SMART START: INSPIRING AN ADOLESCENT GIRL TO DREAM.
THE STORY OF MISRACH GIRMA IN SHEY BENCH WOREDA.
Misrach Girma is an optimistic, driven nineteen-year-old married adolescent girl who was inspired by Smart Start to continue her education after dropping out in 11th grade. Misrach is the fifth child in a large family, living in the rural district of Shey Bench Woreda, Keshita Kebele. After passing the tenth-grade regional exam, she transferred to Kuka Secondary School in a nearby town. In eleventh grade, she met Seraje Aterse, who proposed to marry her shortly after they met. At first, her mother refused the proposal and wanted Misrach to continue her education. However, her father, relatives, and other community members insisted that Misrach gets married immediately. Misrach got married and stopped going to school. At that time, she knew very little about family planning and reproductive health. “I was born and raised in a rural area and had no knowledge of reproductive health other than the occasional biology class. It was difficult. Far from my family, I was worried about my future. But one day a Smart Start Navigator and a Women’s Development Army member came to my house and taught me and my husband about family and business planning. We were inspired by the session and started to discuss my education, family planning, and how to increase our income.”
In May 2022, Misrach and Seraje were one of the first couples to attend the Owning Their Future demand creation activity, the Smart Start counseling with a Smart Start Navigator (SSN). The Counseling showed them the link between family planning and financial/health success.
They said “We were overjoyed and asked the Smart Start Navigator many questions. She explained to us how we should reduce our expenses and increase our income, how expensive it is to raise a child, and how an increase in the number of children without spacing and preparation leads to malnutrition and affects the health of the mother, children, and the entire family.”
After the Smart Start counseling, the couple took the family goal and a service referral card. That night, they had a lengthy discussion about their future; the counseling inspired them to openly discuss topics like dreams, goals, and family planning.
“It was such a special night. I was pleased when he told me that my education would help the family. I told him that I needed to be a role model for our children so that they have hope for the future.”
They decided to schedule a follow up appointment and take contraceptive. On the day of Misrach’s follow up appointment, she went to MSIE (Marie Stopes International Ethiopia) mobile service provider office to get in-depth counseling on different contraceptive options. Given that she had agreed with her husband to wait a few more years before having a child, the MSIE service provider recommended (and she chose) Implanon, a long-acting, reversible contraceptive implant. The Smart Start counseling also inspired Misrach to save money, start a small business, and continue her education. Based on what she and her husband learned from the SSN, they opened a saving account at the Shey Bench Microfnance Office. After saving for some time, Misrach wanted to grow her small business by taking out a loan. However, when she first mentioned the idea of taking a loan to grow her business, both her husband and mother-in-law were hesitant.
“His mother-in-law did not support my decision, and it was tough to covince my husband to take a loan.”
But after several arguments and discussions, her mother-in-law agreed, and the couple took their first loan. Using the additional money, Misrach was able to grow her business.
“Our income has increased, and we plan to build a home and buy animals in the future.”
After getting Smart Start counseling and accessing a contraceptive method, Misrach is now an entrepreneur improving her family’s financial reality. She has also decided to start 11th grade the following academic year. Lastly, Misrach began supporting the Kebele’s Health Extension Worker (HEW) by sharing her experience with other young women during community events. She now serves as a role model for other girls in her community. Misrach says, “I believe that someone with a vision and a plan can achieve their goal, and this was made possible for me because of Smart Start.”
