At Their Doorstep: Bringing Healthcare to Young Women

Beyonce Abera, 21, is one of the many young women who work in one of the garment factories dotting the Debreberhan Industrial Park. The work is demanding but fulfilling. As a young woman contemplating career growth, Beyonce is especially interested in sound family planning. However, employees of the industrial park –predominantly young women in the garment industry—have access only to very basic healthcare such as emergency burn treatment. Additionally, due to workhours, it is difficult for Beyonce and her counterparts to take time off to visit other clinics which provide more comprehensive care. To address this growing gap, Kefeta established a youth-friendly healthcare outpost right in the industrial park. Among the services provided is sexual reproductive health (SRH) counseling, an important and vital need for this demographic.

“This is essential because this is what we need in order to fix our tomorrow. We are equipped to do what we need to do to ensure that we plan our future. Because of what we are provided at the clinic, I use the services without feeling embarrassed,” states Beyonce. It is important to Beyonce to have agency in her health and when to start a family. “I have a boyfriend who lives back home; and when he comes to visit, I would always be very worried because I had never used any contraception. After getting counseling and weighing my options, I chose the three-month injection for my family planning.” For one young woman in Debreberhan, the only person controlling her future is her.