Being part of the group gives me hope that I never had before.
Building independence through collective savings
Wizeru Mesfin rarely left her one-room home in Sekota, a small city in Ethiopia’s Amhara region. Living with a disability that limits her mobility, she was used to a quiet, isolated life.
Everything changed when Mebrit Kesaye invited her to join a local women’s self-help group.
"She told me, even if I don’t have money, just come and talk,” Mesfin recalls.
The group is part of a network of women-led savings and loan associations supported by WE-Action, an organisation Oxfam works with in Amhara. Through the group, Mesfin began saving small amounts of money and later accessed a loan to start a business. Today, she buys dresses, embroiders them, and sells them to women preparing for weddings and special occasions.
The impact has gone beyond income.
"I am now a more independent woman,” she says. “I can save money, pay my rent, and feel part of my community.”
Turning opportunity into leadership
Independence is something group leader Mebrit Kesaye knows well.
Before joining a self-help group herself, Kesaye struggled to support her three children through irregular work, including laundry and baking injera.
"I had a business mindset,” she says, “but no money to work with.”
Access to small loans allowed her to invest in livestock, gradually grow her income, and improve her family’s living conditions. Over time, she paid off her loans, built savings, installed a metal roof on her home, and added a room she now rents out for extra income.
Today, Kesaye leads an 18-member self-help group in her neighbourhood.
Her leadership style is intentionally inclusive. Roles such as chair, secretary, and finance lead rotate among members, helping women build confidence, literacy, and financial skills.
"I believe in sharing responsibilities so everyone feels involved,” she explains.
Today, Kesaye leads an 18-member self-help group in her neighbourhood.
Her leadership style is intentionally inclusive. Roles such as chair, secretary, and finance lead rotate among members, helping women build confidence, literacy, and financial skills.
"I believe in sharing responsibilities so everyone feels involved,” she explains.
More than money: building confidence and rights
While savings and loans are central, the groups offer much more than financial support.
Through WE-Action, group leaders receive training on women’s rights, sexual and reproductive health, and community participation. They then share this knowledge with their members, strengthening awareness and leadership across the group.
“When Mebrit gets training, she passes it on,” says Tamtiru Tadesse, a social worker with WE-Action. “That’s how the whole group grows stronger.”
For Mesfin, the journey hasn’t been without challenges. Business can be slow, and collecting payments isn’t always easy. But her confidence has grown.
“Now that I’m more engaged in the community,” she says, “I have hope I never had before.”
Strength in solidarity during crisis
Since 2019, WE-Action has helped establish 16 self-help groups in and around Sekota. Today, they reach around 6,000 women, with nearly half running small businesses — from food preparation and home-based shops to handicrafts.
The groups proved vital during the COVID-19 pandemic and periods of armed conflict in the region. Members relied on their savings to survive, delayed loan repayments when needed, and continued meeting despite immense challenges.
“We suffered a lot,” says Kesaye. “But the group helped us cope. We never lost hope.”
