From Domestic Work Abroad to Successful entrepreneur at Home

From Domestic Work Abroad to Successful entrepreneur at Home

Martha Bekele was born in 1984 in the Beklo Bet area of Addis Ababa. She attended her primary education at Fana School and thereafter studied at Abyot Kirs School until 12th grade. After finishing school, she spent a few years working in various occupations, primarily as a waitress and salesperson. However, despite her hard work, she was unable to achieve the financial security she desired. Accordingly, in 2008, Martha made the difficult decision to migrate to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Her primary goal was to support her family financially, as her years of labour in Ethiopia had not yielded the desired results she had hoped for.

From the start, her labour migration journey in Abu Dhabi as a domestic worker was fraught with challenges. The physically demanding nature of her job and prolonged standing exposed her to various health issues, including varicose veins.

After three years of working in Abu Dhabi, Martha returned to Ethiopia to work in her own country. After returning to Ethiopia, she got married and had a son. While overseas, she struggled to save enough money to start her own business back home as she used to send her entire salary to her parents and also had to use her salary to repay the transportation costs she had borrowed for her trip to Abu Dhabi.

After spending two years in Ethiopia, she decided to return to Abu Dhabi. She discussed her option with her father and husband, who agreed that she needed to make more money to help her settle and work permanently in Ethiopia. Accordingly, she went to Abu Dhabi and started working as a domestic worker once again. However, not long after her journey, her son was diagnosed with diabetes. This unexpected incident forced her to return home once again, without much preparation, in order to take care of her baby boy.

Fortunately, her son's health improved in few months, and she began contemplating starting her own business in Ethiopia with the little money she had saved up from her second time overseas. In addition, her father informed her that he had also saved the money she used to send him while she was overseas. With these savings, she immediately opened a small cafe specialising in breakfast and fast food. Her choice to enter the food business was based on her prior experience in the industry, and she believed she could succeed in a familiar environment.

While managing her restaurant, Martha learned about the Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) training organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) Better Regional Migration Management (BRMM) Programme funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development (FCDO) Office in partnership with the Organization of Women in Self Employment (WISE), from one of her customers. The customer informed her that the organization’s primarily focus was on training returnees from Arab countries and support them in becoming members of Savings and Credit Cooperatives. Intrigued by this opportunity, Martha registered the very next day.

Although she had been running her own business before attending the training, her operations were not well-organized. She lacked efficient financial management, as she was unable to track expenses and income properly, which hindered her capacity to grow her restaurant. Considering this, she eagerly participated in the training sessions that provided her with an abundance of knowledge and understanding. Before the training, she had not considered alternative sources of credit or resources to expand her business. However, after completing the program, she began to see new opportunities around her. She realised that her own clients were valuable resources, and she had been wasting time and energy by not recognizing their potential earlier.

"A little business knowledge truly goes a long way!" she reflected.

The training helped her integrate her past energy and time commitments with the new insights she learnt. Most importantly, she learned that a successful business requires continuous improvement, adjustments, and maintenance to thrive. After completing the training, she also became a member of WISE’s ‘Yichalal’ Savings and Credit Cooperative, which helped her maintain disciplined saving habits. She diligently kept detailed records of all her business expenses and income, giving her a clear picture of her financial situation.

Martha also invested time in studying her competitors, analyzing their procedures and pricing strategies, and keeping an eye on current market trends. This helped her remain competitive and make informed business decisions. To increase efficiency, she hired two additional employees, which was a game-changer. The new hires helped her in properly and effectively managing the workload, preventing overlaps between food preparation and serving. With a clear business plan in place, she found satisfaction in seeing her efforts pay off.

Following the training, Martha started promoting her products on Telegram and launched a delivery service, which helped expand her customer base. In addition, she became one of the winners of the business plan competition organized as part of the training program organised by the ILO BRMM Programme in partnership with WISE. With the cash transfer award she received, she purchased a juice maker, which significantly enhanced her business and attracted more customers to her cafe.

Despite her successes, life had tested Martha in ways she never imagined, especially through her son's battle with diabetes. However, with strong support and guidance from God, she discovered a renewed sense of purpose.

Looking ahead, Martha dreams of opening a large centre for young diabetics in Ethiopia. This centre will not only provide essential diabetes treatment and comprehensive care but also serve as a sanctuary where young patients can escape their pain, have fun, and truly relax.

For women who are migrant workers and returnees, Martha has a heartfelt message: "If we channel the energy and time that we sometimes feel is wasted abroad into our own country, and if we persevere, we can achieve incredible things. Based on my own life experience, I recommend anyone who feel they have no choice but to migrate to obtain as much information as possible before making the decision. Work with a purpose, seek change, and make saving a habit. "