Progress Report on the accomplishment of the project titled: Improve the rights of Women & Girls with Disability through Economic Empowerment in Bahir Dar city Administration, Amhara Regional State

New Millennium Women Empowerment Organization has been  working in  partnership with  The Amhar women Association on  the project entitled with Improve the rights of Women & Girls with Disability through Economic Empowerment in Bahir Dar city administration in six sub cities, in  Amhara Regional State; New Millennium women Empowerment organization /NMWDO/ is an indigenous, nonprofit making and non-governmental development organization established in 2007 and started its operation in Addis Ababa in 2007.  Previously, it has been re-registered and licensed by the ministry of justice. Now it has Charities and Societies Agency (CSA) as an Ethiopian Resident Charity in accordance with the new charities and societies proclamation NO.621/2009 by registration NO.0539. NMWDO has been implementing the project entitled a Project: Improve the rights of Women & Girls with Disability through Economic Empowerment in Bahir Dar city administration in six sub cities, in Amhara Regional State with partnership of Amhara Women’s Association.

1. Accomplished Activities of the project

New Millennium women Empowerment organization /NMWDO/ has been working with integration of the AWA to improve the livelihood of women and girls with disability in the Bahir Dar city administration. The main activities of this project that has been accomplished by the NMWEO since the project implementation are:

2.1  Screening and selecting 34 disabled girls and women in collaboration with Amhara women Association, Amhara Peoples with disability Association, and sub city partners in each six sub cities of the area.

The project will address livelihood needs of 34 women and girls disability in Bahir Dar city administration in six sub cities. According to the plan of the project proposal 34 IGA beneficiaries of women and girls with disability were selected with the following income generating Activities criteria’s such as women and girls who has one types of disability, women and girls who are disabled and very poor and lived in Dahir Dar city administration, and those who have great interest to work in IGA, women and girls that were vulnerable and poor, Taking into consideration of the above mentioned criteria NMWEO, with integration of Amhara women’s Association and sub city women association, women and children affairs and the representatives of persons with disability teamwork  in collaboration. 34 women and girls with  disability in Bahir Dar city administration in six sub cities were selected to involve in IGA with the support of Finland Embassy and NMWEO  . The selection is equitable and fair to address the sub cities equally in those six sub cities. Hence IGA beneficiaries are divided equally for sub city on according to  prevalence and coverage of women and girls with disability found in the sub city. Accordingly 34 IGA beneficiaries were selected in the sub city.

•   Atse Theodros sub city (three)  3 beneficiaries.
•  Belay Zeleke sub city  six (6) beneficiaries
•  Dagmawi  Minilik  sub city seven (7)  Beneficiaries.
• Gish Abaye sub city seven (7 ) beneficiaries
• Tana  sub city 8  (eight)beneficiarie
• Fasilo sub city three (3) beneficiaries were selected to get loan from the NMWDO on the support of the Finland Embassy.

2.2. A one day launching workshop has been conducted with stakeholders and  donor in Bahirdar city 

New millennium women Empowerment organization with integration of Amhara women Association has conducted one day launching work shop .In the launching workshop accordingly, New millennium women Empowerment organization has organized a one day project launching workshop on October 24, 2020 in Bahir Dar city at Rahnile hotel for familiarization of the project objective to stakeholders so as to secure their commitment and participation at all levels of the project implementation processes and developed sense of ownership for sustainability of the project in the intervention area of Bahir Dar city Administration. The main purpose/objective of this launching workshop were the following.

Objective of the launching workshop

• The project launching objective is just to familiarize the project objectives and actions with stakeholders so as to secure their commitment and participation at all levels of the project implementation processes and develop sense of ownership for sustainability.
• To familiarize Bahir Dar city administration  and six sub cities  implementers on how to manage the income generating activity implemented on women and girls with disability in Bahir Dar city and sub city administrations.
• To create sense of ownership among concerned implementers of the project for effectiveness of the disable women and girls
• To take common understanding of the women’s and girls’ with disablity on this IGA project.

  

Date and Place of Workshop: The launching workshop was conducted on Sunday October 24/2020. In Bahir Dar city at Rahnile Hotel.

The Workshop was opened by Bahir Dar city administration office head of women and children affairs, office head women with disability representative of Bahir Dar city, women association office head, office heads of zonal department level and sub city and at the sub city level  technique enterprise heads ,social affair head,, women and children affair core processer and women association representative at the six sub cities level were the main participants of the workshop of the project.

Fifty (50) participants were participated on the workshop program. It is, in our view, a reasonable number that proves the interest of the event produced all of those effectively participated in the workshop, including the project lead implementing participants. The launching workshops of New millennium women Empowerment organization /NMWEO/ project have been conducted in  the presence of six sub cities representatives from, Amhara women association, women and children affairs, technique enterprise office, sub city social affair offices, sub city women association  chair person and other relevant sectors have been attended  on the launching workshop.

1 Opening Ceremony and Welcome speech

Mrs. Tiblet Mengesha chair person of AWA officially opened the launching workshop with welcome remarks to participants during the launch of the project that came from the target city administration and sub city stake holders as well as regional partners.

On her speech Mrs. Tiblet provided the necessary background information regarding the women’s economical vulnerability of women and girl disability  and other challenges that has been happened in Bahir Dar city.  Mrs Tiblet also explained the rational of to implement the project in the selected sub cities in Bahir Dar city, and she also explained the importance of the project implemented for poor and vulnerable as well as disables women and girls in Bahir Dar city Administration. Mrs. Tiblet strongly told to the Participants to discuss about the multiple problems faced on women and girls with disability, and the impact of this project have contributing to improve women’s and girls with  disability’ on their livelihood, in leading their families prevention of covid-19 pandemic and its impacts of GBV protection and how it will further strengthen the working relationship with AWA and NMWEO and government bodies in the in Bahir city administration.

1. Presentation of the project activities and its objectives:- NMWEO executive directress Mrs.Tigist Alebachew has made a brief presentation on the project issues captured in here presentation included was the project intervention area, objectives, output, and activities, Methodology of implementation for the project, Networking and stake holders, Indicative action plan for implementing the action for two years. She also added the international and national conventions on disability for women and girls. Mrs. Tigist has explained in detail about the project output and the IGA beneficiaries for this project and she also described that the beneficiaries are advised to contribute their parts which will be in terms of skill, labor and other available resources at their disposal with the aim to increase the feeling of ownership and responsibility throughout the project period and after the project phase out. NMWEO will make sure that the beneficiaries and their IGAs are well connected with the local authority for further support and  the future follow up.

Final point of the launching workshop of the project was the discussion, suggestion, comments and conclusions about the launching day.

 The Launching workshop discussion was led and organized by Mrs. Tigist Alebachew NMWEO executive directress and Mrs. Tibelet Mengesha AWA chair person.

The main questions and suggestion raised by the participant were.

1. What are the main criteria that used to select the project intervention sub cities that used for the IGA beneficiaries of poor and vulnerable women with disability used to select?

   Answer: Mrs. Tigist Alebachew said that the criteria that used to select the project sub cities is the interest of the donor organization that the Finland Embassy, wants to work in Bahir Dar city administration. The other point that the target sub cities were selected with wideness of the problems of the women and girls with disability problems.

2. What are the criteria that IGA beneficiaries selected in all six sub cities?

   Answer: This is a pilot project that shows how much the problem is heavier and needs an intervention for the women and girls who are disabled and poor of the poor in the city administration. Mrs Tigist said that the main criteria that used for the selection of IGA beneficiaries is that poor women and girls with disability, that is poor, marginalized and has not any means of income and helpers in their surroundings, those who have interest and motivation, that work in IGA

3. Now a days there were an inflation that the value of money is devaluated and the purchasing power of Birr is decreased now and then. So, is it enough 5,000.00 birr for the IGA beneficiaries? Mrs Tigist gave an answer for the participants about the seed money for the women with disability, we have entered an agreement from the Finland Embassy with 5000.00 birr per beneficiary for the purpose of seed money. she include that I accept your idea and I understand the value of money  that the purchasing power of money were decreased. As we know that women and girls with disability empowerment needs involvements of each stake holders and government bodies, so to achieve the project effectively and efficiently on each sub city level. There must be task force committee on each sub city level on selected project Bahir Dar city administration and therefore the committee must be formed in a short period of time.

Conclusion and Suggestions about the project workshops included

• The workshop constituted a good opportunity to foster the networking among NMWEO and our partners’ participations and sharing of knowledge on disability in general and women and girls in particular to improve the livelihood of the beneficiaries.
• The participants of the launching workshop suggested that we gave attention mostly for the women and girls economic empowerment, but there were less attention to those women and girl with disability, in addition to there were no NGOs that work in disability and also women and girls in particular. We thank New Millennium women empowerment organization and Finland Embassy. There we promise to work in collaboration of the sub city stake holders, Amhara women’s Association and the NMWEO for the effectiveness of the Income generating activity of those women and girls with disability.
• The launching workshop of the project met their objectives in promoting IGA   to improve the income and livelihood of women and girls with  disability in Bahir dar city Administration and its six sub city
• The stakeholders have been work strongly for the access to Income and improve the livelihood of the beneficiaries that is women and girls  with disability and may work strongly to improve their livelihood and discrimination in the community.
• The stake holders in the sub city level would be strengthening by considering how much the problem is again raised with women and girls who are with disability  in the city and sub city level.
• The participants include that the women at the ground must exercise and practice the written laws and policies. There is a constitution together with policy, laws and regulation that can provided protection for women with disability rights specially poor and marginalized women and girls

Closing remarks Tiblet Mengesha the Chairperson of Amhara women Association in her closing remarks emphasized this project is important to improve the livelihood of women and girls disability by involving them in IGA program to reduce the poverty and food insecurity in the project areas. She added that, this project is not new for the stake holder and the implementing partners NMWEO, AWA and other sub city level stake holders. As you know that we have implementing huge project the Global Fund income generating activity in Bahir Dar city administration in all the six sub cities, and there for you have an experience, and exposure how to implement IGA projects in your sub city, using the past experience of implementing income generating activities that improve the livelihood of the poor women, women and girls  with disability in the  city administration. You must have consider this project is my regular work and mine responsibility to implement effectively and efficiently and it  helps the actions of the NMWEO,AWA and other partners to support women and girls with disability. She was very impressed about how the day had been productive as a lot was achieved and would be used to shape the project to get the best of it. She then urged that our stake holders strengthening their niches, network and form synergies to achieve the project on the given action plan.

BDS and Entrepreneurship  Training

2.3.Provided 5 days of Business Development Skill Training for IGA beneficiaries;-NMWEO with integration of AWA  has conducted  BDS training for 34 IGA beneficiaries  who are women and girls with disability that were selected to  involve in revolving fund  to get loan . The training were conducted for five consecutive days starting from November 16/2020 to November 20/2020  in two sessions  with a total 17  trainee in each sessions  with in two trainers and two facilitators at Bahir Dar city.

IGA Beneficiaries  On the training

The portion of the training covers two main types training.

A.    BDS training

B.     Entrepreneurs training for the women and girls with disability.

The BDS training was given in Gish Abay sub city, Technique enterprise development conference hall. Business development services are important because they can assist the entrepreneurs to run their business more effectively. These services are very important for skill transfer because it is non-financial sector for the enterprises .The BDS training focuses in  the IGA beneficiaries that  includes the following main important points such as:

• Demand and supply issues: In this concept The IGA beneficiaries or take loan, there is a pocket of to support IGA beneficiaries of poor, disabled and marginalized women and girls, there is a clear gap between supply and demand on the beneficiaries. This BDS training gives a solution how to solve the gap between supply and demand of the IGA beneficiary’s trainee.
• Mentorship for the women with disability and IGA Beneficiaries: inclusion focused   BDS and mentorship need to be established as a part mainstreaming of business for women with disability in IGA program.  This is especially important for the empowerment   to the less nature business owned by women and girls with disability. Areas covered were:
• Financial management
• Marketing and market linkage
• Cash flow management
• Support for the feasibility study
• Access to finance
• How to start a business
• Individual Business plan  and its application  

In general this BDS training of the women and girls with disability mainly focused on building of those women and girls with disability confidence and other ability to challenge the traditional norms in families and communities which impede on business success for the IGA beneficiaries of the women and girls with disability that were involved in the BDS training with the support of Finland Embassy.