BIG DREAMS, SMALL STEPS
THE STORY OF AMARE AND GENET
Author: Kidus Desalegn, Senior Communication and PR Manager, PSI Ethiopia
Most people’s knowledge of family planning is limited to taking contraceptives and spacing births. This is especially true for most rural households in Ethiopia. The Owning Their Future (OTF) project takes a holistic approach to family planning, using the Smart Start counseling model, community and husband engagement, and other complementary activities. It is being implemented in 13 zones and 52 woredas in the Oromia, South-West, Southern Nation Nationalities, and Sidama regions. The project targets married adolescent girls and young women in hard-to-reach areas.
Geresse is one of the OTF implementation woredas, and in collaboration with the woreda’s health bureau the project has reached more than 6,800 households. Amare Alemayew and Genet Geremew are residents of the Geresse woreda and are among the 6,800 households the project has reached. A young married couple, Amare and Genet have four children and farm their small plot of land to support their family.
Amare is an ambitious father who dreams of creating a better future for his children. Until recently, he and his family lived in a small mud hut, but a few years ago he started building a bigger house, but had difficulty finishing it, mainly because he lacked the financial resources.
Little did he understand that family planning was related to economic empowerment, self-determination and financial stability. But after he and his wife took part in couples Smart Start counseling, they realized this connection and the need to diversify their income sources.
“After the Smart Start counseling, we realized how important it is to increase our income by working in different fields.”- Genet Geremew Amare decided to diversify his farming activities through livestock, horticulture, spice and coffee cultivation. Amare explains, “By diversifying my income-generating activities, I was able to quadruple my income and provide a better life for my family.”
The integrated and holistic approach to family planning also includes the involvement of the husband. Amare was informed of the importance of his wife engaging in income-generating activities to support herself and their family.
Currently, Amare’s wife, Genet, raises chickens and sells them to her local wholesalers. When Genet was asked about her motivation to work on income-generating activities, she said, “Through the Smart Start session, I understood how basic money management and family planning are interlinked. Having another child has a strong connection to financial security.” Amare and Genet have built a better home for their family, sending their children to school, and creating sustainable income streams to invest to expand their small businesses.
Amare and Genet’s success is an example of how a holistic approach to family planning is critical to creating sustainable change in a community. Amare and Genet are role models for their community, and their local Health Extension Worker refers to Amare and Genet when approaching new households about family planning services.
