When Cherry Friedmeyer first met a prostitute, her whole life changed. In the capital city of Ethiopia. Determined to do something about it, she developed a program geared at rehabilitating women and their children out of a life of sex trafficking and poverty.

At first, Cherry worked to develop a curriculum and process for navigating the realities of coming off the streets. Determined to tackle the affects physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually, Cherry built a 9 month program where women and their children had access to trauma therapy, health and wellness education, job skills training, and discipleship.

As the program grew, she expanded to additional sites around the capital and continued to hone a program that gave these women another chance at a healthy life. Her program took a huge leap forward when she found a US partner that wanted to purchase handmade goods from women in her program. Expanding her ministry to not only be a non-profit, but also a for-profit business in Ethiopia, Cherry gained international attention from philanthropists looking to crack the code on a for-profit / non-profit hybrid.

TO date, Women at Risk and its for-profit subsidiary Ellilta Products, has successfully transitioned senior leadership twice, impacted the lives of more than 500 women and children, and created jobs for hundreds more.