Nesru Abdu – Ethiopia
Life in Ethiopia has been challenging for many young people, including 23-year-old Nesru. After losing his father during secondary school, Nesru was forced to abandon his education and struggled to find a job. Hoping for better opportunities, he migrated to neighboring Sudan. However, life there proved to be far from what he had envisioned. Moving from one menial job to another, Nesru eventually gave up and returned to Ethiopia in despair, feeling both jobless and hopeless.
A turning point came when Nesru learned about the Rural Youth Enterprise Graduate Program, a collaboration between Silatech, the Qatar Fund for Development, and the Oromia Finance Institution. This program was designed to support young entrepreneurs by providing training and financial assistance. Motivated by this opportunity, Nesru partnered with five friends to establish a business leasing agricultural equipment to local farmers. The program equipped them with professional agricultural training, entrepreneurial skills, and funding to purchase the necessary tools.
The business has been a success, offering a steady income for the group while boosting productivity for the farmers they serve. Nesru and his team are now well-known in their community, demonstrating how targeted youth empowerment initiatives can transform lives. His journey from despair to success highlights the potential of entrepreneurial programs to create sustainable livelihoods and foster economic growth in rural areas.
