Extreme poverty is multi-dimensional. Solutions should be, too.
Three Roots works in targeted communities, providing holistic solutions to deliver the most impact. Through our “family development model”, we strengthen the entire family, through support for children, parents, and caregivers. Our Community Development Committees empower local leaders with participation and oversight in each community's progress towards development.  The integration of our health, education, and income-generating programs allows families to build strong and solid foundations for future growth, and to rise above the extreme poverty line.

The local, village church plays a critical role in development, and works alongside of Three Roots to develop and implement solutions, and mobilize volunteers to help carry initiatives forward. Through their faithful care of the poorest among them, our local church partners are demonstrating God’s power to transform lives and families, one day at a time.

LIVE

In Ethiopia, there is only 1 doctor for every 40,000 people.
(United Nations Development Program - 2016)
  • Physical wellness is essential to human development and allows people to participate in every aspect of life, from attending school to making a living. Without basic health needs met, such as access to clean water, additional development cannot take place. 
  • We believe that knowledge is power, and that education around the causes of illnesses and how to prevent them changes behavior and decreases the spread of preventable diseases.
  • To help address the community’s health needs, Three Roots offers a comprehensive peer to peer health education program designed to train and empower community members as health extension workers. Using hands-on instruction, the program empowers this group to train other local women about vital health information to protect their families and children. Households are also trained on latrine construction, home gardening, and water sanitation.
  • There are several factors that contribute to the under-schooling of children in Ethiopia.  First, parents who have not completed secondary school may be less likely to see the value in education. Additionally, parents are focused on providing for families and may not see the need for education. Also, barriers such as the prohibitive cost of school fees, supplies, and uniforms.
  • Education provides the foundational skills that are necessary not only for the life of the individual, but also for the family and the broader community. An education can propel a child out of the cycle of poverty and empower him or her to pursue new economic opportunities. 
  • Some families face insurmountable barriers to education their children. Based on the community’s expressed need and interest, Three Roots offers critical care to a select group of highly vulnerable families, who need specialized partnership while they regain stability and independence. 

LEARN

In Ethiopia, most people have 
​2.6 years of schooling.
(United Nations Development Program - 2016)

EARN

More than 85% of Ethiopia’s workforce is employed in agriculture and depends on farming for survival. This means that drought conditions can have an enormous impact not just on food supplies, but on farmers’ ability to bring in income. 

  • Financial stability is critical to sustaining a high quality of life. Without financial resources, a family cannot purchase the food or services that they need for health. A steady source of income also provides opportunities for families to save money and invest towards a larger expense, such as neonatal care for a pregnant mother or secondary education for a child. 
  • Skills development can also give families a focused specialization in the workforce, while business planning training allows families to create their own source of employment through a small business when job opportunities are scarce. 
  • Three Roots offers savings groups to women for peer to peer pending and business creation. Members receive a series of 10 trainings on how to develop and implement a business idea, manage a business, save money, and more. With the support and encouragement of one another, members distribute loans to one other and start businesses to generate income and profit for loan repayment. 

T H R I V E


We are ending cycles of generational poverty, one family at a time. Together, these families rise above extreme poverty and transform their communities for lasting change.