Bishoftu March 16, 2024 –A refresher training on the concept of Self-Help Group was conducted at the JeCCDO-Opportunity for Change training center from March 14th to 16th, 2024. The three days training aimed to enhance the capacity of CBO leaders, VCDPFs, and government experts. A total of 28 participants, including 18 females and 10 males, took part in the training.

The training focused on the importance of forming Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in participatory projects. Participants were introduced to SHGs and learned about their significance, initiation process, group formation criteria, organization of group meetings, characteristics of SHGs and their operational procedures, steps in bank linkage, and income-generating activities. Additionally, discussions on assessing SHG performance, goal setting, communication, conflict resolution, and reporting templates were conducted.

The training methodology was interactive, with the trainer ensuring that knowledge was effectively communicated and understood by the participants. Engaging discussions, feedback sessions, and group activities during the training sessions supported the learning process. A presentation on reporting templates and future steps was delivered by Ato Tilahun Abebe, Senior Project office of the UPSNJP.

The training is part of the ‘Child and Gender Sensitive Social Support Service for Productive Safety Net Program’ of JeCCDO that is being implemented with financial and technical support from the United Nations International Emergency Children Fund (UNICEF).

Over the years, JeCCDO has established about 700 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and a higher-level structure called Cluster Level Association (CLA). The concept of SHG was first introduced in Debre Birhan, and later scaled up throughout its geographic focuses. Over 500,000 women have been empowered socially and economically through the SHG approach.