MULUNESH GETACHEW'S STORY
Mulunesh Getachew, a married woman with two young daughters, is an optimistic, self-driven nineteen-year- old who was inspired by Smart Start to return to school and study Human Resource Management.
Mulunesh, the fourth child in a large family, who makes a living through agriculture, was born and raised in a rural district called Gezegofa Woreda, Anko Golma Kebele. She attended a nearby primary school before transferring to Bulki Secondary School in the nearby town after passing the eighth-grade regional exam. In ninth grade, she met Hailemichael Tamiru who would soon ask her family for her hand in marriage. Despite her father’s desire for her to continue her education, he accepted the offer due to immense community pressure. As a result, Mulunesh was married at the age of fifteen while continuing to attend school.
Uninformed about family planning and reproductive health, Mulunesh became pregnant shortly after getting married. “I was born and raised in a rural area and had no knowledge of reproductive health other than the occasional biology class. It was difficult; I was worried about my future away from my family, but I did not drop out of school. Even though my grade wasn’t sufficient, I made it to tenth grade.” She gave birth to her first child Kalkidane H/Michael in the first semester of 10th grade, which brought immense joy to her husband and his family, especially her mother- in-law, Mrs. Zewditu Eshetu, who wanted her to drop out of school right away so she could devote her time caring for her new baby and family. However, she refused to leave school and took the 10th grade National Exam. While many of her close friends passed to attend preparatory school, she failed her exam. As a result, she abandoned her ambition to further her education and became a stay-at-home spouse. After a year, Mulunesh became pregnant with her second child and gave birth to a healthy daughter, Kidest H/Michael. At the age of eighteen, Mulunesh is a proud mother of two healthy daughters. But she I was always thinking about her failed dream to finish school and her daughters’ future.
MULUNESH AND H/MICHAEL SMART START JOURNEY Mulunesh and H/Michael made a living by renting their motorcycle out and as their family grew so did their expenses. Mulunesh began supporting the Kebele’s Health Extension Worker (HEW), first as a member of a one-to-five network and then as the leader of the Women Development Army (WDA). This opened an opportunity for her to collaborate with other HEW and WDAs in other communities. On August 22, 2021, Mulunesh participated in the Owning Their Future (OTF) program orientation to map married adolescent girls and young women. The Smart Start concept inspired her as it provides married adolescent girls and couples with relevant information on financial management and family planning; this directly spoke to her immediate need of planning for her and her family’s future.
Mulunesh and H/Michael were the first couples to attend the OTF demand creation initiative, Smart Start counseling with Smart Start Navigator (SSN). The counseling linking financial and family planning to achieve their family’s financial goals and improve their lives was very appealing to them. “We were overjoyed and asked the Smart Start Navigator many questions. She explained to us how we should reduce our expenses and increase our income, how expensive it is to raise a child, and how increasing the number of children you have without spacing and preparation leads to malnutrition and affects the health of the mother, children, and the entire family.”
The couple took the family goal card with a service referral card after the smart Start counseling. They had a lengthy discussion about their future that night; the counseling had inspired them to openly talk about topics like dreams, goals, family planning, etc. “It was such a special night. When he told me that my education would help him and the family, I was pleased. I told him that I needed to be a role model for our children so that they have hope for the future.”
