Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Sep 1, 2016 / 07:35 am
Making a living is tough in parts of Ethiopia, but a Catholic-run program aims to change that.
"When we first began people said to us that we were wasting our time and we would not be successful but we were not discouraged and continued to strive. Within just a year look at what a different story it has become," said Addisu Mutturu, a beneficiary of the program.
The program, called Supporting Horn of Africa Resilience, is run under the Ethiopian Catholic Church Social and Development Commission in association with Caritas Ethiopia, the Catholic News Agency for Africa reports.
The program aims to encourage personal savings through small savings groups. It encourages young people to save 20 percent of startup capital costs for small business then helps them raise the rest of the costs. It connects them to a local microfinance institution that can train them on business plans and management based on their situation.