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Every year has its ups and downs and the end of the “zeros” did not disappoint. A political leader was jailed. A musical icon was freed. We spent more of this year in darkness than we’d like to remember but felt hope when Gilgel Gibe II and Tekezze finally started operating. We said goodbye forever to two musical legends on different sides of the globe who both made an impact on Ethiopia that will never be forgotten. We celebrated Kennenissa, electricity, trade deals and better ties with our neighbours. Not a bad end for the first decade of the new millennium.
Capital brings you weekly the latest political, economic and social news, working diligently to provide you with expert analysis in governmental, financial, social and environmental issues along with solid and original portraits of Ethiopian history. Now it is time to relive the notable moments of 2009 as we are already ringing in the New Year. Let's take a look back at some of the ups and downs of 2009, from belt tightening and the global economic crisis to the Copenhagen climate summit.
The Economy - The good news
2009 began with unprecedented good news. M.E.S.A. Waste Management, a new private company, with a huge potential investment capital of three billion birr (250 million Euros) and an aim to transform the city's solid waste to energy was officially registered.
Following a surge in the demand for fuel, the Ethiopian Petroleum Enterprise (EPE) decided to import oil tankers. All six oil companies operating in the country submitted their requirement for oil tankers.
The initial year's success story didn't stop there. Sher Ethiopia, which encompasses nine flower companies, and Trade Path International established Flower Port Cargo Plc and rented three Boeing 747-200s and a half-load capacity of one MD-11 aircraft for one year in order to export flowers to Europe.
The $150 million offer of the IMF, to clean the cloudy situation hovering over the foreign reserve and inflation issues, was indeed fabulous. Ethiopia was given a shot at an additional 150 million dollar soft loan to cope with its shrinking foreign reserve position and fight inflation, Antoinette M. Sayeh African Department Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), confirmed.
The budget relief loan from the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) to Metahara Sugar Factory (MSF) was a good sign of recuperation. After months of delay, Metahara Sugar Factory (MSF) was promised a 105 million birr loan from the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) for its ethanol development project. The total amount the factory needed for its project was 145 million birr. In addition to the fund from CBE, 40 million birr was expected from the Ethiopian Sugar Industry Development Fund (ESIDF).
The Ethiopian Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI) gave the green light for the under formation, joint venture sugar factory, Hiber Sugar Share Company (HSSC) to obtain up to 70 percent of its funding from the state-owned Development Bank of Ethiopia (DBE).
A letter signed by Tadesse Haile, State Minister of MoTI, explained that the government would facilitate a loan from DBE if the company came up with a sound feasibility study and some equity without any other pre-conditions, such as additional collateral.
While the international economic order was struggling to pull itself free from recession, Ethiopian Airlines invested in Boeing triple sevens. They were emulating other international carriers' practice of offsetting the Dreamliners' delay by purchasing new aircraft.
Ethiopian Airline's good news kept coming. At the end of the year Ethiopian began making huge investments. It doubled its fleet in an effort to match its strong growth. This occurred at the same time the aviation industry continued to lose billions of dollars in the wake of the global economic downturn.
Ethiopian, which pocketed an all time record net profit of over 1.3 billion birr, registered a staggering 165 per cent increase from the previous year. It enjoyed consistent growth in traffic and operating revenues, which rose by nearly 33 percent.
The month of September (Ethiopian New Year), brought good news from the state owned Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo). Water began flowing through the 25.8 km tunnel of Gilgel Gibe II. The 420 MW Gibe II hydropower project, sited 255 km south-west of Addis Ababa, was launched in June 2004 with an outlay of 5.2 billion birr. The Italian government provided a 220 million euro loan and the European Investment Bank extended 50 million euro. The balance came from the Ethiopian government.
Due to several unforeseen natural hazards, the project of Gilgel Gibe II was delayed for almost two years. Gibe II's tunnel checking for defects came to a halt for several days when the drilling machine became stuck in muddy terrain. This came just after striking a hot spring, a development that forced the state-owned power utility to put the project on hold for several weeks.
The inauguration of Tekeze Hydropower Plant Project in November surely takes the country's power supply a large step forward.
Tekeze was constructed by CWGS, a joint venture formed by two Chinese Construction companies, China Gezhouba Group Company Limited (CGGC) and Sino-Hydro. The plant has a capacity of generating 300 megawatts of power from its four turbines, each with a generating capacity of 75mw. The 188 metre concrete double curved arch dam, which is the highest of its kind in Africa, has cost the state-owned power monopoly over three billion birr.
In another development, the Saudi-East African Economic Forum that discussed ways to strengthening economic bonds between Ethiopia and the Saudis was held in Ethiopia starting from November 13, 2009. The forum was organized by the Saudi billionaire Sheik Mohamed Al Amoudi. It attracted four Saudi ministers and heads of states from Djibouti, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Somalia, Uganda and Ethiopia. The gathering intended to provide an international platform for East African governments and investors from the Kingdom to meet, exchange insights and devise solutions to accelerate the pace of collaboration and forge new partnerships. The Saudis secured land in Ethiopia for their agricultural investments.
Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce & Sectoral Associations
A chaotic election for the presidency of the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce & Sectoral Associations (ECCSA) that involved several disputes was held this past year, ending with the election of Eyesus Work Zafu.
Former President of ECCSA, Getachew Ayenew, who chaired the meeting, blamed the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce for the existing dispute between the two chambers.
Sour news
The beginning of 2009 was also speckled with its share of sour news. Power shedding or electric rationing took the lead on the list of bad news. Initially, EEPCo declared that the ongoing power cuts would affect the economy by one percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). According to reports, last year's power interruptions caused substantial damage to the economy, estimated at over a billion birr. EEPCo faced high electric demands resulting in approximately 3,000 towns in the nation experiencing a minimum of 6 hours of power cuts daily for several months.
However, Ethiopia's power problems escalated, forcing EEPCo to incorporate all export-oriented factories into the rationing schedule. At first, export factories were not included in the power rationing which began in March, following Government's resolution to exempt foreign currency generating factories.
The blast of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi over coffee exporters for making the industry into a family business and ignoring the benefit of the country was another major issue of concern. PM Meles Zenawi took a firm tone during the full-day discussion held in January concerning the horticulture and coffee sectors. Coffee export declined by 50%. The Ethiopian Commodity Exchange's (ECX) 700 million birr worth coffee export, during the first 80 days since it took over the trade, represented a drastic decrease from last year's average, over the same period. Eleni Z. Gebremedhin (PhD), Chief Executive Officer of ECX, confirmed that this is only a third of the exchange's stock.
On the infrastructure side, CRBC Addis Engineering, a state-owned Chinese construction firm notified the Addis Ababa City Administration Urban Development and Works Bureau that it would cease working on three major new roads unless pending payments for past projects were effected.
Sugar demand and prices continued to rise. The artificial vanishing of sugar from the market caused a spike in prices to over 16 birr, up from 14 birr in shops and supermarkets. At the end of November the Ethiopian Sugar Development Agency (ESDA) auctioned 120,000 quintals of sugar. The ESDA also sold an additional 20,000 quintals of sugar, in addition to a recent delivery of 100,000 quintals. However, this failed to stabilize the price.
Contrary to the IMF $150 million unanimous loan approval, the latest Ethio-China loan agreement was not supported by a handful of members of parliament. Presented before the House of Peoples' Representatives for final endorsement, the Chinese Export and Import Bank (EXIM) agreed to provide the Ethiopian Government with 349 million US dollars and the two parties officially inked the deal earlier this month. Rejecting the bill, Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement chair Bulcha Demeksa said the loan deal needs to be scrapped as he considered the loan to be too costly and only favoured by the government for its lack of transparency and conditions involved in dealing with the Chinese.
The Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) expressed disappointment at the weak performance of the Korean construction firm, Keangnam. The delay in one of the road projects towards Nekempt of Oromia Region's West Wellega Zone elicited strong words from the town's mayor in February.
The Addis Ababa City Administration prepared to bulldoze illegal houses constructed on the edge of the city towards the end of the year. This was the first time Kuma Demeksa's administration took such kind of measure since it came to power in May 2008. Some house owners in the Nifas Silk-Lafto Sub City kebele 02 said they secured land, title deeds and construction permits four years ago from the city administration at the time of former Mayor Arkebe Ekubai.
Positive signs
The measure taken by the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) to document foreign currency application process using the Tax Identification Number (TIN) of the applicant from the Revenue and Customs Authority data server helped to tighten doors for L/C applicants. During the previous fiscal year, the central bank asked the revenue authority to develop an IT system to increase documentation security. Mounting pressure for Letters of Credit pushed the NBE to take this stern action early on in the year, in February.
The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) issued an amended directive aiming to relieve travellers of the inconveniences associated with travellers' cheques by increasing the amount of cash they can carry upon entrance and departure. Signed by NBE's Governor Teklewold Atnafu, a copy of the directive was sent to the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and the Ministry of National Intelligence Service in early July.
Nyala Insurance S. C. finally won its case over the ownership of its headquarters. Employees of the insurance company celebrated the ruling by the Court of Cassation on Tuesday July 13. The ruling overturned previous verdicts made by the Federal High Court and the Federal Supreme Court.
Though the latest inflation figures from the Central Statistical Agency (CSA) are encouraging, the government admitted in mid year that its efforts to reduce the rate of inflation have not been as effective as it hoped.
Fuel exploration continued vigorously, though no fuel was found. The nation is said to be endowed with massive fuel resources. As a result, the government began intensifying explorations and expanded its search to previously unexplored areas of the country.
Refuting reports of a major breakthrough in prospects, the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MoME) reported that nothing had yet been discovered. In a briefing to parliament in November, Alemayehu Tegenu, Minister of Mines and Energy, said 80 percent of the nation's potential sites were being targeted in the ongoing explorations, involving 11 companies.
In October, Bollore Africa Logistics (SDV international), a French-based company, was close to striking a deal to manage Berbera Port. Engineer Ali Omer Mohamed, General Manager of Berbera Port Authority, announced that a memorandum of understanding was signed between SDV representatives and port officials.
The end of the year was marked with Oromia Regional State granting 20,000 square meters of land to the former president of Nigeria, Olesegon Obasanjo, who proceeded to invest in the hotel and tourism sector.
The land is located in Ada Woreda, near Debre Zeit town, 50 kilometers East of Addis Ababa.
Tax Axe
A shortfall in tax revenues, for the first half of the year, is said to have prompted the government to take action. The Revenue and Customs Authority commenced a special operation targeting business people suspected of tax evasion, over the last four years. And the Federal Revenue and Customs Authority's mighty muscle started pounding the country's top private businesses. In April, the authority claimed it collected evidence from one hundred firms with tax arrears - 'avoided or evaded' -which amounted to hundreds of millions of birr. The third wave of the Revenue and Customs Authority's tax crackdown hit some of Ethiopia's most influential business people in June. The authorities arrested, among others, Ayalew Tessema, a major shareholder of Ayat Real State Enterprise and Ayele Debela, who was renowned for his high interest loans to the country's business elite.
nDownturn
Bucking the very positive trends of the past few years with a shocking underperformance, export revenues were expected to fall over a billion dollars short of targets at the end of the budget year, an official report released in May indicated.
Nori-la Engineering and Construction Share Company, a joint venture between Chinese giant Norincon and Ethiopian Lalibela construction companies, began undergoing a liquidation process in June, after it suffered repeated losses from its operations according to a senior official of the company.
In the same month, more than 38 flower exporters were put on a 'delinquent list' for a week by the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) after failing to submit foreign exchange earned from their exports. The companies managed to resolve the issue with NBE officials shortly after.
The way the rosy predictions for DBE investments actually turned out was shocking. The failure of the flower sector to service its one billion birr bank debts became a thorny issue. In response, Development Bank of Ethiopia (DBE) established a think tank group in July to investigate the general challenges and weaknesses of the sector and of the bank as well.
Another surprising development in August was the suspension of the Dubai World multi-million dollar project. Dubai World, the global investment conglomerate, suspended several of its planned projects including a 100 million dollar hotel project in Addis Ababa citing the global financial crunch.
Siemens, German-based IT Company, was forced to close its local branch, Siemens Ethiopia. Siemens was the sole distributor of Siemens mobile telephone apparatuses in Ethiopia and had been engaged in network installation; however, Chinese firms and other companies' ability to provide similar products at a cheaper price is said to have led to its exit from the market.
Shortage of food
A significant shortfall in food aid had the potential to increase the total of 4.9 million food insecure people to 6.2 million. An anxious Disaster Risk Management and Food Security Sector (DRMFSS), which recently replaced the former Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Agency (DPPA), discussed the problem in July with donor agencies in an extraordinary meeting.
nCourt cases
The Federal High Court first saw the bail denial for suspects apprehended in connection with the Nile Insurance saga in early January.
Minwuyelet Atnafu, major shareholder of Star Business Group; Temesgen Mehari a returnee businessman; Worku Megra, General Manager of Star Business Group; Almaz Moges, former general manager of Nile Insurance whom the Court had reinstated to her position; Abebaw Desta, major shareholder of Star Business Group, jailed in 2001 for alleged corruption; Tekalign Gedamu, former president of Abyssinia Bank; Mahtsentu Feleke, former general manager of Nile Insurance; and Desu Tamrat, former underwriting division head of the insurance company, were all denied bail after the Federal Ethics and Anticorruption Commission charged them for alleged abuse of power. They were freed on bail on their next court appearance.
The Federal High Court handed down verdicts to three coffee exporters, putting them behind bars after they were found guilty of under-invoicing bean exports. Jemal Abdu Mohamed was sentenced to two and half years imprisonment and fined three thousand birr. He was also ordered to relinquish the right to acquire an export license for three years after he is freed. Berihun Abebe Adal received a two year jail term and a three thousand birr fine. He was also banned from obtaining a license for three years. Gebre Egziabher Gebre was sentenced to one and half years and fined five hundred birr. Gebre Egziabher's license was revoked for two years.
Later in the year in December, a statement obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MoARD), explained that the three exporters are only some of many exporters who are in the pipeline to face charges. MoARD said it warned exporters to refrain from under invoicing exports of agricultural products.
In October, the Revenue and Customs Authority (RCuA) threatened to take legal action against individuals who defaulted on their tax payments. The case involved more than 900 vehicles.
The vehicles were imported duty free following an incentive given four years ago to encourage the Diaspora to return home. However, the privilege was abused when people began selling the vehicles to third parties against regulations, according to RCuA.
The authority had arranged for the tax payment to be made in instalments upon the request of the owners. This required them to pay 25 percent of the tax amount first and then take their cars using customs guarantee bonds from insurance companies for the balance to be paid within two years, in instalments.
The authority's warning about legal action was partly an attempt to reduce potentially large losses by several insurance companies that issued a customs guarantee bond on behalf of the importers.
Re-registration
The Addis Ababa City Administration Revenue Agency urged local representatives of businesses owned by Ethiopian Diaspora to bring their legal documents and re-register before February 2010.
A statement released from the agency also warned that it would not provide any of its services if the representatives failed to fulfil the re-registration by the end of February next year.
The process has been put in place while the agency decides how long it will give Diaspora business owners to return home and have their fingerprints taken.
The agency is currently collecting fingerprints of the over 450,000 taxpayers in Addis Ababa. By of mid October, it had collected over 350,000.
Control mechanism
The year ended with the Revenue and Customs Authority (RCuA) introducing yet another scheme to curb tax evasion, taking strong legal actions against deceptive tax payers in the country. In an unprecedented move the RCuA began calling on all tax payers to submit their bank accounts. The latest, shocking move is still the talk of the town.
A committee comprised of members from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and from the National Bank of Ethiopia began monitoring public enterprises, hoping to maintain their annual loan access at a ceiling of 6.3 billion birr.
The inter-agency committee began monitoring the borrowing level of public enterprises every month, according to a source working for MoFED. The committee called on large public enterprises to submit their annual investment and financing plans for review. They wanted to observe the macroeconomic impact of their plans and to propose remedial policy actions to high-level policy makers, according to the source.
DBE revises policy for loan buyouts
The new credit policy of the Development Bank of Ethiopia (DBE), approved in September 2008, was revised due to aspects that created confusion between the new policy and its predecessor.
An article to buyout performing loans from banks and a debt rescheduling article were some of the areas amended and approved. The new amendment allowed the bank to buyout loans, even if financial records of the borrower showed losses in the past; but keeping with all other former requirements.
Birtukan bumper
The first political news in early days of 2009 was unpleasant particularly for the opposition camp. That was the arrest of Birtukan Midekssa, chair of the opposition group Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ), for allegedly violating the pardon plea. The government said that she will serve the life sentence ruled by the country's High Court, reversing the pardon from the government along with former top CUD officials.
Revoking pardon
Birtukan, a former judge, alongside other former CUD leaders, faced a life sentence for attempting to dismantle the constitutional order by sheer force in the wake of the 2005 national elections. They were pardoned during the eve of the Ethiopian Millennium celebrations
But her pardon was revoked two days before her arrest. The Justice Minister Berhan Hailu said the revocation was made only to ensure the rule of law and strictly followed legal procedures.
Hunger strike
The jailed UDJ chair Birtukan continued to make headlines from her prison cell. She went on a hunger strike just few weeks after she was imprisoned.
Birtukan sues government
Birtukan sued the government for violating her rights as a prisoner and later it was reported she won the case. However there are allegations about how she is being treated in the prison, UDJ claims she had been in solitary confinement for a long time.
UDJ's small rally
UDJ called for the unconditional and immediate release of its jailed chair Birtukan. The party's rally of 250 people led by its top leadership went straight to the president's office and then to the PM's office from the party's headquarters for a similar appeal.
From Washington to Addis Ababa
One of the most important bilateral ties for Ethiopia is its relationship with the United States. The relation with Washington, however, was not always smooth this year.
U.S and CSO law
The US Government voiced concern that the Charities and Societies (CSO) law approved by the Ethiopian parliament may negatively affect the democratization process. After the endorsement of the bill, the U.S. government warned it may restrict assistance to Ethiopia.
Senators' call ignored
The Ethiopian government disregarded a letter sent from four US Senators that warned that if persisted with the recent trends it would have an adverse effect on the two nations' relationship.
Signed by four influential Senators including Russell Feingold, Chairman of the Senate's Subcommittee on African Affairs and Foreign Relations, the letter sent to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi voiced concerns over the re-arrest of Birtukan Midekssa, the new CSO law and the situation in the Ogaden Region.
US aid may cut out NGOs
Washington began rethinking the strategy of directing the bulk of its aid through non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The new administration began looking at the overall balance of assistance programs.
Bereket Simon sworn in
The former Minister of Information Bereket Simon, the ruling party's 2005 election campaign leader, was sworn in as a Minister for the newly established Government Communication Affairs Office. Shimelis Kemal, who was a prosecutor at the former CUDP trial, was appointed as Bereket's deputy with a title of state minister.
Lidetu elected
Lidetu Ayalew was elected as president of the Ethiopian Democratic Party for a final two year term. The Ethiopian Democratic Party concluded its fourth organizational congress setting ambitious goals for the coming five years such as to win back the Addis Ababa city council from the ruling party.
Lidetu sees moderate supports bearing no fruit
Becoming the sole group to use parliament's opposition day four years in a row, the Ethiopian Democratic Party proposed to issue a directive to correct what it says is Ethiopian Television and Radio's poor and unbalanced coverage.
The proposal was however turned down by the ruling party majority and affiliated parties, upsetting the party chair Lidetu Ayalew.
Stiff anti corruption law
Members of Parliament won't get to speak on motions, decisions, or amendments that may serve the interest of people they have personal or commercial ties with; a new draft proclamation proposed.
Federal Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission's new Asset Registration proclamation also recommends that ministers, commissioners, pubic enterprise heads, the national bank governor and deputies, auditors, privatization enterprise officials, senior army chiefs, prosecutors, justices and many other senior government officials, along with their family members, must disclose gifts they receive worth more than 2000 birr.
Anti-Terrorism Law
A new Anti-terrorism bill allows hearsay evidence at terrorism suspects' trial.
Despite strong opposition, the bill, which was drafted by the National Intelligence and Security Service, was accepted and approved as legislation.
The Somalia issue
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi declined to give details about the fatalities endured and the expenditure of the Ethiopian national defense's two year stay in Somalia. However, a number of MPs continued demanding the information on various occasions, including when National Defense Minister Siraj Fergesa was speaking before parliament.
uThe Ginbot-7 plot
The news of investigation into a plot by the Ginbot 7 movement, a group setup by former CUDP point man Berhanu Nega (PhD) who is based in the United States, broke in late April when security forces arrested some 35 people.
The court case ended in early December after 40 of the charged 46 people were found guilty. The indicted are to face from 10 years up to life prison terms and five defendants, including Dr. Berhanu Nega and Andargachew Tsigie, were sentenced to face capital punishment.
UDJ joins Forum
After months of deliberation and hesitation, the UDJ has finally joined the eight opposition group's coalition, Forum for Democratic Dialogue in Ethiopia [Forum.]
uForum election program
The newly formed coalition-Forum prepared the 2010 Election semi-program.
Costs and gains for UDJ
UDJ's top leadership suspended 22 senior members of the party including Professor Mesfin Woldemariam. The republic's first president Negasso Gidada (PhD.) and former defense minister Seye Abreha joined the UDJ. Losing members like Professor Mesfin may be a cost while getting Siye and Dr. Negasso could be seen as a gain. The decision to join the forum was the major cause of the internal UDJ dispute.
New era of politics
The EPRDF government authorized subsidies to opposition groups. Subsidies to political parties from the national treasury are of two types; one to be given during the election period while the second will be given to parties in parliaments to support their daily operations. This was introduced for the first time in Ethiopian modern political history.
Electoral board budget
Of the proposed 180 million birr for Electoral board budget, the government approved slightly over 149 million birr to execute national elections set to take place in May this year. Electoral board budget incorporates subsidies for political parties.
Art Year Review
Pool tournament promotes condom use
The 4th Wise-Up 8-ball Classic Pool Tournament organized by DKT/Wise-Up program was held on Saturday and Sunday, December 26/27 at Harmony Hotel.
The tournament which is an annual event was a chance for Ethiopia's top pool players to compete for a prize of 30,000 birr, split between the winners.
The pool tournament which also gave an opportunity for DKT/Wise-Up to promote condom use to some key groups, particularly the young people, attracted about 128 contestants to participate in the tournament.
The tournament was officially opened by guest of honors in the presence of representatives from sports, entertainment and media.
Eyob Alemu, Abiy Kassa and Fitsum Yohannes won the tournament's first to third place respectively pocketing 15,000, 10,000 and 5,000 birr.
Tesfaye Wolde, Orphans and Vulnerable Children Program Coordinator from Federal HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Office handed over the prize money to the participants of the tournament.
The proceeds from the pool tournament will be donated to Nikat Association, an association established by former commercial sex workers.
The Wise-Up Program (Wise-Up) is DKT's generic condom promotion activity targeting sex workers, their clients and gatekeepers, and other high risk groups. Wise-Up's goal is to decrease HIV/STI prevalence and incidence in Ethiopia by increasing condom use. Wise-Up is funded and led strategically and technically by DKT with the generous support from the Department for International Development (DFID), Irish Aid, and The Royal Netherlands Embassy (RNE). Wise-Up is facilitated by the Federal and Regional HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Offices (HAPCO).
Wise-Up is implemented by Timret Le Hiwot (TLH), a local non-government organization, the Nikat Women Association (Nikat), and numerous contractors.
Wise-Up is currently active in Addis Ababa and 18 regional cities, including at least one city in all regions.
Condom fashion
HIV/ADIS was one of the top killing diseases in Ethiopia for decades since it was discovered 24 years ago, however a collaborated effort made by a non-governmental organization and the Ministry of Health has eased the situation. DKT Ethiopia's effort to promote condom use is one of the factors that has contributed to the current declining level of HIV/AIDS status in Ethiopia.
DKT has been promoting flavored condoms for the last couple of years. Now, they are going to launch condom clothes in a fashion show on January 8, 2010. It is a new approach of promoting condoms in partnership with Zalef Fine Art and Fashion Design Institute.
Condoms of all shapes and sizes have been used to make dresses, hats, table flower and lollipops, the organizers told journalists in a press conference they gave on Thursday December 31, 2009.
The fashion show will open at the Hilton hotel on January 8, 2010 and will be staged in different streets of the capital city in Addis Ababa and other regions. It will target youth.
Over ten thousand condoms are used for making fashion clothes, including suits for men and women with a wide variety of styles, Emebet Alemu, director of Zalef Fine Art and Fashion Design Institute said at the press conference.
The fashion show program will be held under the slogan "Abstain, Be Faithful and Use condoms".
DKT opened Condom Café, last year in collaboration with Ayat Ahemed Ms World Ethiopia 2005 with a similar intention of promoting the use of condoms. Last year, DKT distributed about 18 million condoms in Addis Ababa.
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