A single mother’s path to hope and stability!

Masresha, 35, is a single mother to 3-year-old Hewan. When her daughter was only six months old, she made a courageous decision to escape an abusive and violent marriage. Though it meant she had to start over without financial support, she knew she had to protect herself and her child.

She spent years knocking on doors, seeking any job she could find to earn enough for food. “I used to see well-dressed children eating good food and cakes, their parents providing everything they needed. I always wondered when I would be able to do that for Hewan. I never wished anything for myself—except for my child.”

Two and a half months ago, her perseverance paid off when she received a call from her woreda labour and skill bureau, which she had registered with to receive support with finding employment. They had a job offer for her at an urban farm at the Jan Meda Sports Education Training Centre. “This was lifesaving for me,” Masresha says. “I cannot express enough how this has changed my life and how happy I am now.”

Masresha is now an employee at one of three centres in Addis Ababa where UNICEF is supporting a new and promising initiative – Urban Sports for Adolescent Development Programme. The initiative aims to transform young people's lives by using sports to tackle important issues like malnutrition and lack of social services while simultaneously creating economic opportunities.

Ethiopia, with its youthful population, stands at a crossroads of immense potential and tough challenges. Urban areas face a dual food crisis: some children suffer from obesity and poor eating habits, while others experience food poverty and micronutrient deficiencies. Limited access to essential health services further undermines their well-being and development. This is compounded by severe unemployment, increasing their risk of teenage pregnancy and substance abuse.

Against this backdrop and at the heart of this initiative are vibrant centres where play meets purpose. Young people engage in inclusive sports, learn about sexual and reproductive health, including menstrual hygiene and mental health, and develop life skills. They tend to and eat from climate-smart urban farms, poultry units, and beehives.

“The benefits of this initiative are far-reaching,” says Masresha. “The vegetables and animal products from the farm are sold to the local community. Whoever doesn’t have a job is getting an employment opportunity from this initiative. The children are getting healthy meals. I can go on and on about the benefits.”

With the stability of a regular job, Masresha can now provide for Hewan in ways she once only dreamed of. “Now I can buy her anything she needs and wants,” she said, wiping a tear away. “She’s growing up, and I have to enroll her in school. I don’t want my child to live a life like mine, so I will make sure she gets an education and a better life.”

At the urban farm, Masresha tends to the chickens, which she affectionately calls her babies. “The work is close to my heart. I feel connected to the chickens, like they are my children because I love animals. Even when it’s not my shift, I have to call in and ask: have you fed them? Is everything okay?”

Masresha's story is a testament to the resilience and the transformative power of community support and opportunities for young people and women. The programme is changing individual lives and contributing to the local community's well-being.

This initiative, currently piloted in three Addis Ababa centres, reaches 250,000 young people. With ongoing support, UNICEF aims to utilize 110 sports centres and 122 youth enrichment centres to reach over 5 million youths annually. Scaling up will empower young people to reach their potential, lead fulfilling lives, and contribute positively to the economy, offering a holistic approach to nurturing Ethiopia's youth and communities.