From Sponsorship to Entrepreneurship!

Tadesse Haile tells the story of one former sponsored child who has used his success to give back to the community where he grew up.

Yohannes Getachew is a 30 year old young man who lives in Addis Ababa Ketema neighborhood of Kebele 05 in Addis Ababa city. Yohannes lost his mother when he was three and his father at 11. He was raised by his aunt and uncle. He was recruited for the Life Church sponsorship support program by the former IHA UDP program officers for his outstanding academic achievement while in Grade 1 of his primary school years.  

The sponsorship support for Yohannes continued until his college years. He has graduated from the Addis Ababa University Building College in Urban and Regional Planning and Design in August 2019. 

He has started his career with employment in the Sub City office of the Addis Ababa city administration. Yohannes was satisfied neither with the salary nor the duties and responsibilities assigned to him. So he started his first side business with a video rental and play station shop. He resigned from his employment after seven months and moved into his second business of bread distribution. He has stayed in this business for three years and moved into printing and advertising. Yohannes has a very strong entrepreneurial motive that stimulates him for a higher goal.

That motive pushed him to develop a business plan and negotiate with AHISDO to establish his current Gym business. As a business firm, the Gym provides its services with discount rate for the surrounding community. As part of AHSIDO partner the business provides free taekwondo training, football match hosting and educational film shows for the sponsored children of AHISDO. The establishment of the Gym also promotes the images of AHISDO and ensures the sustainability of the sponsorship programs.

Yohannes has established good will and relationship with the surrounding community, especially the youth. This has helped him coordinate with the business community for the support of AHISDO.

Yohannes is married and has two children. He is happy with all he has achieved so far but still has several ambitions and goals that he is confident of achieving. His first major goal is to establish a big metal and wood manufacturing workshop. His second goal is to join a graduate program abroad, preferably in the UK with or without scholarship.