Siblings Finally Reunite

New Beginnings and Brighter Futures for Two Sisters

A few years ago, Nigist and Meseret had each other, but very little else. The two sisters grew up very poor in Ethiopia. The family of six—two other sisters and their mom Belaynesh—relied on their father’s income for food and shelter.

When he died, their mother struggled to keep the family stable, eventually having no choice but to send the sisters to live with different relatives. They bounced from home to home for years.

Then, Belaynesh was diagnosed with HIV and died. Her four daughters were orphans with no way to support themselves. The two older sisters moved in with their elderly grandmother but Nigist and Meseret wanted to finish school. So Nigist took on several jobs, earning just enough to pay for rent. That left nothing for their education.

In 2009, things changed for the better when the sisters learned they had a sponsor through Wide Horizons For Children. For the past nine years, sponsorship has been a lifeline, because it has provided Nigist and Meseret a way to pay for food and school—and a chance to thrive.

As new graduates of the sponsorship program, their futures are now filled with possibilities. Meseret is studying accounting at the university. Nigist took a job as a cook which helped pay for her video and photography courses. Where once these sisters had no parents, no stability, and no future—today they each have solid career options and a way out of poverty.

Nigist and Meseret have survived—and thrived—because sponsorship gave them a way to pay for food and school.