The goal of the Grain Mills Project in Addis Ababa is to enable people affected by leprosy to support themselves by milling grains like wheat, barley, pepper and teff - the latter of which is used by the wider community to make injera, a type of bread that is eaten with every meal. The mills are owned and run entirely by people affected by leprosy.

We are pleased to report that the project is progressing well and is already generating much needed income for people and families affected by leprosy. A portion of the profits (and some funding from our Families 4 Families partners) has been used to build a bake house and shop, allowing local women affected by leprosy to generate their own income by baking and selling injera bread. They have also benefited from training in milling operation, finance and administration.

The project is successfully breaking down barriers between people affected by leprosy and the wider community, as people from the local area are now buying their grains from the mills. This has had a very positive effect on the people working at and running the mills who are beginning to really believe in themselves and their own abilities.

Sinknesh's story

28-year-old Sinknesh has been able to turn her life around following her involvement with the Addis Ababa grain mill.

She told us, "I could not believe how my family turned their backs on me when I was diagnosed with leprosy. They burned all my clothes, and told me never to come home again. I begged for ten years on the streets of Addis Ababa, and suffered many hardships.

"At the grain mill I felt a sense of belonging and support again. I enjoy working for a better future for me and my son, Abenezer, and we are both now able to go to school. I have learned to thank God for what I have."