Faven at BHE during a previous Saturday Session program writing her poems
Faven and Tenaye are two young girls who joined the BHE program in 2014. Faven was a 7th grade student and Tenaye a 9th grade student. Both had lost their parents early on, Faven was just two years old when her parents passed away and Tenaye lost her parents by the age of seven. Now they are two young women on their way to success and self reliance.
Faven at her aunt's house
Tenaye with her older sister both at home
Faven’s aunt brought her to Addis Ababa from her home town Jimma after her parents passed. She enrolled for Woreda (local district) support and was referred to the BHE program. “My aunt had her own children with a little income and fulfilling our basic needs was impossible.” states Faven.
After losing both parents, Tenaye was left in the care of her older sister who was a young student herself. They lived in government housing in poor condition; Tenaye usually felt sick because of the cold. Tenaye recounts “life seemed very unfair to me after I lost my parents. Every day was full of struggles. I have two older sisters and I was sure those times were very tough for them as well.” Tenaye’s sister also enrolled for government support referring her to the BHE program.
Faven and her aunt
Tenaye and her older sister after joining the program
After joining BHE, both young girls slowly built on their academic skills as well as their self esteem and confidence. Faven expressed “I used to hate myself because I felt hopeless and behind the others, fortunately, I had a close follow up during the tutorial program and improved my educational performance.”
Faven was also very shy when she joined the program, however as she attended group Saturday sessions where she observed lively discussions, her communication began to improve. “We have learned to lose our fears; the program has helped us to know our rights, to be more participatory, to have confidence in ourselves and I am very grateful to BHE and the staff for the changes I see in myself.”
Tenaye’s academic performance as well as her overall health also improved after joining BHE. “BHE was there for me and I don’t know what I could have done without the family here. Simple things like getting monthly sanitary pads seemed easy for others, but for me it would have been impossible to fulfill monthly.”
Faven writing her poems
Faven helping her aunt bake injera
Faven enjoys writing poetry. She expresses herself freely now and has many close friends at BHE. Faven will soon take her 12th grade exam and she is studying hard to join university. She aspires to study Journalism, she states “being a journalist would allow me to share what I know.” Feeling joy at her progress she expresses “I am reaching the goals I have set for myself. I have changed a lot, sometimes I am even shocked by it. I have more goals now, I am dedicated to my studies and I am aiming towards things that will be good for my well-being.”
Faven’s aunt joined the BHE’s Income Generating Activities (IGA) Association for guardians. Her aunt bakes injera and has successfully grown her small business so it can help them have a sustainable livelihood. Faven supports her aunt in her free time. Faven is now on her way to self-reliance and making her dreams come true as a young woman. She says “I would love to have a family that lives in a better situation than I was in, have children that will have a better life than I had.”
Faven in her new school uniform becoming a senior in High School
Tenaye’s journey is just as positive. While early on Tenaye struggled with feeling anxious and sad, she now has a positive attitude towards her future. Tenaye shares, “I found every activity in the center very interesting and useful. The support I received gave me my hope and strength back and helped me a lot to make a positive move in my life. So I diligently attended the program for years.”
Her older sister also joined BHE’s IGA association for guardians. She worked selling cosmetics for some time. She then got married and now has two children of her own. Tenaye and her sister’s new family is now filled with the joy that they missed as children. Tenaye is now a 3rd year student at university studying Construction Management. She has a bright future ahead of her.
Tenaye with a big smile at BHE during a previous program