Thrive program builds sustainable employment for Ethiopian migrants
The Thrive Program is creating sustainable employment opportunities for Ethiopian migrants and returnees by addressing reintegration challenges through targeted vocational training and support.
At least 839,224 Ethiopian migrants lived abroad in 2021 and another 589,110 returned migrants to Ethiopia.
Many migrants and returnees are women and girls who have left in search of work and who face high risks of abuse, exploitation, and servitude abroad. They also face barriers to reintegration and sustainable employment once returning.
The Thrive program builds sustainable employment pathways for survivors of trafficking and other vulnerable groups. This reduces high-risk migration and enhances the well-being of returnee survivors.
The urgency of this program is echoed by our research among returned migrant workers from the Arab States. Across returnees from 6 countries, the majority who experienced forced labour in the last 5 years were from Ethiopia.
There were 3 key findings from the Thrive program.
Addressing barriers to employment
Stakeholders underscored the challenges returnees face in finding and maintaining employment. This includes stigma, abuse, discrimination, and suspicion from their families (particularly their husbands), communities, and potential employers.
Thrive participants reported that Thrive training and support provided critical work skills. The assessment found high levels of satisfaction with the program.
Outcomes of employment conditions
Participants report almost universally positive working conditions, including dramatically reduced hours.
However, 87% said they prefer to work in a different sector. 94% said they preferred self-employment to wage employment.
Reintegration and recovery
97% of participants reported they used what they learned through Thrive to recover from past trauma. 93% said they used what they learned from the Thrive program to reduce feelings of shame, failure and anxiety.
High proportions reported they could make decisions, maintain freedom, and achieve their goals. Almost two-thirds still felt they were likely to migrate again, and 18% said they were likely to re-migrate to the Middle East.
Key informants emphasised how social networks and positive social and economic conditions are essential for returnees to feel settled in Ethiopia and avoid the risk of immigration.
3 recommendations from the Thrive Program
- Engaging employers to improve working conditions and foster a stronger sense of dignity among trainees and workers is important to increase retention.
- There is a greater need to facilitate peer networks and community-building among returnees to strengthen support systems.
- It’s crucial to adopt a more intentional approach to addressing and transforming gender norms that affect program participants for more effective outcomes.
Read the full report to find the full list of recommendations and learn more.
What is Thrive?
The Thrive program, funded by Walk Free, was implemented by the Freedom Fund with partners Hope Enterprise, Sister Yemisrach Training Institute, and KASMA Charity Organization between 2021 and 2023.
Thrive is a 3-year initiative providing vocational training and employment matching for women returnee survivors in Ethiopia.
It addresses a need for anti-slavery programs to create pathways to decent, long-term employment in the formal economy for survivors of trafficking and other vulnerable groups.
During its implementation, Hope Enterprise and Sister Yemisrach trained a total of 240 women returnees.
