The Ripple Effect: From Mother to Daughter. To Community. And Beyond.

Reflecting on her early years, Jemanesh recalls, "Both my husband and I were in grade 8 when we got married. Life was tough, selling bread and making Injera to make ends meet." She continued, “We enrolled in night school even as we juggled the responsibilities of married life and parenthood.”

Jemanesh said, “While my husband continued his education and secured a position as a finance manager in Sokoru kebele, I took a job as a data collector. Despite our efforts, we still struggled financially, so I began looking for ways to supplement our income. I first came across an NGO in 2004,  G.C., but I saw real change after World Vision got involved. After a few years, World Vision came in with the cook stove and gave us training and raw materials to produce. That support laid the foundation for my family's future.”

In 2018, G.C., World Vision introduced the WASH Business Centre, a pivotal initiative aimed at promoting hygiene and sanitation within communities. Jemanesh recalls, "I remember when World Vision introduced the WASH Business Centre. They didn't just provide us with training and materials; they went above and beyond to create awareness in various ways," she recounts. "One particular memory stands out to me. World Vision called for a workshop in the community to train us on slab production. They encouraged us to bring our slabs to the workshop, and to my surprise, I sold 30 toilet slabs in one workshop alone."

She continued, “I remember when there was a school handwashing campaign underway—my house was filled with teachers coming to collect liquid soap to take to their schools," she recalled. “These campaigns boosted demand in the community, not in Sokoru alone but also in neighbouring kebeles. We started to sell in large volumes.”

At 48, Jemanesh, a mother of three, exemplifies the transformative power of empowerment and community support fostered by World Vision. Jemanesh's daughter, Siyam Biya, at 18 years old, has been deeply influenced by her mother's journey with World Vision. She stated, "I have seen my mum work with World Vision for most of my life. I saw our lives change," Siyam said. “I became proficient in making slabs and liquid soap. I learned it from my mum by watching her make soaps and toilet slabs.”

World Vision has woven a powerful thread of change through the lives of Jemanesh and her children. Jemanesh's journey, from overcoming early struggles to becoming a role model, exemplifies this transformation. Together, their story embodies the power of empowerment, where individuals become catalysts for positive change that ripples across generations.

By Feven Gutu, Communications Coordinator (WASH), World Vision Ethiopia