Cash Assistance Helps Displaced Mother Rebuild Her Life

Cash Assistance Helps Displaced Mother Rebuild Her Life

Abebech Gashaw, 35, is a mother of five who was displaced from Wollega in the Oromia Region in 2014 due to an ethnic driven violence. She now lives with her family in ine of the three IDP Camps in Debre Birhan, where they have spent years trying to rebuild their lives.

Text and Photos: Kedija Sefa

Displacement brought immense hardship. With little income and few opportunities to earn a living, meeting even the family's most basic needs became a daily struggle. There were times when there was no food at home, while her husband was too ill to work. The uncertainty of how she would feed and care for her children weighed heavily on her.

"I was worried about how I was going to raise my children and what they would eat. There were times when I suffered from depression. Even when we had food, we couldn't afford cooking oil, so we prepared our meals without it," Abebech recalled.

Through the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund (EHF)-supported multi-sectoral emergency response, Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) provided cash assistance to 400 internally displaced households living in China IDP Camp in 2026, including Abebech's family. She received ETB 10,200 each month for three months, totalling ETB 30,600.

The cash assistance enabled Abebech to meet her family's immediate needs while laying the foundation for a more secure future.

"When I received the first payment, there was no food in my house, so I bought teff and cooking oil. With the second payment, I bought clothes for my three children because they had none, and I used the remaining money to buy more food. With the third payment, I started a small business. I bought onions, peppers, potatoes, and lettuce and began selling them in the camp," she said.

The support brought a remarkable change to her family's life.

"Before, we couldn't even afford cooking oil. Now I can buy oil, prepare proper meals, and feed my children," she said.

Beyond meeting her family's immediate needs, the cash assistance gave Abebech the opportunity to generate an income and regain a sense of purpose and confidence.

"This support came at a time when my husband was sick and unable to work. The money was truly a blessing. Now I don't wake up worrying. I wake up thinking about my work," she said.

Running her small business has restored her hope for the future. Drawing on the business experience she had before being displaced, Abebech is determined to expand her livelihood and build a more stable future for her children.

"My dream is to open a bigger clothing store and earn a better living. Before, I constantly worried about how I would feed my children. Now, with the support I received, I can make ends meet, grow my business, and provide for my family. Right now, I don’t worry about how my children will be fed," she said.