A Reunited Hope
“I thank God and the church for helping us become better partners and parents.”
One day, the Dana family began to break down.
Bezunesh Dana and her husband live in Ethiopia with their four sons and one daughter. As farmers living in a poor area, it is difficult to provide enough for their family. In 2018, Bezunesh joined a self-help group run by Tearfund’s local church partner, the Terepeza Development Association.
Joining the group helped her to feel like she had some sense of control over her life, something many Ethiopian women do not experience. In Ethiopia, men are traditionally the main breadwinners for their families and make the majority of familial decisions on their own. So when Mr. Dana first heard about his wife joining the group, he was hesitant. Despite the hesitancy, Bezunesh was determined and ready to try anything to help.
Eventually she saved enough to purchase a bull for her household. Purchasing a bull gave Bezunesh great confidence in herself as she had found a way to help her family.
One day, her husband tried to take the bull to sell at the marketplace without informing her. She became very upset because he did not consult with her about his decision. This began a heated argument, one of many between the couple.
When a man cannot provide enough for his family, he may feel shame due to the cultural expectations not being met. Breaking the barrier of shame for women earning an income for their family is something people like you are helping to eradicate with your support of Tearfund.
Fights over gender roles were not uncommon in the Dana household, and this particular one had to be broken up by neighbours. Not long after their quarrel, the local church invited the couple to attend a training on various topics surrounding family relationships.
Bezunesh says, “The training changed the way we interact as a family. My husband now consults me on decisions, and we no longer divide our children’s roles by their gender. Our children are given equal opportunities and our sons and daughters all help with cooking, washing, and farm work. My life is changed.”
Between the self help group and church trainings, the Dana family has also been able to start a small business selling butter, which has improved their economic situation. Mr. Dana told us, “I thank God and the church for helping us become better partners and parents. We now run our household using the principles taught to us by Tearfund.”
Because of donors like you, trainings are happening with families like the Dana’s who are uniting as a family to tackle and change the cultural expectations that continue the cycle of poverty.
