I wish my friends could get the trainings I got through POTENTIAL

The business in the picture is a boutique owned and run by Tsegaw Haile in Maychew Town. The boutique in its current capacity is worth 80,000 Birr. This is not the only business Tsegaw owns and runs. He also has another boutique in the same town worth 25,000 Birr. In addition to the two businesses, Tsegaw has saved 15,000 Birr in ‘equb’ (local saving scheme). He attributes all to POTENTIAL and the trainings he received from the project.

Now 25 years old, Tsegaw was a high school dropout who lived with his family in Tsibet Kebele, Endamehoni Wereda of Tigray Region. Before being enrolled in POTENTIAL, he had some experience in the farming business. However, he only gave two or three days out of the week for this business, spent most of his income, and did not have any savings. Tsegaw says, “The POTENTIAL trainings enabled me to develop basic life skills, saving culture and time management; but most of all, they helped me to lead a purposeful life.” Shortly after completing the trainings, Tsegaw took 30,000 Birr loan from Dedebit Saving and Credit Institution and opened a small boutique in Maychew town. Then, with the money he saved, he opened a similar but bigger boutique in the center of the main market of the town. Because of the financial success of these two boutiques, Tsegaw is now financially independent. He also looks after his brothers and sisters. One of his brothers runs one of his boutiques and a sister assists him in her spare time.

Tsegaw says despite the success so far, his big vision is yet to be realized. He is looking for a loan amounting to 60,000 Birr and plans to expand his business, and own a house in Maychew. He says, “Prior to the trainings, I used to spend all my days and money in vain. Now, I come to realize the value of time and money. An hour now has more worth than a day I had before, and a penny now gives me more meaning than hundred Birr did before.” “My friends still live the same life we lived before and I feel sad for them. I wish they could pass through the same trainings that I was offered,” he added.