The mission of C.G. Women’s Empowerment, a 501(c)(3) organization, is to create economic self-sufficiency for women, children, and entire villages in Ethiopia’s Oromia region.
Without intervention, women there are unable to earn a sustainable, living wage—giving way to intergenerational cycles of abuse, poverty, and disenfranchisement. In response, CGWE creates economic self-sufficiency for women, children, and entire villages. They create opportunities for women to achieve sustainable economic self-sufficiency, through purchasing a heifer cow for a woman and her family.
CGWE achieves its mission of uplifting women, children, and entire villages through Dabaree—a traditional economic system based upon the principles of reciprocity and cooperation that empowers women to become self-sufficient.
CGWE saves the lives of women and their children who, prior to receiving their cow, subsist on as little as 25 cents a day while putting their personal safety at risk. By advancing women’s economic, self-esteem, and personal security, CGWE is also able to provide critical education regarding health, hygiene, and sanitation; advocate against female genital mutilation; establish clean water wells and veterinary clinics; and support local schools—breaking intergenerational cycles of economic disempowerment.
For more information on how to support this organization, or to donate please visit: https://cgweafrica.com/
Most Ethiopians live in rural areas and 80% are dependent upon agriculture and livestock to subsist. Water and food scarcity disproportionately impact small-scale farmers who already live in abject poverty. Ethiopia is one of the world’s poorest countries, and the Oromia region is the largest in the country—comprising nearly half of the nation’s population. Women in Oromian, Ethiopian villages are systematically denied their rights and resources, making it impossible to achieve economic security without intervention.
Dureti “Mimi” Tadesse, Founder and President, was born and raised by a single mother and grandmother in Oromia, Ethiopia, and experienced discrimination based on her ethnic background and beliefs. She and her husband came to the U.S. in the early 1990s and applied for Political asylum. They were granted political asylum and eventually became naturalized citizens. In 2012, Mimi started the Christian based Nonprofit Organization called “C.G. Women’s Empowerment (CGWE)”.