From Displacement to Dignity: Hana’s Story with CcSa
- Jan 27
- 2 min read
Coalition Child Support Association (CcSa) is a locally rooted Ethiopian NGO working to support vulnerable children and families affected by poverty, conflict, and climate-related crises. Established to respond to unmet needs, CcSa delivers humanitarian assistance alongside longer-term livelihoods, food security, HIV/AIDS care, and climate resilience programmes.
Local Action in Times of Crisis
In recent years, escalating conflict and displacement have driven CcSa’s emergency response work in areas including Debre Birhan, South Gondar, and IDP camps in Tigray and Afar. Through cash assistance, food and commodity vouchers, and safeguarding-focused programming, CcSa prioritises women-headed households, older people, and persons with disabilities, ensuring dignity, safety, and inclusion across its interventions.
Beyond immediate relief, CcSa places strong emphasis on helping displaced families rebuild their lives. Through livelihoods support, vocational training, and self-help groups - particularly for women and youth - CcSa works to move communities beyond dependency and towards resilience and self-reliance.
From Conflict and Displacement to Safety
Hana’s* story illustrates what this approach looks like in practice, as she rebuilds her life with the support of a CcSa livelihoods programme.
*(name changed for privacy)
Hana, a 32-year-old woman, was born and raised in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. She was forced to flee her home after being targeted by perpetrators because of her identity. Prior to this, she was unaware of her ethnicity. Her husband was killed by the perpetrators, but she managed to escape with her two children by travelling through jungles for three days and nights.
Hana is one of many conflict-affected and displaced women who have been fortunate enough to escape the violence and find refuge in the Debre Birhan IDP camp. However, upon arrival, she was dependent on aid.
Hana’s life changed dramatically when she was accepted into PILOR (Promoting Integrated Livelihood Opportunities for Resilience), a livelihoods program that supports displaced single mothers. Before joining the program, Hana struggled to provide for her two children, who were unable to attend school. She lived on aid and had bleak prospects, haunted by past hardships in her home region. PILOR accepted Hana into its program based on her eligibility, and this opportunity transformed her situation remarkably.
She now describes her life as “incredible” because, thanks to PILOR, she can not only provide for her family but also afford to send her children to school with all necessary materials.
Instead of relying solely on humanitarian aid, she can now choose nutritious food for her family.
Hana’s daily earnings, exceeding 2,000 Ethiopian Birr, are a testament to her hard work and the program’s impact. Her business skills, savings habits, and bookkeeping have significantly improved due to the training provided by PILOR. More importantly, the project became a catalyst for Hana to establish fresh life aspirations, offering a ray of hope after enduring numerous moments of despair.
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