Growing Numeracy Skills Empower Derartu Women

Derartu Group in Dendi district of Oromia began its WORTH group almost a year ago.  The group started by saving just 50 cents per week, but over time, they have been able to graduate to saving one birr a week.  At the beginning of the program, no one knew how to read and write. Oromia regional state recently switched to Afaan Oromo as its official language.  This meant that any woman in the group who had ever attended school in her younger years, had learned to write in Amharic script not in Oromo script, the current language being used in the region. The literacy volunteer could read and write only Amharic, not the newly-transcribed Afaan Oromo with its Latin script.

At the beginning of the WORTH intervention, a literacy volunteer was recruited from outside the group to get the group started with literacy study.   After several months, Tadelich, a contributing WORTH member, learned how to read and write in Afaan Oromo language and she is now able to teach others.   “I have children and when they come back from school, previously I could not check what they had written.  Now I can easily understand and help them.  I can even read what a torn paper says.  Before I could not read Afaan Oromo script.  Now I have started to read books like this, and I have started to expand my knowledge.  It’s a huge change in my life.”

But literacy is not the only thing that has changed these women’s lives.  New-found numeracy skills have empowered Derartu group members to better manage their money.   Says Alemi Megersa, ‘I didn’t know numbers- what do they symbolize?  What are they used for?  But after training in WORTH, I have started to feel their benefits.  Now I’m in total control of my money.  Now I know how to add, now I know how to subtract.”

“Now I have even started using numbers to manage my small business in my home, when I am making local beverages. Previously I didn’t know how much I had invested or how much I had sold.   Now I can somewhat record and control how much I spent.  I can also do numerical calculations.  Even if it’s just an ordinary calculation,  I can make that calculation!  Even if it’s just a small difference, that’s a huge difference for me.”

"Because I don’t have land myself, the only option I have is to be involved in this small business.  Previously I had to go to loan providers even just to get a small amount of money.  It was difficult because you could not get money easily.  They would appoint you to come one day and when you went they would tell you to come back another day.   But now with the profit from my business, I am paying into my loan’s principal and saving the excess profit as well."

Other Derartu group members are making and selling local alcohol, juice made of barley flour, local breads, injera and sauce.  They also engage in petty trade, selling matches, candies, soap, kerosene, oil and salt.   Each one is using their newly gained numeracy skills to gain control over the money that flows in and out of their hands.