The below is a success story from one of our male partners who has taken out small loans for our Strategic Planning in Action (SPIA) program.
Gadisa Arado is a member of one of the first SPIA loan groups called Alemgena at the Debre Libanos Epicenter in Ethiopia. The 48 year old father of seven children lives in Xumano Kebele where he sends all of his children to school.
He has attended workshops and trainings conducted by The Hunger Project-Ethiopia, and is an active member of the community. He has worked to tackle corruption and HIV/AIDS, and to promote credit and savings, income-generating activities, environmental sanitation and compost preparation.
With his first SPIA loan of birr 600 (approximately US$55), Gadisa bought a heifer. He sold the milk produced by the heifer and paid back his loan. He then took out a second loan of birr 700 (approximately US$65) with which he bought five sheep. He fattened the sheep and then sold them, making a profit of 570 birr. With this profit, he was able to buy clothes for his entire family, and cover his children’s school expenses (e.g. books and school uniforms). And, Gadisa is very proud to report that two of his children passed the national eight grade exam!
After successfully paying back the second loan, Gadisa received his third loan of birr 800 (approximately US$74) with which he bought a second heifer.
Gadisa is optimistic for his future. He saves 50 birr (slightly less than US$5) per month and is planning to expand his income generating activity and build a house in town near his children’s school.
He recently said, “If I work hard, there will be no reason for not changing my living status. I will do my best with The Hunger Project-Ethiopia to improve my family’s life and end hunger.”
January 1, 2009
