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Born in Wongelawit, Addis Ababa, Serkalem Madde is a dedicated wife and mother of two. Her story is one of resilience, growth, and the transformative power of seizing opportunities.

The Early Years: A Modest Start
After completing 12th grade, I wasn’t able to achieve the results I had hoped for. However, I began working at Ethiopian Airlines through an agency, earning 1 Birr and 10 cents an hour. As an only child, I was fortunate to inherit a small two-room house, which provided a stable place to live. My earnings covered the family’s food needs but left no room for growth or savings.

Discovering WISE: A Life-Changing Opportunity
In 1998, WISE began its work in our Woreda, but I initially paid little attention as I was busy with daily labor. By 1996, I had my first child, and Ms. Asefash Ayele frequently encouraged me to join WISE. After much persuasion, I registered and began saving through her.

Born in 1972 in Denba, North Shewa, Tirunesh Teshome’s early life shaped her determination to achieve great things. Despite numerous challenges, she paved her own path to success. Here is her story, in her own words:

A Childhood of Responsibilities and Hard Work
As the eldest daughter in my family, I had more domestic responsibilities than my siblings. Balancing school and work was my reality from a young age. My father was a tailor, and by the time I was 13, I had joined him at the company where he worked, spending evenings and weekends assisting him.

Growing up in the countryside, I faced the pressure many girls experience—being forced into marriage as soon as they became “of age.” Determined to forge a different future, I moved to Addis Ababa to escape this fate. Staying with my aunt, I refused to return to the countryside despite my father’s objections. That decision marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life.

I was born in Jigjiga, Harar, in 1965. My father, a dedicated military officer, was often stationed on border missions. Despite his hard work, the income he earned was barely enough to support our family. My mother stepped up, preparing and selling traditional drinks like Areke and Tella, along with bread, to ensure we could attend school.

When my father passed away while on duty, our family lost the little financial stability we had. My mother struggled to make ends meet, and a cousin took me in so I could continue my education. From eighth to twelfth grade, I gave birth to two children. Unfortunately, my marriage didn’t work out, and I made the difficult decision to leave my children with my mother and seek work in Saudi Arabia.

For Tsega Araya, life has been a journey of perseverance, bold decisions, and unwavering belief in her potential. Growing up in Addis Ababa’s Nifas Silk Lafto sub-city, Tsega came from a family that ran a successful coffee shop. However, when her mother fell ill, the shop was confiscated, plunging the family into hardship. The stress took a toll on everyone, and Tsega’s father passed away soon after.

As the only daughter, Tsega took on the responsibility of caring for her mother and brothers, putting her education on hold to support her family. In 2002, she married a childhood acquaintance who earned a modest income by renting out a car and supplying construction materials. Life was tough, and to make ends meet, they built a corrugated tin house on land owned by her husband’s grandparents. Over the years, Tsega and her husband welcomed four children into their lives.

When Tesfanesh Gizaw looks back on her life, she describes it as a journey of resilience, growth, and transformation. Now a thriving entrepreneur and a beacon of hope for many, Tesfanesh attributes her success to the support she received from the Organization for Women in Self Employment (WISE) program. Her story is one of discovering hidden potential and turning challenges into opportunities.

Born into a middle-class family, Tesfanesh’s life took a drastic turn after the passing of her father. As the youngest member of her household, with her older siblings married and living their own lives, she suddenly found herself responsible for her family’s wellbeing at a tender age. Despite her determination to complete her education, she had to balance school with work, taking on traditionally male jobs to keep her family afloat.