FROM PRESSURE TO POWER: HOW SMART START HELPED ONE COUPLE BUILD THEIR FUTURE.

“Lij belejinet” — a widely held saying in Southern Ethiopia that encourages early childbearing — reflects the cultural expectations placed on young couples to begin having children soon after marriage. While seen as an honorable tradition, such norms contribute significantly to the high unmet need for family planning in rural Ethiopia. Compared to urban areas, rural communities face pronounced challenges: limited access to contraceptive services, sparse distribution of healthcare facilities, and a shortage of trained personnel. Deeply entrenched beliefs around large families and male decision-making further limit women’s ability to make informed choices. This is compounded by low levels of education and limited awareness of modern contraceptive options.

Despite the government’s continued efforts to expand family planning services through the Health Extension Program, many of these barriers persist. That’s why the Smart Start program has emerged as a promising solution linking family planning with financial literacy to empower young couples across seven regions of Ethiopia.

A HOME FIRST, THEN A FAMILY

For Tigist Beyene and Asinewu Washara, a young couple in Gamo Chencha Zuria Woreda, Smart Start proved to be a game changer. Married at 21, Tigist, an 8th-grade student, and Asinewu, a carpenter studying in the evenings, faced intense social pressure to start a family. In their community, children are closely associated with wealth and status — expectations that often conflict with the ambitions of young couples seeking education and financial stability.

Their first encounter with the Smart Start program at a local health post offered a fresh perspective. The counseling sessions went beyond reproductive health, covering goal-setting, income generation, budgeting, and saving.

“The program gave us direction to financial stability in addition to family planning,” Tigist shared, reflecting on how it helped them make informed and deliberate choices.

At the time, Tigist was a housewife, relying solely on Asinewu’s inconsistent income. Motivated by the program, the couple set a goal: to build a home before starting a family. Applying the principle to “maximize income and minimize expense,” they began taking practical steps toward that vision. Tigist started a small business at the local market, contributing to their income and boosting the household’s financial resilience.

After two years of commitment and planning, they reached their goal. They built their own house — a tangible symbol of progress. When they felt ready to grow their family, Tigist accessed comprehensive preconception care at the health post, ensuring a healthy pregnancy. Their plans are equally bold: Tigist is expanding her market business into a larger shop, while Asinewu is working to open a fully equipped furniture workshop.

“Despite the deeply ingrained cultural and religious norms that often discourage family planning and limit women’s economic participation, we’ve seen growing acceptance of the Smart Start approach,” says Selamnesh Ketema, a Health Extension Worker at Hayzo Health Post. According to her, more young couples are attending counseling sessions, drawn by the program’s holistic and respectful approach to sensitive topics.

Tigist and Asinewu’s story is just one among many. It illustrates how young people, when equipped with tools, knowledge, and support, can take control of their futures — transforming cultural pressure into personal power, and short-term expectations into long-term progress.

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