“From Struggle to Strength: Aregash’s Journey to Rebuilding Her Life”
Aregashe Mitiku Ademasie, like many young people pursuing formal education, once dreamed of building a professional career. She earned a certificate in electronics and aspired to work in the media. But life took a different path.
“I wanted to become a media professional,” she recalls, “but life had other plans.”
Her journey took her from Debre Birhan University, where she worked under a private company, to Addis Ababa, where she earned a living as a construction finishing assistant. In 2019, her life took a difficult turn when she was displaced from Addis Ababa and forced to return to her birthplace in Arega Kebele, Guna Begemder Woreda.
Aregash Mitiku tends to her chickens with care and determination in Guna Begemidir Woreda, April 15, 2026
“Returning to my birthplace wasn’t easy,” Aregash says. “I thought I could rebuild my life quickly, but it was not what I expected.”
Determined to survive, she tried different small businesses. She worked in a bakery and later provided tea services under a contract with ActionAid.
“The bakery business was doing well,” she explains, “but it didn’t last long.”
For Aregash, a 28-year-old mother of three, life was filled with uncertainty until 2024.
“After everything I went through, I was under a lot of stress,” she says. “For me, the MaYEA program came as a savior.”
Through the MaYEA program, implemented by ORDA Ethiopia in partnership with Mastercard Foundation, Aregash received training in agro-enterprise development, poultry production, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, gender inclusion, and disability awareness.
“When they first invited me, I thought they were going to give me money,” she admits with a smile. “Later, I learned I had to complete training first and then access a loan. I hesitated; I wasn’t sure I could repay it.”
While waiting for the loan, Aregash took a bold step. She borrowed money from a family member and started poultry farming.
She invested in 70 Bovans Brown egg-laying chickens. With technical support from the program officers, she built proper shelters and secured feed for the chickens.
“After three months, in December 2025, I saw the first egg,” she says proudly. “By March 2026, all the chickens were laying eggs.” During her first production cycle, she sold 856 eggs and earned 10,272 ETB during the Ethiopian Easter season of 2026. Between April 18 and the end of May 2026, she collected 3,093 eggs, which brought her total earnings from 3,949 egg sales to 47,272 ETB.
“My real profit comes from selling the chickens themselves,” she said. However, she has recently noticed unusual behavior among her chickens, which has become a challenge for her business. She is currently consulting the program officer and looking for support from a local veterinarian to identify the problem and find a solution.
She is now waiting for a loan to expand her poultry enterprise.
Beyond financial gains, Aregash speaks about something even more powerful: her personal recovery.
“The MaYEA program helped me heal,” she says, laughing. “I had many health problems caused by stress. But I recovered without medication. The illness was not physical; it was psychological.”
Aregash Mitiku turns training into impact, producing eggs and keeping smart records in Guna Bege Midir Woreda. April 2026
“After I sell all my chickens and calculate my profit,” she says, “I will start counting my own labor. I will pay myself a salary of 4,000 to 5,000 ETB per month.”
She is also encouraging her husband, who currently works as a daily laborer in a dryland area harvesting cotton and sesame, to return and join her growing business.
“I want us to build this together,” she says. “Now, I see a future.”