Charles Michel, President of the European council visits Ramsay Shoe Factory on February 10, 2020, one of the partners to the project of stemming irregular migration in northern and central Ethiopia /SINCE/ implemented under the European trust fund for Africa, on the sidelines of the African Union Summit.
The main focuses of SINCE is to enhance the employment skill of potential migrants and returnees focusing on women and youth in the target regions managed by the Italian ministry of foreign affairs, embassy of Italy in Addis Ababa and implemented in the four most migration prone regions of Ethiopia and in the city of Addis Ababa by five NGOs led partnership together with private sector, technical vocational training centers, regional bureau and CSOs.
SINCE project in Addis Ababa works on training and enhancing employment opportunities for youths on leather products, metal work and construction sector.
Ramsay shoe factory is one of the partners working on the project by actively hosting trainees under the SINCE apprenticeship.
“I have visited the Ramsay Shoe factory, I met with many women workers who look to the future” said the President.
The 25 years locally owned company currently hosts more than 19 trainees and previously Ramsay has provide employment opportunities for about 13 trainees of SINCE.
The European emergency trust fund for Africa established at the Valletta summit on migration in November 2015, to address the root causes of instability forced displacement and irregular migration and to contribute to better migration management. The first program signed under the trust fund was SINCE an action that aims at contributing to the reduction of irregular migration from the northern and central Ethiopia by improving the living conditions of the vulnerable population through decent job opportunities by financing 20 million Euros for the four years and nine month project.
Starting from 2016 SINCE has planned to responses to facilitate wage employment to 8,200 people through the provision of training courses relevant to private sectors needs until the end of 2020, the program works to create employment opportunities in six labor intensive value chains such as leather products, construction, metal work, textile and garment, agribusiness and hospitality.
Currently, beneficiaries from the project reach more than 3,000 youth, women and returnees, 28 small and medium enterprises have been created and supported within the last four year.
“We are not only benefiting the trainers rather this project is working to mutual benefit for both of us, since we are getting trained work force it minimize the time it took to train the employees” said Zelalem Habte, Managing Director of Ramsay.
Beside his visit to Ramsay, the president has also visited Addis Ababa University and Sunday Market of Shiromeda.
The president travel to meet with the African leaders on the 33rd summit of the African union held in Addis Ababa and had series of bilateral meetings with African leaders.
“Europe is Africa’s main partner for trade, investment, cooperation and development” said President Michel.