Zenanesh Asnakew is a 40-year-old single mother of two from the Fogera District in the Amhara region of northern Ethiopia. She is the sole earner in her family, supporting her two children and parents. She engages in small trading activities, selling snacks and local drinks, and farms her small plot of land to support her family. For the past two years, Zenanesh has been a member of a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) with 20 members, supported by CARE. The VSLA’s name is ‘Tigist,’ meaning patience. Zenanesh shares her experience going through multiple crises – COVID-19, flood, and conflict, and how a loan from her savings group enabled her to support her business.
Our programs increase incomes 175%, savings 153%, and entrepreneur business sales 15%. Learn more about our impact areas, including economic benefits and social outcomes for women, the ripple to her family and community, and the sustainable local market systemic changes. Read More
CARE’s integrative and gender transformative approach to increased market systems engagement puts small-scale women producers and firms at the center. Push interventions support and develop approaches that strengthen small-scale producers’ capacity to engage effectively with markets, while pull strategies facilitate the development of market systems in a manner that expands the diversity and quality of opportunities accessible to the ultra poor to engage more successfully in the local economy. This brief demonstrates multiple examples of CARE's pull intervention approach. Read More
She Heals the World is a CARE initiative to support and enable frontline community health workers (FCHWs) around the world through innovative and complimentary programs and advocacy efforts. Read more here about who FCHWs are, why they are important, and how CARE is helping them, especially women, become empowered, valued, and prioritized. Read More