“A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you.”
— Bob Proctor
In the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, Yengusnesh works as a mentor in a program that is helping to transform lives, providing a long-term pathway out of poverty for participants.
Yengusnesh has experience working with the Women and Social Affairs Office and also served as the president for the Addis Ababa Women’s Association. But she wanted to make a real difference and share her knowledge with other women who needed support to build a brighter future.
Addis Ababa is home to some of the most vulnerable refugees and communities in the world. Long term conflict in Ethiopia and other African nations has seen an influx of displaced people seeking refuge in the capital. According to the UN, Ethiopia hosts over 823,000 refugees and asylum seekers, as well as an additional 70,000 urban refugees in Addis Ababa and 4.2 million internally displaced people. Earning a reliable income in the capital is extremely challenging for both refugees and host communities.
Finding hope
In such a challenging environment, hope can be hard to find.
Through the Tesfa (which means ‘hope’ in Amharic language) program, Act for Peace works alongside local organisation, Ethiopian Orthodox Church – Development and Inter Church Aid Commission (EOC-DICAC) to provide a holistic, sustainable pathway out of poverty, supporting participants to rebuild their lives.
A key aspect of this program is the focus on mentorship.
As a mentor, Yengusnesh meets with the Tesfa project participants three times every week. She is passionate about the project and sees the commitment of two years as a big point of difference that will have a long-term impact on the participants to help them transform their lives.
A life transformed
Yengusnesh mentors Tsehay*. Before joining the program, Tsehay struggled to earn a reliable income. The cost of rent was always increasing and Tsehay worried they wouldn’t be able to pay and would be evicted. When Tsehay’s daughter became sick with typhoid they had to take loans to access expensive health care.
Yengusnesh with her mentee Tsehay* when the Tesfa program first started. Credit: Genaye Eshetu / Act for Peace
But everything changed when she joined the Tesfa program. Tsehay received coaching, support and training on finances, life skills, business and technical skills. With support and encouragement from her mentor, she began training in hair and beauty so she could secure a reliable job.
According to Yengusnesh, the hope that the program provides is transformational.
“Hope is something that makes us see tomorrow brightly,” she says. “I see hope as food. Because someone without hope cannot live. And even the name implies that it means moving from the dark into the light. And also helping the people who are living in darkness to see a bright future.”
A brighter future
Yengushnesh explains Tesfa helps people like Tsehay take control of their lives.
“When people have the choice and the control necessary in their lives for themselves, their reason for living and hope will be high. And more than anything else, they will be eager to live their lives.”
As part of the Tesfa program, Tsehay was trained in hair and beauty and recently secured employment at a beauty salon.
For Tsehay, that change is transformational.
“I can feed and clothe my children,” she says. “I’m a changed person. I’m very happy.”
Yengusnesh celebrating the success of her mentee Tsehay. Credit: Sarah Doyle / Act for Peace
Throughout the program, Yengusnesh provides ongoing support for Tsehay, helping build her confidence and invest in her future.
For Yengusnesh, her role as a mentor provides a deep sense of purpose.
“Now, I’m part of the solution and I’m satisfied.”
