education, knowing his mother has a more reliable source of income.

Inspired by her determination and success, Alazar is now attending Grade 9 and dreams of helping his mother expand their business into dairy production one day.

Like Senait, more than 58,000 people across the Amhara, Oromia, and Tigray regions are now engaged in productive value chain activities, enabling them to strengthen their livelihoods and create better opportunities for their children.

“My dream now is to build a bigger business and create a better future for my children. I want them to grow up with opportunities I never had,” aspires Senait. 

As Selome takes her first steps and Alazar works toward his dreams, Senait is building more than a business. Through the combined support of livelihoods, market access, nutrition education, and community-based groups, she is building a future her children can believe in.

By Emnet Dereje, Communications Specialist (SPIR II), World Vision Ethiopia