A Ripple Effect
Meron is 20 years old and quit school in the ninth grade because of her struggles with epilepsy and repeated seizures throughout the school day. She is now on medication but explained to us that in order for it to work, it requires an adequate supply of food, which she has not had.
Meron’s living situation also brings her a lot of stress. She is the oldest of four children and her mother is the main provider, collecting leftover fruit from the market and trying to sell it for a small profit. Her father passed away years ago so all of the burden has fallen on her mother.
Meron described their home as tense, with their mother always stressed and telling the children that she can’t provide for them. As a result, Meron left their home in Addis and moved to Entoto Mountain.
She rented one room and began living by herself. Unfortunately, she struggled to make money in the area, so in order to afford her daily food and her house rent of $8/month, she began to prostitute.
Our Field Director, Abebech, met Meron in the home of a woman named Yirgalem, who is in our Women’s Empowerment program. She was empowered just a few months ago and is doing very well in her business, making food for a local hotel. Meron had begun going there to assist Yirgalem with her business in exchange for food.
Yirgalem explained to us that Meron is a bit slow because of her epilepsy, and as a result, the men in the area take advantage of her.
Our Field Director then called a meeting with our social worker in the area and Yirgalem, and they diligently worked on a solution to remove Meron from her poverty and abuse.
We agreed to cover Meron’s house rent as well as food for each day. Our staff also advised Meron to bring her mother to the community center so that our team could assess the entire family’s situation and reunify the family, if possible. Meron continues to meet with and help Yirgalem (pictured below) on her food business.
We were only able to swiftly respond to this need because of the generosity of our monthly givers. We are so grateful for your ongoing support to make stories like these possible.
It’s also important to note the role of Yirgalem in this story. Because she was empowered, she was able to see beyond her own needs and help another. Meron not only had an income opportunity through Yirgalem, but she had a friend during a time when she needed it most. Thank you for making this possible.
**Meron is still in need of monthly support through sponsorship. If you would like to sponsor Meron, please email Lauren@ordinaryhero.org for more details.