When you walk into Betty’s Organic, a cozy shop tucked into the busy corners of Addis, you’re greeted by the earthy scent of fresh produce and the calm energy of someone who loves what she does. That someone is Bethlehem Melaku — a determined entrepreneur who turned a small discovery at a bazaar into a growing business serving health-conscious shoppers across the city.
Back in 2018, after dabbling in different small businesses, Bethlehem noticed a gap: people wanted clean, organic fruits and vegetables, but couldn’t find them easily. She started small, buying and selling fresh produce herself, slowly building what would become Betty’s Organic. “I always say, big things start small,” she says. “You grow into it — one day, one step at a time.”
Running the shop was no small feat. “I did it all — from driving to pick up the produce, to cleaning, setting up, selling, even doing my own marketing,” she laughs. But over time, things started to shift. One of her customers told her about a program at Iceaddis — a tech and innovation hub in Addis working with young entrepreneurs like her. It was part of a wider initiative supported by the Mastercard Foundation, aimed at creating opportunities for young people in Ethiopia.
Through the program, Bethlehem got access to practical training, market linkages, and even help building her website. For the first time, she could start delegating tasks to her small team and focus on growing the business rather than surviving it. She even picked up unexpected skills, like public speaking — something she says she never realized was so hard until she had to do it.
“It’s not just selling fruits anymore,” she explains. “It’s about building trust, sharing knowledge with my staff, and thinking about the bigger picture. And now I have the space to do that.”
Bethlehem’s story is just one example of how young people in Ethiopia are rewriting what work looks like — and doing it on their own terms.
Real People, Real Progress
In Wolaita Sodo, Tizta Tekle, a university lecturer and trained nutritionist, is also walking her own path. She’s part of RAYEE (short for Realizing Aspirations of Youth in Ethiopia through Employment), another Mastercard Foundation initiative focused on helping young people transition into meaningful work.
Between teaching, research, and reproductive health consulting, Tizta has carved out a career built around service and science. But she says what really helped her grow was the exposure the program gave her — from hands-on training to a network of people she could learn from. “You can have knowledge, but knowing how to apply it — that’s what pushes you forward,” she reflects.
Further north in Addis, Hilina Moges, a fourth-year accounting and finance student at Addis Ababa University, is shaping the future of education from the inside. As a Youth Advisory Group member for e-SHE — a five-year digital learning program backed by the Ministry of Education, Arizona State University, and others — she’s helping bridge the gap between students and the digital tools they need.
“We talk about the digital divide like it’s far away, but we live it,” she says. “This project is personal. It’s giving students the confidence and access they need to keep up.”
Hilina also recently took part in a storytelling and public speaking workshop, another Mastercard Foundation initiative. “I used to rush through presentations. Now I think about how to hold the audience — how to communicate with intention,” she says.
Youth at the Center
At the core of these stories is a clear thread: young Ethiopians are not waiting around for opportunities — they’re building them. While institutions like the Mastercard Foundation and its partners are playing a role, it’s the drive, courage, and creativity of young people like Bethlehem, Tizta, and Hilina that are making the real difference. Their stories are a reminder that success doesn’t come all at once. It’s grown with patience, persistence, and the right support along the way.
Shiferaw Tadesse is a Media Relations at spotlight communication and marketing PLC
Contributed by Shiferaw Tadesse
