DanChurchAid
Ethiopia
Women Support Organization
Women Support Organization (WSO) is an indigenous NGO established in 1995 and committed to work with especially marginalised, destitute and displaced women.
The vision of WSO is to see the quality of life of the people in the target areas considerably improved by assisting the target groups to bring about sustainable development through their own active participation. WSO links the fight against HIV/AIDS with the general respect for girls and women's rights in the project areas. Knowing that many women are infected as a result of various harmful practices (marriage inheritance, polygamy, rape etc.) this is believed to be the right strategy.
To improve the life of vulnerable community groups the organization has been implementing different projects in the areas of:
- Health: Reproductive health, prevention and control of HIV/ AIDS, family planning
- Education: Aassisting formal schools and establishing so-called Alternative Basic Education schools
- Economic empowerment: Facilitating various Income Generating Activities (IGAs) to empower women and attain food security at household level
- Prevention of harmful traditional practices: Working against early marriages, abductions, rape, wife inheritance, polygamy.
Currently, WSO is focusing on the empowerment of women by organizing them in Women Self Help Groups (SHG) which is autonomous grass-root institutions that pave the way for needy women to be strengthened economically, socially and culturally by their own efforts with minimal external resources.
Visit website: www.self-help-approach.com
