Estibel Walelign is a farmer in Yemekat kebele, Bahirdar Zuria woreda. He is also an active community member, known for his passionate engagement in issues that matter most to people in his community. A trusted leader, his opinion carries a lot of weight with his neighbors.

Amref partnered with Estibel on its Power to You(th) project that rises local leaders as part of its interventions to empower young people.

Estibel’s training centered around combating early marriage, unintended pregnancy and female Genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in his community. He grew up hearing stories about the deaths of many young girls. Too young to carry pregnancies to term, the girls would die giving birth prematurely. Those who survived would develop Fistula and other chronic diseases, forcing them to drop out of school.

Upon returning from his training, Estibel mobilized local authorities, religious institutions, schools, health centers, police, and other relevant government sector offices to join a newly formed committee to raise awareness about the issues he was now passionate about.  

“The training I received was an eye opener. I came to deeply understand the challenges faced by our youth. The training was done well so we could easily comprehend complex issues brought about by traditional harmful practices in our area. It mainly focused on how we can educate, sensitize, and change our society, especially young people who in turn will be advocates against gender and sexual violence, child marriage, and female genital mutilation,” he says. 

It didn’t take long for the ripple effect to take hold in the community.  Estibel focused on the youth and brought his advocacy to schools and places where young people assemble. He even engendered the trust of young women who would seek his help in intervening on their behalf to cancel arranged marriages.

 “How can I sit back without contributing after receiving such useful training,” he says.