Partnership Opportunities for Ethiopian Higher Institutions

DeLPHE is a three year partnership program between Ethiopian and UK higher education institutions. The program aims to increase the role of these institutions in poverty reduction and sustainable development by supporting the capacity building of higher education on institutions through collaborative research, training and transfer of science and technology related knowledge and skills to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The program is fully funded by the UK government’s Department for International Development (DFID). (Press Release)

46 investors launch projects in Benishangul-gumuz

Some 46 investors have launched various projects in Benishangul Gumuz State with a combined capital of over 188 million birr during the past three months, the state investment office saidThe investors received 27,160 hectares of land. They have engaged in agriculture, and hotel sectors, among others. The projects will create 6000 jobs when they fully go operational, he said. The office has plans to further promote investment opportunities in the state. Some 144 investors with an aggregate capital of 571.5 million birr had executed various development projects during the previous Ethiopian budget year. Most of the projects had gone operational. The state has favorable investment opportunities including vast land, 18 rivers, marble and gold. (ENA)

Mary Joy announces launch of the ‘Great Walk’

On October 11, 2008 Mary Joy Aid Through Development (MJATD) announced that it has finalized preparations for the 5.30 km great walk program it organized to raise fund for the Orphanage Center MJATD plans to build. MJATD was established in 1994 as a non political, non religious and not profit making and legal Ethiopian Non governmental organization. Yemisrach Atnafu, public relation officer of MJATD told Capital that her organization has planned to raise 2 million birr and such fund raising programs like dinner nights and telethon will be organized for one month continuously. The walk which is part of Mary Joy’s, Ethiopians to Ethiopians, initiative will be held on November 16, 2008 and it will start and end at Meskel Square.
According to the announcement the organization made more than 20,000 people are expected to participate in the walk program. MJATD has to raise more than 6 million birr for constructing the Center. Mary Joy works towards empowering children, women, families and other underserved community groups through integrated development programs which focus on capacity building and encourages the genuine participation of beneficiaries to the effect that target communities become HIV/AIDS competent and their livelihoods improved. (Capital)

East African Bioequivalence Workshop Held

Bioequivalence studies have become a very critical topic in East African Countries in recent years as more pharmaceutical are being manufactured locally. In order to address this issue GTZ and the Engineering Capacity Building Program (ecbp) have organized an East African Bioequivalence Workshop. This workshop will analyze and discuss bioequivalence studies in East African Countries. (Press Release)

Child Delegates to the Regional Inter-Agency Task Team (RIATT)

Call for Children to help “Get it Right for Children”
For the first time since the United Nations General Assembly High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS (UNGASS) committed to work towards universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support for children by 2010 – children were included in the review process.With the theme “Getting it Right for Children”, the 4th Regional Inter-Agency Task Team (RIATT) held in Tanzania 29 September to 2nd October, 2008, brought together delegates from 19 countries from East and Southern Africa to come up with recommendations to reaffirm commitments to universal access for children. Ethiopia was one of 9 countries in the region to include children in their official country delegation.
“I met so many interesting children who are doing so much to help children in their countries,” said Hana Girma, a 16-year-old 12th grade student from Dire Dawa. “Being selected by my peers to represent Ethiopia and to help come up with recommendations to help children affected by HIV and AIDS was a great honor for me,” added Getahun Wuletaw, a 15-year-old from Hawassa.
“We must now work with adults - policymakers, NGOs and the community members – to ensure that these commitments – and previous promises to children are kept,” continued Getahun. Hana and Getahun were among 28 children from all over Ethiopia who participated in the National Children’s Consultation Workshop on September 15 and 16 in Debra Zeit. (Press Release)

SLUF launches website

Sustainable Land Use Forum (SLUF) has introduced a modern information conduit, a web portal & websites to be used by all interested parties operating in the areas of research & development from the fund of EC-CSF.
Dr. Habtemariam Abate, executive director of SLUF, said “I have regarding these technologies in facilitating our communication & information sharing capacities.”
Currently there are 20 organizations in the forum operating allover the country, “yet we have a very sensitive and very burning issue, which caused poverty and deprivation and calls for our immediate attention-natural resources degradation,” Said Habtemariam. “SLUF and its member organizations believed that the availability of a better and fast communication media would, significantly contribute to the reduction of the problem of environmental degradation and famine the country is facing today.”
Climax Technologies PLC is developed the website and Alta Computec PLC also supplies hardware and software.
SLUF was established as a membership organization in 1995, as “Novib Partners Forum on Sustainable Land Use in Ethiopia and Eritrea”. The organization continued functioning as a network until 2002.
In February 2002, it was renamed as Sustainable Land Use Forum (SLUF) is a membership based non profit-making organization working in the areas of Sustainable Land Use (SLU) and Natural Resource Management (NRM). Currently 20 NGOs (17 local & 3 international) are a member of SLUF. (Capital)

EIA to promote Ethiopia

The Ethiopian Investment Agency (EIA) announced that it will undertake promotion work in Europe, the USA, the Middle East and African countries as part of its overseas image building schemes targeted at attracting foreign investors.
Director General of EIA, Abi Woldemeskel, said that best practices have been acquired during the Ethiopian millennium celebration events held in Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan and Djibouti. The celebrations helped promote the country and attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), he added.
The African Millennium events were excellent opportunities to sell the country’s positive image, the Director General said, adding that various African investors have, as a result, shown interest to invest in the country. (WIC)