ILO Collaboration: 75 Returnees Reintegrated with Training and Startup Capital

Addis Ababa, June 5, 2024 – In partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), Babul Keyer USA has successfully completed a capacity-building program for 75 returnees, providing them with skills training and seed money to start their own businesses.

The returnees, mostly young Ethiopians who had migrated to the Middle East seeking work, returned home traumatized, indebted, and without income. Many faced abuse, unpaid wages, and difficult circumstances abroad. The reintegration program offers a pathway back to dignity and self-sufficiency.

"I left Ethiopia desperate for work and returned with nothing but pain," says Tekle, a 29-year-old who now runs a small shop. "The training gave me confidence, and the seed money gave me a start. Today, I can support my family with pride."

The program includes comprehensive support: psychosocial counseling to address trauma, skills training in marketable trades, business management education, and startup capital deposited directly into beneficiaries' accounts.

This initiative complements Babul Keyer USA's broader livelihood programs, which have enabled young women and men to start income-generating businesses through training at the Kality center and beyond.