GRASSROOTS CHAMPION:
60-YEAR-OLD ADE DEBU’S ROLE IN FAMILY PLANNING ADVOCACY.
By Abduselam Ibrahim, Program (AYSRH Integration) Advisor & Yonatan Tamiru, Communication Specialist, PSI Ethiopia
“Maybe when you see my face, you think I’m too old to make a difference in my community, but that’s not true. I still feel motivated to help the young girls in my community access the health services they deserve, which I lacked,” says Ade Debu, a 60-year-old Women Development Army (WDA) member and Smart Start advocate in Gengeleta Kebele, Sokoru Woreda, Jimma Zone, Oromia Region.
Her motivation stems from deeply personal experiences. Growing up in an environment where health services were inaccessible, Ade knew the cost of being uninformed about family planning. Determined to change this for the next generation, she stepped up to become a leading voice for the Smart Start initiative in her community.
This is the story of Ade Debu Aba Mecha — a mother, WDA group member, and committed advocate for family planning through the Roadmap to Integrating Smart Start (RISE) Program. Smart Start empowers young married girls in Ethiopia by providing family planning information and financial guidance, helping them make informed health and life decisions. Inspired by the program’s benefits, Ade Debu pledged herself to the cause after learning about it during a kebele kickoff session. Despite knowing that some elders and religious leaders might oppose her efforts, she courageously chose to promote family planning services to married adolescent girls and young women in her community.
Gengeleta Kebele, home to 4,625 people, includes 1,018 women of reproductive age. When it was selected as one of the RISE implementing kebeles in 2023, Ade knew she faced an uphill battle. Family planning was largely misunderstood, and demand for these services were low.
Many community members held deep-rooted beliefs — viewing children as a blessing from God and seeing family planning as a challenge to God’s will. “I heard comments like, ‘Who are we to interfere with God’s plan?’” she recalls. Yet, with patience and persistence, she helped families see family planning as a way to secure healthier futures for their daughters.
Ade worked closely with Health Extension Workers (HEWs) to deliver comprehensive health education tailored to the community’s needs. This collaborative effort gradually shifted attitudes, increasing the acceptance of family planning services.
Seeing the transformative impact of Smart Start, which offers family planning support, financial stability, and promotes well-being for married girls aged 15–19, Ade’s passion for advocacy deepened. Since joining the Smart Start team, she has identified seven married adolescent girls within her got (neighborhood), ensuring they received the necessary health services. Her work was not easy, as the kebele’s dispersed geography and some community members’ initial resistance created additional barriers. “At first, people thought I was bringing in outside ideas that didn’t belong in our culture. It took patience to help them understand that this is about giving our daughters a choice,” she says.
“I’m not only promoting family planning services to the married adolescent girls in the community but also within my own family,” says Ade Debu. She adds, “Now, one of my granddaughters has started using family planning through the Smart Start approach, even before having her first child. I want her to delay pregnancy because she’s too young, and I want to see her healthy and productive even after becoming a mother.”
Ade Debu’s advocacy has had a ripple effect. Other WDA members have joined her after witnessing the economic, social, and health benefits that Smart Start brings to married adolescent girls. “When others saw that these girls could balance marriage with education or work, they began to understand that family planning could offer a stronger future for all of us,” Ade explains.
The results of RISE community-driven effort are beginning to show. Since the program’s implementation in Gengeleta Kebele, family planning uptake among married adolescent girls has increased by 40%, with more families supporting their daughters in making informed choices.
Ade’s story is a powerful example of how grassroots leadership and persistence can transform attitudes and improve health outcomes. PSI Ethiopia is committed to working with communities like Gengeleta to scale such efforts across Ethiopia. By supporting initiatives like Smart Start, we can empower local champions and create lasting change for generations to come.
