She Couldn’t Walk or Go to School

Baraka has joy — and a profession — because of you

Baraka is 19 and lives in Addis Ababa with her parents and siblings. Their family home is in a remote part of the city, tucked on a series of hilly, rocky roads. It’s hard enough for anyone to travel these roads. But for Baraka, it’s nearly impossible.

Because of a deformity at birth, Baraka can’t walk. She uses a wheelchair, but the uneven roads make it a challenge to go too far from home. That’s also why she couldn’t finish school.

People with disabilities in Ethiopia, like Baraka, face an extremely difficult path with little hope of a productive life. They often wind up begging on the streets, become institutionalized, or placed in orphanages.

As a sponsored child, Baraka and her family received a small business grant from Wide Horizons For Children to support their business selling food and other goods. Baraka works at the shop, adding up the costs of goods and helping customers. She smiles while she works because she enjoys her work.

“I am good at my job and proud of myself.”

Baraka

With their shelves stocked, the family’s kiosk has become one of the preferred shops in their neighborhood. And that has changed everything for Baraka and for her family! Your generosity has given them the resources they need to become self-sufficient. But that’s not all. You have also given Baraka a sense of purpose — and a profession.