37 Years of Community Leadership in Adama

Beshewa while feeding the oxen she purchased for fattening

When Beshewa first began saving through her community group, she had just 333.90 Ethiopian Birr.

Today, at 56 years old, she owns businesses valued at more than one million Birr.

Her husband, the family’s main provider, had passed away. Suddenly Beshewa was left alone to raise five teenage children. With no income and no support system, even providing food was a daily struggle. 

Determined to give her children a future, she moved to Adama hoping to find opportunity. But the reality was harsh. She visited a nearby mission school 16 times, pleading for her children to be enrolled. Each time she returned home heartbroken because she could not afford the fees.

Just when she was losing hope, someone in her community told her about the support offered through BBBC Nazareth and Children Believe Ethiopia.

Soon after, one of her children was registered. That moment opened the door to education and stability for her family. Through the program, Beshewa received 333.90 Ethiopian Birr, which she used carefully. With the money, she bought two sheep and continued brewing tella, a traditional Ethiopian drink, to earn a small income.

Four months later she sold the sheep for a profit and reinvested the money. She bought a young bull and later sold it for nearly double the price. One investment led to another. Slowly, the small beginnings began to grow.

Today, her businesses valued at more than one million Birr, includes livestock, milk production, and other small enterprises. She has purchased land, built a home, and even built another house for her eldest child.

When she speaks about the program that helped her begin, her gratitude is clear.

“BBBC Nazareth program financed by Children Believe Ethiopia have been a father to my family.”

Beshewa’s story was one of many shared on February 24, 2026 in Adama, Ethiopia, during a workshop marking more than 35 years of partnership between Children Believe Ethiopia and BBBC Nazareth.

Leaders from partner organizations, government representatives from the Education, Health, and Child and Women Affairs sectors, members of the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association, and community representatives came together to reflect on the progress that has grown from this long-standing collaboration.

At the heart of the partnership is an approach grounded in locally led development, where communities and local organizations shape the solutions that affect their lives. Over time, that leadership has helped create lasting opportunities for children and families across the region.

The impact shared during the workshop showed what long-term partnership can achieve.

Over 3,352 children have been directly supported through the program, including 1,618 boys and 1,704 girls. Communities have seen strong progress across education, health and nutrition, child protection, gender equality and social inclusion, youth employability and women’s economic empowerment.

Education has been central to this work. Nine schools have been supported from early childhood care and development through to secondary education, including the construction of three schools from the ground up.

Children in the Day-care center washing their hands with soap before their lunch.

Six-day care centers were also established so mothers could work and earn an income, guided by a simple belief within the program:

“Mothers should have the opportunity to work and earn.”

Economic empowerment has also grown through the formation of 23 Self Help Groups. In these groups, women began saving small amounts each week, sometimes as little as 5 Ethiopian Birr and sometimes up to 1,000 Birr. These groups became a foundation for financial stability and collective support. Through the groups, women were also able to access loans of up to 2,000,000 Birr, opening doors to businesses, new income and stronger livelihoods.

Derartu, in her workspace with one of her sewing machines.

For Derartu Tadesse, joining one of those groups became a turning point.

Only a few years ago, Derartu was working long hours in a garment factory after completing her vocational training. Her wages were barely enough to cover her basic needs.

Determined to build something more for herself, she saved 1,800 Birr, joined a Self-Help Group and later accessed a loan that helped her expand into a tailoring business.

Today Derartu owns three machines, employs staff and can earn up to 6,000 Birr per day. She now saves 500 Birr daily and has gained confidence through financial literacy and gender equality training.

When she reflects on the path that brought her here, she says simply:

“Children Believe is the milestone of my growth. It is because of it that I reached this level.”

For Nathanael, the turning point came through education.

Growing up in a farming family in the Sodo region, opportunities were limited. His parents worked hard, but their income barely covered daily meals. School supplies and transportation were often out of reach.

“I remember times when I had to skip school because we couldn’t afford supplies or transport,” Nathanael recalls.

At times, he feared he might have to leave school altogether.

That changed when he joined the Nazareth Child Care and Community Development Program, supported by Children Believe. He could continue his education and gave him access to mentorship and training opportunities.

 “That was the moment everything changed,” he says. “I discovered a passion for technology I never knew I had.”

Determined to follow that path, Nathanael later completed a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and went on to earn a Master’s degree. After graduating, he started a small computer training center in a rented room with borrowed equipment.

Today, that small idea has grown into a vocational institute offering training in digital literacy, English and culinary arts. The school has served hundreds of young people and is now valued at over 3 million Birr.

Looking back on that journey, he speaks about the encouragement that helped him believe in his future.

“CB-BBBC believed in me before I believed in myself. My goal is to be a bridge.”

Stories like these shows how long-term partnerships rooted in communities can shape opportunity across generations.

The workshop concluded with visits to several project sites in Adama, where participants saw firsthand the schools, health services and community initiatives that have grown through decades of collaboration.

After more than 35 years of partnership, the work of BBBC Nazareth offers a powerful example of what happens when communities lead the way. Local leadership, shared commitment and long-term investment have helped children access education, strengthened families and supported women and youth to build their futures.

And the impact continues to grow, led by the communities themselves.