Helping the women of Tigray rebuild their lives

Update (September 2023): Conflict in Ethiopia means I have not yet been able to travel to Tigray to assist with trauma training. Undeterred, Feven sourced online training and, despite internet challenges, a group of people in Tigray have been trained in supporting those who have experienced trauma. I was deeply touched to receive a mention on their thankyou banner (held here by some of those who have been trained). I wish to extend that thanks to all of you who have donated.

Update: by the end of July 2023 a total of 32 women have received funding to set up businesses to sustain themselves and their dependants, 25 farmers and 7 vendors. In addition Feven who is the wonderful woman who has set up this project is currently going through the process of having it formally recognised as a charity.

Hi, I am Susan, a Clinical Psychologist from Scotland (registered with HCPC, registration number PYL24666). I am fundraising for a project set up by Feven Haddis in Ethiopia to help women to rebuild their life after the devastating impact of war.

Tigray is a beautiful region in the North of Ethiopia, which I had the pleasure of visiting in November 2019. A year later war broke out in the region, then home to around 7 million people. In addition to deaths of those directly involved in the 2 years of fighting, it is estimated that half million civilians have died as a result of violence and due to related food shortages and lack of medical supplies. In addition, the number of internally displaced people, often living in camps lacking water and sanitation, has been estimated at over 2.5 million.

In 2022, the UN estimated that there were 26 thousand survivors of sexual violence perpetrated during the war. Women and girl children in particular have been subjected to horrific attacks, often involving gang rapes, with reports also of sexual slavery and genital mutilation.

The aim of this fundraiser is to provide women with psychosocial support including counseling, employment training, and seed money to start a business to sustain themselves and their children/dependents. Feven is already in discussion with fruit growers associations in Ethiopia about purchasing seedlings for women farmers.

It is estimated that we will need to raise £200 for each woman to be supported by the project. I will ensure the money raised reaches Feven by delivering it to her in person and will pay retuns visits to Ethiopia to see and report on the impact of the project and what your donations have helped the women achieve (pleasure note, money raised by this fundraiser will NOT be used to fund my trips to Ethiopia, these will be self funded by me).

Thank you for your support.