1. law, govt and politics
2. government

The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
Vol. XIX No. 946 |1
Vol. IXI No. 946 | October 25, 2014 | ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
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Ethiopia releases 26 foreign pilots, helicopters
By Kaleyesus Bekele
The Ethiopian government last week
released five helicopters with 26 foreign
crew members who recently entered
Ethiopian air space without legal
permission.
The
five
Russian-made
civilian
helicopters belong to a leasing company
based in Khartoum, Sudan. The leasing
company is registered in Sudan and
Biosafety
amendment to
ease restriction
on controversial
GMO import
operates in different African countries.
The helicopters were leased by the
Tanzanian government. Three weeks ago
the helicopters departed from Khartoum
and were heading to Dar es Salaam.
Sources at the Ethiopian Ministry of
Defense told The Reporter that prior
to their departure the pilots did not
communicate with the Ethiopian Civil
Aviation Authority (ECAA) to secure a
fly-over permission. Sources said the
pilots wanted to land in Bahir Dar town
of the Amhara Regional State to refuel.
Since helicopters have limited fuelcarrying capacity they make frequent
landings to refuel on long flights. A
helicopter consumes up to 800 liters of
jet fuel an hour.
It is the ECAA that grants fly-over and
landing permits to local and foreign
registered aircraft. The authority also
allocates flight path. However, sources
said the helicopter leasing company got
in touch with a broker in Bahir Dar who
reported that the helicopters are allowed
to land and refuel in Bahri Dar. The
helicopters crossed the Ethio-Sudanese
border through the Amhara Regional
State. The ECAA air traffic control
was monitoring the helicopters with
a radar. The Ethiopian Air Force and
Air Defense Unit were on full alert. The
Ethiopia releases... page 36
DUTY HONOR COUNTRY
By Yonas Abiye
A Biosafety Proclamation amendment,
which seeks to lessen the restriction
on the contentious issue of importation
of Genetically Modified Organisms
(GMOs), was tabled before parliament on
Thursday, angering environmentalists.
The bio-safety proclamation, which was
ratified in 2009, has strict provisions
on importing GMOs. It requires an
applicant to obtain an Advance Informed
Agreement, a written consent granted
by the Ministry of Environment and
Forest, or a special permit to import
GMOs. The existing law also requires
“the competent national authority of the
country of export to the effect that the
competent national authority takes full
responsibility.”
T
he three Ethiopian peacekeepers who were killed by gunmen
while guarding a water hole in Sudan’s strife-torn Darfur
region last Thursday were laid to rest. Two of the soldiers
died at the scene in Korma, north Darfur, and a third died
later from his wounds in Khartoum, a statement, released by the joint
UN/African Union UNAMID peacekeeping mission last Thursday,
said. The attackers stole the Ethiopians’ patrol vehicle, it added.
The proposed draft amendment takes
“This has been a bloody October for UN Peacekeeping,” U.N. SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki Moon told reporters in New York. “In Darfur, Mali and
the Central African Republic, we have lost 14 peacekeepers in hostile
acts - nearly one per day.”
Biosafety amendment... page 36
A total of 61 UNAMID peacekeepers have been killed in action since
their force was set up in 2007 to stem violence in Sudan’s western
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region.
Darfur was plunged into turmoil in 2003 when mostly non-Arab rebels
took up arms against the government, accusing it of neglecting the arid
region, and Khartoum mobilised mostly Arab militias to crush the
uprising. The situation has since subsided into chaos with skirmishes
involving bandits, rival insurgent splinter groups, warring tribes and
lawless militias.
UNAMID’s joint UN/African Union Special Representative Abidoun
Bashua called on Khartoum to bring Thursday’s attackers to justice.
“An attack on peacekeepers constitutes a war crime and is punishable
under international criminal law,” Bashua said. Ethiopian troops
constitute a quarter of the 12,000 strong UNAMID force.
2| Vol. XIX No. 946
EDITORIAL
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
Published weekly by Media &
Communications Center
Address: Bole Sub City,
Kebele 03, H. No. 2347
Tel: 011 6 616180 Editorial
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Editors
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Neamin AshenaÀ
Columnist
Leyou Tameru
[email protected]
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Senior Graphic Designer
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Graphic Designers
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Head of Photography
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Photographers
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Mesfen Solomon
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Cartoonist
Elias Areda
Fasil W/giorgis
Government, IMF spat missing
fundamentals
The International Monetary Fund (IMF), one of the Bretton Woods institutions which was founded in 1944 together with the
World Bank, has had a long-standing relationship with Ethiopia ever since its establishment. It played an instrumental role in
persuading Ethiopia to implement the infamous Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) in the mid-1990s after the incumbent
Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Front (EPRDF) adopted the free market ideology in the wake of the downfall of the leftist Derg
regime in 1991. Inasmuch as it partnered with the Government of Ethiopia on various programs, it has also been and continues
to be at loggerheads with the latter.
The reports the IMF issued in September on the basis of the annual round of consultations it holds with the Ethiopian government
as well as the studies it conducts attest to the fact that the two sides always engage in fierce debates, largely driven by ideological
differences, ranging from the economic and financial policies of the government as well as implementation of same to the rate
and health of the economic growth of the Ethiopian economy.
Some of the major issues on which the neoliberal IMF and the Ethiopian government, which is a proponent of the developmental
state, spat over relate to, among others, the operation and regulation of financial institutions, the negligible role of the private
sector in the economy, the sheer size of parastatals and their accumulation of debt, inflation, macroeconomic management
and economic growth model choice. And when the Ethiopian government began to assert that the country was consistently
registering double digit economic growth the IMF proposed that the economy was heating up as a result of the mega-governmentfinanced projects and hence should be cooled down in order to avert the resulting rise in inflation.
The repayment of the huge external debt some state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are racking up has particularly led to sharp
differences. The government insists the SOEs are fully autonomous entities which can incur third-party obligations and that it
does not want to interfere when they decide to look for external financing. It further argues that they are able to borrow from
overseas lenders because the latter are convinced that the enterprises are able to service their debt within the specified maturity
date. The IMF, on the other hand, is of the view that each and every activity of the SOEs should be considered to be that of the
government as well and as such holds that all their financial transactions, including the external debt they contract, must be
deemed to form part of the national debt stock.
Unless both sides make an effort to bridge their ideological divide in view of the fact that they differ on the means and not the
end they have in mind, namely the healthy and sustainable growth of the Ethiopian economy, they will continue to engage in
an exercise which is pointless at best and counterproductive at worst. Naturally, they cannot be expected to see eye-to-eye on all
matters. Nonetheless, it is infinitely better that they devote more time and energy to working together on the core issues they
want to be addressed.
One of the accusations widely leveled against the IMF is that it is insensitive to the particular conditions of the countries it
supports and is prone to prescribing the same panacea for all. The same was true for Ethiopia which resisted the Fund’s attempt
to ram down its throats policy recommendations that did not take into consideration the conditions unique to it. That is why the
consultations between both are characterized by heated debates which came up with diverging solutions.
Marketing 2IÀcers
Biruk Mulugeta
Biruk Chernet
The primary criticisms directed towards the Government of Ethiopia is that it is undertaking huge projects which are liable to
subject the country to a debt burden which will be difficult to shoulder and sidelining the private sector. The fact that Ethiopia
was recently rated B by international credit rating companies should not breed complacency about the ability of SOEs, especially
those which do not have a reliable revenue stream, to pay back the billions of dollars they borrow to finance grand projects.
Hence, it would be unwise to reject outright the concerns raised by the IMF in this regard.
Computer Secretaries
Birtukan Abate, Helen Yetayew,
The differences between the Ethiopian government and the IMF must not be looked through an ideological prism alone and
should in fact give way to a rapprochement anchored in consolidating the gains made by Ethiopia on the economic front. Granted
that both parties are set in their positions, there can be no arguing there is no option but to adopt a pragmatic approach if the
country is to create a stable macro economy and enjoy sustainable growth by exploiting responsibly its considerable potential in
the infrastructure, manufacturing, tourism, agricultural, mining and other sectors.
Print
Tesfaye Mengesha, Yeyesuswork
Mamo,Gezaghgn Mandefro
It is imperative to monitor closely the issue of SOEs debt sustainability that is the current sticking point between the Government
of Ethiopia and the IMF and at the same time ramp up cooperation on other critical intervention areas. While it is important to
engage in lively debates during the consultation process, both should not lose sight of the fundamentals.
Marketing Manager
Endalkachew Yimam
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The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
HEADLINES
Nine parties to “cooperate” for
upcoming election
Vol. XIX No. 946 |3
DBE to launch
SME-banking
window
Esayas Bahre
By Dawit Taye
The Development Bank of Ethiopia
(DBE) announced this week that it
has finalized preparations to launch a
brand new banking services for Small
and Micro Enterprises (SMEs) which
are graduating to the medium and large
enterprise category.
From left: Nuri Mudesir, Erchafo Erdelo,Yelekal Getnet, Girma Bekele and Kassahun Abebaw
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By Neamin Ashenafi
Nine opposition parties have formed
a platform for cooperation to stand
together in the upcoming election and, in
the long run, to create a platform where
the parties can work together to ensure
the existence of free, fair, participatory
and credible elections, to expand the
political space and to work on issues
related to human and democratic rights
of citizens.
According to Esayas Bahre, president
of DBE, the new banking services aims
to fill the financing gap that taunts the
medium and large enterprises which are
making the transition from SMEs. And
for this purpose the bank is planning to
launch a new banking window.
Esayas told The Reporter that micro
finance institutions are mainly dedicated
to serve the financing needs of the SMEs
but once the enterprises transition to
medium and large category they will
longer be eligible to get financing from
micro finance institutions. Hence they
suffer from severe financial shortage.
On the other hand, DBE is also planning
to make significant change in collateral
requirements when financing a project.
According to the president, the bank
is going to relax its requirement to
see 30 percent of a project in liquidity
before approving the loan request. The
new procedure would allow projects
to present the 30 percent in physical
asset in place of cash for instance: if 30
percent of the project is completed the
borrower can present it as the initial 30
percent that is required to disperse the
70 percent.
The cooperation between these parties
was disclosed on October 22 at the
offices of the Semayawi Party (Blue)
and, according to the statement given
by the organizers of the cooperation,
Yilikal Getnet (Eng.) of Semaywi
Party and Girma Bekele of the Omo
Peoples’ Democratic Unity were elected
as chairman and secretary of the
cooperation, respectively.
The nine parties that formed the
cooperation are the All Ethiopian
Unity Organization (AEUO), the All
Ethiopian Democratic Party (AEDP), All
Amhara People’s Organization (AAPO),
Semayawi Party, Sodo Gordena Peoples’
Democratic Organization (SGPDO),
Ethiopian National Unity Party (ENUP),
Omo Peoples’ Democratic Union (OPDU),
Kembata Peoples’ Congress (KPC), and
Gedio People’s Democratic Organization
(GPDO).
In effect, the stringent project financing
requirement would be relaxed subject
to the approval of the National Bank of
Ethiopia (NBE). Esayas said, however,
that it does not mean that DBE’s
assessment of projects that is going to
finance will change completely. “We
just amended the condition of 30 percent
upfront payment to include physical
project asset but the rest of the loan
procedure remain the same,” he said.
The cooperation is mainly aimed
at creating an environment for a
free, fair, participatory and credible
election, expanding the political space
and ensuring citizens human and
democratic rights .And, apart from these
issues related to the upcoming national
election, the parties also aim at creating
one strong alliance to ensure these
Both of the above issues have been
among the complaints of the private
sector which have surfaced in the
Public-Private Dialogue Forum (PPDF)
frequently. Eyob Abte, secretary-general
of the PPDF, said that the changes made
by DBE are timely and important. He
also praised the launch of the new
window for its strategic nature.
Nine parties.. page 34
www.thereporterethiopia.com
4| Vol. XIX No. 946
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
HEADLINES
Draft bill proposes royalty fee Russian company to
embark on oil exploration
for art works
project in Ethiopia
By Kaleyesus Bekele
The Russian company that recently
signed
an
agreement
with
the
Ethiopian Ministry of Mines, GPB
Global Resources, is to embark on oil
exploration project in the Afar Regional
State.
GPB has put up an international tender
inviting companies for the provision
of airborne geophysical surveys in
its concession. A US company, Bell
Geospace, won the contract for the
provision of airborne Full Tensor
Gradiometry (FTG) and magnetic
surveys in the Gewane-El Wiha Block.
FTG and magnetic surveys enable
companies to design seismic surveys
and exploration well drillings.
business organizations are obliged to
pay a royalty fee for every art products
they use for public consumption.
By Yonas Abiye
The House of Peoples’ Representatives
(HPR) on Wednesday began reviewing
the draft law to amend intellectual
property rights which is expected to
end the long standing debatable issue
regarding the creativity sector in which
several professionals have been echoing
the protection of copy and related rights.
The new
provision
“Any person who uses protected works
under this proclamation for commercial
purpose shall have the obligation to
pay royalty to the relevant collective
management society,” the provision
inserted in the bill read.
The
amendment contains a
that
broadcasters
and
draft
laws
underscores
its
Draft bill proposes... page 34
In a statement issued on Thursday,
John Macfarlane, general manager of
Bell Geospace, noted that the company’s
unique and proprietary technical
process, which allows, among other
things, an interim map to be available
to GPB Ethiopia Resources BV within 24
hours after each interlace, has given the
company an added advantage.
“By supplying our client with an
interim map of the region flown, we
give them the flexibility to identify and
prioritize the areas of interest,” said
Macfarlane. “In addition, we intend to
use our range of full tensor processes,
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which are exclusive to Bell Geospace, to
maintain line spacing whilst benefiting
from enhanced resolution, and contact
lineament processing, also a proprietary
technique, which facilitates mapping
of intra-sedimentary structures not
possible with conventional techniques”.
The survey will begin in January 2015,
and Bell Geospace expects that the
complete dataset will be available to
GPB Ethiopia Resources BV within 28
days of acquisition.
Headquartered in Houston Texas, Bell
Geospace,
undertakes
geophysical
surveys for petroleum and mining
companies in different parts of the
Globe. Its long list of customers
includes ExxonMobil, Petronas and
Lundin Petroleum. Bell Geospace
was established in 1973 with offices in
Houston and Aberdeen, Scotland.
On July 17 the Ethiopian Minister of
Mines, Tolossa Shagi, and GPB Global
Resources
business
development
director, Alexander Ivanov, signed
petroleum
production
sharing
agreement that enables the company to
prospect for oil in the Gewane-El Wiha
block. The company may invest up to
60 million dollars on the exploration
project. The exploration area is located
in the Afar region of Ethiopia in the
Russian company... page 34
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
HEADLINES
Ethio-Turkish businesswomen
to strengthen business ties
Vol. XIX No. 946 |5
House reviews
Ethiopia,
Sudan criminal
proceedings pact
By Yonas Abiye
Photo By: Reporter/Mesfen Solomon
The House of Peoples’ Representatives
(HPR) during its regular session held
on Thursday looked into a Mutual Legal
Assistance Agreement on criminal
matters between Sudan and Ethiopia
which stipulates an exchange of vital
evidence and witnesses in criminal
investigation taking place in the two
countries.
The bilateral pact which was sealed
back in December 2013 enter into
force following the ratification of the
lawmaking bodies of the two nations
along with a criminal extradition treaty
inked a while back by the two parties.
Saime Yildiz with Roman Tesfaye
The
first-ever
delegation
of
businesswomen from Turkey visited and
held business meetings for three days in
the capital, starting on Thursday. The
meetings have been organized by the
first lady, Roman Tesfaye, who in June,
had led Ethiopian delegates to Turkey.
at the Ethiopian National Archives
and Library Agency, where 25
businesswomen were represented from
the confederation of businessmen and
industrialists of Turkey (TUSKON).
According to Saime Yildiz, head of
the delegation, the group came for the
first time representing women-owned
businesses from TUSKON.
meetings were organized by her office,
which, according to the first lady, is
an opportunity to nurture business
environments from both sides. She said
another group of Ethiopian business
owners are looking for more exposure
to the Turkish business climate. The
first lady also noted that women engaged
in the textile and garment and leather
The
business-to-business
meetings
with Ethiopian counterparts were held
First Lady Roman told reporters that
the visit and the business-to-business
Ethio-Turkish... page 34
By Birhanu Fikade
Ethiopia to
generate 300
MW solar
energy
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Bordering it to the northwest, Sudan
has strong economic, social and political
relations with Ethiopia. Based on
these relationships, according to the
document presented in the House along
with the draft law, the two nations
signed the mutual legal assistance
accord in Khartoum to combat crossborder criminal activities and speed up
the legal procedure of bringing them to
justice.
According to the agreement, the mutual
assistance to be implemented includes
taking evidence and statement from
persons; assisting in availability of
detained persons or others to give
evidence or assisting in criminal
investigation; effecting service of
judicial documents; executing searches
and seizures; examining objects and
sites;
providing
information
and
evidentiary items; providing certified
documents such as banks’, financial; in
general corporate and business records.
Earlier this year in April Minister of
Defense Siraj Fegessa told MPs that the
country had agreed with the government
of Sudan to establish joint forces to
tighten security along the common
border of the two nations against any
external aggression and potential threat.
Meanwhile, the latest document revealed
that judicial cooperation will help
contribute to combat and control the
growing cross-border criminal activities
that stretches to international level.
By Neamin Ashenafi
The Ethiopian Electric Power headed
by Engineer Azeb Asnake signed on
Oct.14 a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with a US-based company Green
Technology Africa Inc. (GTA) to generate
300 megawatts of solar energy.
The judicial cooperation is seen as
part of crime combating efforts among
the Intergovernemntal Authority on
Development (IGAD) member-states in
line with multilateral treaties including
the IGAD Convention on ‘Mutual
Legal Assistance and Extradition’ that
was adopted in 2009. However, only
Ethiopia and Djibouti have ratified both
conventions.
The
partnership
signifies
the
collaboration of the government and the
private sector which aims at supporting
Ethiopia’s green development strategies
with the underlined expectations
and demands of the Growth and
Transformation Plan (GTP), Dereje
Mesfin, CEO GTA Inc, told The Reporter.
“So, this bilateral cooperation agreement
will contribute a lot particularly
to fighting cross-boarder criminal
concerns jointly in a more integrated
manner as both share a common border
and people-to-people relations,” it says.
The CEO also told The Reporter that
based on the signed MoU GTA had
agreed to deliver 300 megawatts of
solar generated photovoltaic system as
a turnkey project in areas such as Dire
Dawa, Kombolcha and Desse areas of the
Amhara Regional State.
The MPs who deliberates on the
main articles of the document and
its importance to the country in the
context of combating threats against the
nation finally referred it to the Legal,
Justice and Administration Standing
Committee for further revision.
The proposal of the project was
submitted to the Ministry of Water,
Irrigation and Energy about a year ago
Beside the Sudanese, Ethiopia has
bilateral extradition agreements with
neighboring countries such as Djibouti
and Kenya. But the only extradition
agreement that was ratified by the HPR
is the one with Djibouti.
Ethiopia to... page 38
www.thereporterethiopia.com
6| Vol. XIX No. 946
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
In-depth
FOOD FOR ‘TAUGHT’
Using a fund obtained from local charity groups and parent-teacher associations, Edget Behibret Primary School combats school dropout by providing food assistance to some
of its needy studnts.
By Mikias Sebsibe
to reduce student dropouts, improve previous years, a study was conducted on a selection criterion provided by the
academic performance and enable and a series of deliberations were held bureau, the school has identified some
Unlike the scene at the gates of one of students to continue their education to on the matter, but the programme is yet 300 students (about 41 percent of the
student population) to be included in
to see the light of day.
the up-scale elementary school in Addis higher levels.
Ababa where moms and dads are seen In Ethiopia, such a program has been “We understand the problem in Addis the proposed school feeding programme.
drop-off their kids carrying oversized in place for almost a decade. Funded by Ababa and we are making preparations The figure excludes another 150 students
backpacks with a matching lunch box the World Food Programme (WFP) and to address it in a systematized and (20 percent) who are being assisted by a
adorned with their favorite cartoon managed by the Ministry of Education institutionalized manner,” Hailesilassie charity called Christian Care.
characters. The scene at Berhaneh Zare, (MoE), the Home Grown School Feeding Fisseha, deputy head of the Addis Ababa But the situation in other schools may
a modest elementary school located in Programme supports over 650,000 Education Bureau, told The Reporter.
not be as dire. A few hundred meters
Bole Sub-City around the area called students in 1,200 schools in the country.
away from Berhaneh Zare, is Misrak
But students at Berhaneh Zare
Hayahulet, is starkly different.
Dil Elementary School. It started off as
Under this programme students are
Elementary School cannot afford to wait
Oblivious to their surroundings, the kids provided with blended food rich in for long. Resting on a vast area of 55,000 a publicly-funded school in mid 1980s
here bustle through the narrow streets vitamins once a day. In addition, Home sqm of land, the school has 730 students but was transformed into state-funded
of Hayahulet on their way to school in Grown provides a vegetable oil as a take- registered for this academic year. But, school two years ago.
the wee hours of the day. Kids wearing home ration to about 153,000 girls in the two students have already dropped out Of the 937 students registered for the
a blue sweater with a dark-blue trouser – pastoralist areas to motivate them to only a month into the new academic academic year, 72 students (just 7.6
the school uniform – and unaccompanied attend at least 80 percent of the classes year, according to the director.
percent) are identified to be included
by adults catches one’s eye. Although offered by their schools, according
in the school feeding programme,
they are supposed to spend the full day at to data from the WFP. Currently, the “They [two students] came to us because according to Tsion Getachew, deputy
their school, many are seen not carrying programme is operational in “food they wanted to get education. But they director and chair of a charity group
a lunch box. From their appearance, insecure and low enrollment areas” in are on the streets now,” Fantu added, within the school.
one can easily infer that these are not Afar, Somali, SNNP, Oromia, Amhara who says the situation at her school is
well documented by the city’s education Taking the average number from the two
kids from a well-to-do family. And it is and Tigray regional states.
not certain how many of these kids will Urban areas such as the capital Addis bureau. “It is sad to see students collapse schools, some 36,000 students in Addis
continue this daily routine until the end Ababa are not in the programme leaving because of hunger or hear of stolen lunch Ababa are out of school or at risk of
dropping out of school in search of food.
boxes.”
of the ten-month school year.
poor children of the city to the mercy of
These are the students the proposed city“Last academic year alone, 74 students charity organizations and benevolent The Addis Ababa Education Bureau is wide programme is expect to benefit.
dropped out,” Fantu Hailu, director of individuals where the reach and yet to finalize refining its data to identify
Berhaneh Zare Elementary School, says. effectiveness of such service is highly the exact number of students who should Right to education and school feeding
be included in the proposed school
The figure represents the number of unreliable.
The African Charter on the Rights and
students who could no longer continue Hopes emerged, however, when an feeding programme.
Welfare of the Child, which Ethiopia
their education either because they have initiative spearheaded by the First Lady, Berhaneh Zare is one of the 216 public ratified in 2002, stipulates for the
no one to feed them or their parents just Roman Tesfaye, and the Addis Ababa elementary schools in Addis Ababa provision of free and compulsory
do not have the means to do so.
Education Bureau announced that it was expected to establish a committee education. Under Article 11, the charter
School feeding interventions are one
of the strategies governments devise
set to launch a school feeding programme
in Addis Ababa this budget year. In the
composed of women and identify
students in need of assistance. Based
www.thereporterethiopia.com
Food for ... page 36
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
Among the participants
there were some questions,
before the meeting started
in relation to the problem
of the political space,
a representative from
Semayawi Party said that
they submitted a letter
to the Board about the
political space and that
they want to discuss that
before the issue of the
timetable.”
NEBE denounce
report about
parties walkout
By Neamin Ashenafi
HEADLINES
Ethiopia a step closer to ratifying free
diplomatic visa service with Brazil
By Yonas Abiye
visa service among the two nations’
diplomats and service passport holders.
In the face of the recently growing
friendship between Ethiopia and the
Latin American giant – Brazil – the two
countries are moving further to cement
their relationship as Ethiopia takes the
first step in ratifying the agreement that
seeks to remove requirements to get
diplomatic and service (official) visas.
According to the document presented
before MPs, since the recent past the
relationship between Ethiopia and
Brazil has been steadily growing and
Brazil has been assisting Ethiopia’s
development efforts.
The two nations signed an agreement in
2012 to lift the visa requirement process
for their respective diplomats and
service (official) passport holders as part
of their growing bilateral relations.
On Thursday, the House of Peoples’
Representatives (HPR) reviewed the
draft bill which legitimizes the free
The Ethiopian government on its part is
considering the South American giant
as a strong partner especially as a source
finance for mega projects particularly
for railway projects and sugar factories.
Ethiopia has so far made free-visa
agreements with 36 countries.
MPs welcomed the bill and referred it to
the Defense and Foreign Security Affairs
Standing Committee.
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Similarly, the House looked at various
bills that are proposed in relation to the
two countries’ bilateral and diplomatic
relations mainly technical cooperation
that has been signed between the
governments of Ethiopia and Brazil.
Similarly, bilateral agreements between
the two countries with regard to
cooperations in science, technology and
entrepreneurship were also discussed.
During the same session, the MPs also
viewed the draft bill that was proposed
on aviation service agreement between
Ethiopia and Singapore.
Ethiopian Airlines recently announced
that it has already finalized preparations
to extend flights to the Far East by making
Singapore its additional destination.
IWMI launches its
Nile Basin, East
Africa research
program
The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia
(NEBE) downplayed the report that was
mainly distributed by Semayawi Party
(Blue), which stated that opposition
parties walked out of the consultative
meeting organized by the Board to
discuss the issue of the timetable of the
upcoming national elections.
The meeting was organized by the Board
last Friday and was held at Ghion Hotel.
Among the invited 23 national-based
parties, 22 attended the consultative
meeting and the parties reached an
agreement to submit their suggestions
about the timetable within ten days to
the Board regarding how the timetable
would be implemented, Demesew Benti,
Public Relations Directorate Director of
the Board, told The Reporter.
By Henok Reta
International
Water
Management
Institute (IWMI) launched its first Nile
Basin and East Africa Research Program
on the basis of an emerging concern over
the environmental degradation that is
happing along river basin of the Nile, the
longest river in world.
The program seeks to come up with a
sustainable water, land and ecosystems
management mechanism for the Nile
River Basin and East Africa region
which is home to 20 percent of the
continent’s
population.
According
to IWMI, a growing population and
increasing use of marginal land have led
to both land and ecosystem degradation
especially along the Blue Nile Basin
which contribute some 84 percent to the
total volume of the river.
He also told The Reporter that the
consultative meeting was organized
in three different areas and, as per
the parties request, regional parties
were gathered in the cities of Hawassa
and Adama while the national parties
gathered for the discussion here in
Addis Ababa.
The director further added: “Among the
participants there were some questions,
before the meeting started in relation
to the problem of the political space, a
representative from Semayawi Party
said that they submitted a letter to the
Board about the political space and that
they want to discuss that before the issue
of the timetable.”
However, in recent years the volume of
Nile water has been put under constant
pressure from environmental concerns.
Land degradation, erosion, flooding
and expansion of urbanization and the
associated construction have increased
the risk for the basin. And this is
rationale behind the call of interest by
the IWMI for submission of research
proposals for the conservation of water,
land and ecosystems in the Nile basin
and the East Africa region.
However, according to Demesew, the
head of the Board, told them that the
letter that they submitted was late and
if there are problems as they stated the
Board will prepare another forum but
for the time being they should focus on
the issue at hand, which is discussing
about the timetable.
So far, the research competition have
filtered some 30 proposals for the
next stage of competition that is the
demonstration of research ideas on the
ground. The finalists of the completion
would get opportunity to be applied in
countries along the Nile basin.
“After that the meeting proceeded and
that’s what happened but the reports
circulated on some social medias were as
if all the parties walked out,” Demesew
told The Reporter.
According to him, most of the parties
that attended the consultative meeting
are now submitting their responses to
the Board as per their agreement and
the report that stated parties walked
away from the consultative meeting is
far from the reality on the ground.
Vol. XIX No. 946 |7
Simon Langan (PhD), a principal
researcher and East Africa office head,
said that the research program is
designed to mitigate the challenges that
farmers face in the region. “Particularly,
it would bring about a certain solution
for farmers in coping with flood and
erosions that severely damage the
ecosystem,” he said.
Integrating ecosystem and agricultural
“Free grant... page 36
www.thereporterethiopia.com
IWMI launches ... page 36
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
8| Vol. XIX No. 946
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The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
Vol. XIX No. 946 |9
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10| Vol. XIX No. 946
COMMENTARY
A
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
griculture is but one example. Greater
female participation in male-dominated
occupations across the board would
increase overall labor productivity
by up to 25 percent. The same is true of politics,
where more female participation and leadership
would improve governance and public services, as
promising experiences in some parts of Africa and
elsewhere have shown.
Unleashing Africa’s girl power
By Joaquim Chissano
Sub-Saharan Africa’s economies have
boomed in recent years. But the headline
figures often mask longer-term problems
– not least, an over-reliance on natural
resources and chronic inequalities.
Inclusive,
sustainable
growth
is
achievable, but only by tapping the
continent’s greatest reserve of energy
and creativity: African women and girls.
Health and development experts,
economists,
non-governmental
organizations, United Nations agencies,
and banks agree that the key to
unlocking Africa’s potential lies in
expanding women’s education, freedom,
and job opportunities. Today, many
African women are not only expected to
fulfill traditional roles, such as raising
children and caring for the elderly; they
also face legal and social discrimination
regarding land and property ownership,
inheritance, education, and access to
credit and technology – in addition to
oppressive sexual mores and violence.
Yet gender equality is necessary for the
continent’s well-being. Consider the
pressing issue of food security. Women
comprise half of the agriculture sector’s
workforce, growing, selling, buying, and
preparing food for their families. Studies
suggest that equal access to resources
would increase farm yields by 20-30
percent, offsetting the effects of drought
and climate change. Access to education,
capital, markets, and technologies
would allow women to process, package,
and market their products, especially for
Africa’s growing middle class, bolstering
both earnings and food supplies.
Agriculture is but one example. Greater
female participation in male-dominated
occupations across the board would
increase overall labor productivity by up
to 25 percent. The same is true of politics,
where more female participation and
leadership would improve governance
and public services, as promising
experiences in some parts of Africa and
elsewhere have shown.
The first step to improving conditions
for women must be to strengthen their
sexual and reproductive health and
rights – an issue concerning which Africa
has some of the world’s worst indicators.
Simply put, women must be allowed to
decide, free of coercion or violence, about
their sexuality and health; if, when, and
whom to marry; and whether and when
to become a parent. This cannot happen
without providing women and girls with
the information, education, and services
they need to make their own decisions.
Sexual and reproductive health issues
exact a huge yet largely avoidable toll
Unleashing... page 28
VIEWPOINT
By Gordon Brown
CHILDREN’S CHAMPIONS
The British social reformer, Eglantyne
Jebb, once noted that the only
international language that the world
understands is the cry of a child. Nearly
a century after Jebb founded Save the
Children, the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize was
awarded to Malala Yousafzai, the 17-yearold campaigner for girls’ education, and
child-labor opponent Kailash Satyarthi.
The Nobel Committee thus recognized a
global civil-rights struggle against child
trafficking, child labor, child marriages,
and discrimination against girls.
Given recent and ongoing conflicts in
Syria, Iraq, Gaza, and South Sudan,
which have devastated so many young
lives, the Nobel committee had good
cause to highlight children’s suffering.
Schools, which should have been
sanctuaries, have become military
targets. Thousands of children in Syria
and Iraq have been press-ganged into
military service. Despite the efforts
of United Nations relief agencies, the
carnage this summer has created an
additional one million child refugees.
Nigeria’s government stipulates, there
are still 15 million children under the
age of 14 worldwide who are forced to
work, often in appallingly exploitative
environments. A further ten million
school-age girls are married off as
child brides each year, while around 32
million girls are denied the right even to
an elementary education.
The vulnerability of children was
illustrated only too well six months
ago, when the Islamist terrorist group
Boko Haram (whose name means
“Western education is a sin”) abducted
276 Nigerian schoolgirls. Even if all
of the kidnapped girls are returned
safely, as a truce between the group and
But a worldwide counter-offensive
is now underway. Satyarthi’s Global
March Against Child Labor has rescued
thousands of boys and girls, as young
as eight, working as slave laborers in
India’s back streets and sweatshops.
The organization has inspired a
worldwide campaign to lift children out
www.thereporterethiopia.com
of exploitation and into education.
Meanwhile, Yousafzai – following her
defiant response to an assassin’s bullet
two years ago – has led the fight to end
discrimination against girls. Her impact
has been remarkable. Visiting Pakistan
immediately after that attack, I saw
angry girls cowed into submission by
their fear of the Taliban. On a return
visit a few weeks ago, I addressed some
2,000 girls about education. Inspired by
Yousafzai, they were far from quiescent;
on the contrary, they were vocal in their
demands for the same rights that boys
enjoy.
Children’s... page 28
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
Vol. XIX No. 946 |11
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UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)
Ref: UNFPA/RFP/ETH/2014/02
BASE LINE SURVEY KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDE, PRACTICE
AND BEHAVIOR (KAPB) OF THE JOINT PROGRAMME
(UNICEF and UNFPA) ON A RIGHTS BASED APPROACH TO
ADOLESCENT AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IN ETHIOPIA
(PHASE II JP)
UNFPA and UNICEF are multilateral development agencies working
in unison and with national and international partners towards
discharging their mandates. UNFPA works towards making a world
where every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, and every
young person’s potential is ful¿lled. UNICEF’s mandate is to ensure
that the world becomes a place where the rights of every child are
realized and protected; that their basic needs are met and they are
provided with opportunities which will enable them to reach their full
potential.
The UNFPA and UNICEF Joint Programme on Adolescents and
Youth Development which is funded by the Royal Norwegian
Embassy emerged out of the experience of the two agencies
collaboration with the donor. “A rights-based approach to adolescents
and youth development in Ethiopia” is an initiative funded by the
Royal Norwegian Embassy (RNE), and implemented by UNFPA
and UNICEF Ethiopia country of¿ces as a Joint Programme (JP).
The 2nd phase of JP will be implemented in 30 target woredas, within
six selected regions (Addis Ababa, Afar, Amhara, Oromia Tigray,
and SNNPR). The project woredas include 15 public universities
and HIV hotspot areas. The program targets adolescents and
young people (age 10-24) as primary bene¿ciaries addressing
HIV prevention, violence against children, sexual and reproductive
health and rights among young people, in particular girls, and
gender-based violence including female genital mutilation, rape,
abduction and child marriage.
The UNFPA and UNICEF COs request proposals from interested
and quali¿ed ¿rms for the above mentioned professional service. The
technical and ¿nancial proposals should be submitted in separate
sealed envelopes on/or before Friday November 21, 2014, at 11 am
local time (GMT +3). Late offers shall be rejected.
A complete set of RFP bid document in English is posted at the
UNITED Nations Global Marketplace (UNGM) https://www.ungm.
org/Public/Notice
Bidding will be conducted in accordance with the bid policy and
procedure of UNFPA, and is open to all interested, quali¿ed and
eligible bidders.
Address:
UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND, UNFPA
UNECA Compound, Old Building, 5th Floor
P. O. Box 5580
Att: Daniel Regassa
Fax: +251 115 515311
Tel. +251 115 444355
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
www.thereporterethiopia.com
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
12| Vol. XIX No. 946
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The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
Vol. XIX No. 946 |13
Letter to the Editor
ETHIO TELECOM
going from bad to worse
Dear Editor,
The Telecom Expansion Project (TEP),
which was considered to be a way
out from our day to day connectivity
problems that made our lives harder,
seems to be on its knees. Much has not
yet been achieved from the grand project
that demanded the nation an investment
of about USD 1.6 billion. Even though
the one side of the project that aimed
at increasing subscribers seems to be
promising enough, the other side, which
aspired to address quality problems
remains highly contentious.
The project that was signed in August
2013 with the two Chinese telecom
companies – ZTE and Huawei – was also
expected to reach its final stages within
two years. In point of fact, however, it
is only the deadline that is approaching
without much progress being made.
Even the Addis Ababa network
infrastructure. Which was put into
commercial use two months ago, hardly
addressed the existing problem when it
comes to the daily lives of residents. One
does not need to see the outcomes of a
study conducted on the area. It is instead
clear for everybody as it is witnessed in
the day-to-day connectivity in relation to
network congestion. So who is to blame?
The vendor, Ethio Telecom, should be on
top of the list.
Surprisingly enough, it is said that the
operator has started negotiating with
Ericsson – a telecom company based
in Stockholm, Sweden for the latter to
take part in the TEP. Representatives of
Ericsson were seen meeting top officials
of the Ethio Telecom at its headquarters.
Especially during the last three weeks,
the negotiations between the two parties
(Ethio Telecom and Ericson) have
continued as interests on both sides
were witnessed to be high. Even though
no official information is yet released by
Ethio Telecom regarding the deal, the
‘deal’ seems to be controversial for those
in the arena.
The fact that the TEP project was already
awarded to the two Chinese companies,
the issue of procurement law concern
is there in connection with the ongoing
negotiation with an additional party.
In addition to the issue of legality, the
financial conditions of the company
are still another concern. The record of
the financial capacity of Ericsson does
not seem to be equivalent to its Chinese
counterparts. It is, in fact, much inferior
when compared to the vendors who are
already working on the project. After all,
Ericsson was not successful in its stay in
Ethiopia in the past.
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Ericsson had closed its technical office
in 1974 and opened a representative
office in 1997 as part of its project of the
installation of a 280,000-line AXE system
financed by the Swedish International
Development Authority (SIDA).
Of course, there is no concrete
information whether the two parties
could reach an agreement for Ericsson
to get involved in the project as well as
about how much share Ericsson will
take. Yet, it is clear that the operator is
in a danger zone to repeat its previous
mistakes which will in turn be costly.
The nation deserves a better telecom
infrastructure so that it is time for the
management of Ethio Telecom to aspire
to achieve a better goal.
Israel Tesfahunegn
[email protected]
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
14| Vol. XIX No. 946
COMMENTARY +
P
opulation density in India’s mega-cities is as
high as 10,000 people per square kilometer,
and can match that level even in secondand third-tier cities, as slums mushroom
to accommodate large-scale migration from rural
areas. Spending on health-care infrastructure has
been woefully inadequate, failing to keep pace with
burgeoning urban populations.
Ebola’s next frontier
By Hrishabh Sandilya and Dany Shoham
Which countries, beyond those in West
Africa, are most susceptible to the Ebola
epidemic? Most epidemiologists do not
fear much for the developed world, with
its effective quarantine measures and
tracking procedures, or even for sparsely
populated developing countries. An
outbreak could easily be contained in
both groups of countries. But large,
densely populated areas, lacking the
proper containment mechanisms are
highly vulnerable.
India, with its large emigrant population
(the second largest in the world), high
urban density, and inadequate public
health-care infrastructure, potentially
has the most to lose if the Ebola virus
spreads. Links to West Africa are close
and go back over the last century, with
almost 50,000 Indians or people of Indian
origin living in the region.
Indeed, scores of people fly between
Accra, Lagos, Freetown, Monrovia,
or Abidjan and New Delhi, Mumbai,
Calcutta, or Chennai on a daily basis,
transiting through the Middle East or
Europe. While exit controls are in place
in all of the international airports in the
affected regions, the virus’s incubation
period (which averages eight days in
the current outbreak but can be up to
21 days) means that someone with no
symptoms from a recent infection could
make the trip to India without triggering
alarms.
Recent personal experience at New Delhi
airport indicated that nominal arrival
checks, as the government requires,
were loosely enforced, with a number of
passengers exiting the terminal holding
completed Ebola information cards that
should have been handed to immigration
officials. It seems unlikely that India’s
government will be able to keep tabs on
all of the arrivals from West Africa.
Population density in India’s mega-cities
is as high as 10,000 people per square
kilometer, and can match that level even
in second- and third-tier cities, as slums
mushroom to accommodate large-scale
migration from rural areas. Spending
on health-care infrastructure has been
woefully inadequate, failing to keep pace
with burgeoning urban populations.
Outside of the large cities, most healthcare facilities are unable to provide
anything more than primary care. World
Bank data show that India currently
has 6.5 doctors, 13 nurses, and nine
hospital beds per 10,000 people – levels
that are less than half the global average
and far below what the World Health
Organization recommends.
Given these factors – urban density,
congested slums and shantytowns with
poor sanitation, drainage, and sewage,
and weak health-care infrastructure – it
is easy to imagine how the Ebola virus
could spread rapidly. A single infected
person who arrives from West Africa
and is then untraceable could easily
trigger an epidemic.
India’s government insists that it is
Ebola’s next... page 28
VIEWPOINT +
By Mohamed A. El-Erian
The inequality trifecta
There were quite a few disconnects
at the recently concluded Annual
Meetings
of
the
International
Monetary Fund and World Bank.
Among the most striking was the
disparity
between
participants’
interest in discussions oåf inequality
and the ongoing lack of a formal action
plan for governments to address it.
This represents a profound failure of
policy imagination – one that must
urgently be addressed.
There is good reason for the spike
in interest. While inequality has
decreased
across
countries,
it
has increased within them, in the
advanced and developing worlds alike.
The process has been driven by a
combination of secular and structural
issues – including the changing nature
of technological advancement, the
rise of “winner-take-all” investment
characteristics, and political systems
favoring the wealthy – and has been
turbocharged by cyclical forces.
In the developed world, the problem
is rooted in unprecedented political
polarization, which has impeded
comprehensive responses and placed
an excessive policy burden on central
banks. Though monetary authorities
enjoy more political autonomy than
other policymaking bodies, they lack
the needed tools to address effectively
the challenges that their countries
face.
In normal times, fiscal policy would
support monetary policy, including by
playing a redistributive role. But these
are not normal times. With political
gridlock blocking an appropriate
fiscal response – after 2008, the United
States Congress did not pass an
annual budget, a basic component of
responsible economic governance, for
five years – central banks have been
forced to bolster economies artificially.
To do so, they have relied on near-zero
interest rates and unconventional
measures like quantitative easing to
stimulate growth and job creation.
www.thereporterethiopia.com
Beyond
being
incomplete,
this
approach implicitly favors the wealthy,
who hold a disproportionately large
share of financial assets. Meanwhile,
companies have become increasingly
aggressive in their efforts to reduce
their tax bills, including through
so-called inversions, by which they
move their headquarters to lower-tax
jurisdictions.
As a result, most countries face
a trio of inequalities – of income,
wealth, and opportunity – which, left
unchecked, reinforce one another,
with
far-reaching
consequences.
The inequality... page 25
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
Vol. XIX No. 946 |15
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VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
Position:
Category:
Accountable To:
Work Location:
Travel:
Salary:
Application Deadline:
Start Date:
Terms of Employment:
Deputy Country Director - Programs
Senior Leadership/Management Level
IMC Ethiopia Country Director
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Travel to Project Field Sites Required
Senior Competitive Level as per Organization Scale
16 October 2014
10 November 2014 (Preferred)
Initially 12 months & Renewable Based on Performance
Background:,QWHUQDWLRQDO 0HGLFDO &RUSV ,0& LV D JOREDO KXPDQLWDULDQ QRQSUR¿W
organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering worldwide. Established in
1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, International Medical Corps is a private, voluntary,
non-political, non-sectarian organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of life
through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in underserved
communities worldwide.
IMC Ethiopia has implemented extensive programming in food-insecure areas throughout
Oromia, Somali, Gambela, Amhara and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s
Regions of Ethiopia, since 2003, assisting both refugees and local communities to drive
their own sustainable development by capacitating local health and food security structures
including staff through technical, material (medical supplies and equipment) and logistical
support to provide accessible and appropriate health care and timely responses in the areas
of nutrition, mental and reproductive health; hygiene and sanitation as well as genderbased violence (GBV) using community empowerment strategies such as psychosocial
support and care, Early Child Development (ECD), Infant Young Children Feeding (IYCF)
and community-led total sanitation (CLTS). IMC Ethiopia works with all actors including
government and non-governmental agencies engaged in humanitarian efforts to reduce
morbidity and mortality among malnourished children, pregnant and lactating women,
women of reproductive age and other vulnerable communities in respective areas of
intervention and encourages long-term development.
Position Summary
Working as a key member of the IMC Ethiopia senior leadership team together with the IMC
Country Director and the Deputy Country Director-Finance & Administration; the Deputy
Country Director-Programs (DCD-Programs) is responsible for leading and managing a
multi-sector program encompassing humanitarian emergency response, refugee response,
resiliency building and development across 6 ¿eld of¿ces in 5 regions of Ethiopia with 400
staff. The DCD-Programs will also lead and manage a 30 person country management
team based in Addis Ababa, as well as program coordinators and/or managers located in
IMC Field Of¿ce locations. The DCD-Programs will partner with his/her peers in technical,
compliance, grants management, ¿nance, administration, logistics, human resources and
security to insure the highest quality services and impact for all IMC programs within the
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
x Provide effective and inspiring leadership, as well as stewardship for IMC Ethiopia
by being actively involved in all programs and services. Implement and lead a
continuous quality improvement process throughout the program and service
areas, focusing on systems/process improvement. Promote regular and ongoing
opportunities for all staff to give feedback on program operations.
x Lead a diverse and high performing IMC country senior management team to the
next level by further developing capacities and knowledge.
x Partner with the IMC Country Director to represent IMC Ethiopia with all
stakeholders, including community, government, donors, United Nations, partners
and other non-government organizations
x Ensure that all program activities and program teams operate consistently and
ethically within the mission and values of International Medical Corps
x Manage and supervise all IMC Ethiopia program/project coordinators, managers
and staff, as well as program consultants – in order to oversee all program/
project activities, compliance and insure the highest levels of program/project
effectiveness, impact and quality.
x Work closely with and in cooperation with the IMC country senior management
team to determine and adjust as necessary the detailed program plans of all IMC
Ethiopia programs/projects.
x Liaise with government authorities and international or national agencies,
organizations and partners
x Provide oversight of senior project/program team managers to ensure quality of
IMC project activities and compliance with established best practices.
x Monitor implementation of IMC project/program activities, in conjunction with
technical, logistical, ¿nance, human resource, administrative and project/program
¿eld staff.
x Participate in program evaluations to be jointly conducted by IMC and its partners.
x
x
x
x
x
Participate in regular consultations with IMC headquarters and IMC Ethiopia ¿eld
programs/projects
Participate with the country director, the program development manager and
technical team in the development of concepts and donor proposals for new
programs/projects.
In the absence of, or as directed, act as IMC’s point of contact with government
Federal, Regional and Zonal authorities as necessary.
Monitor and insure appropriate IMC representation at sector cluster meetings as
well as IMC participation in task force meetings, assessment missions and in
other NGO, UN and government coordination forums.
Coordinate with government authorities and donors to determine sector priorities
and levels of IMC technical/other assistance, including IMC participation in long
term strategies.
Seek partnerships with government authorities, national partners and international
agencies to improve the standard of information systems, including those from
IMC project geographical areas of activity.
x Together with the country director, human resource department and in coordination
with program managers, to hire and/or dismiss local staff within the framework of
Ethiopian national labor law and of IMC policies and procedures, as well as the
principles of performance based management.
Required Skills, Knowledge & Abilities
x Extensive experience in overall program/project senior leadership and
management; preferably in health, nutrition, water-sanitation-hygiene, protection,
food security, resiliency, refugee and related sectors.
x Demonstrated and extensive program/project, people, and ¿nancial management
skills
x Ability to cope with stress; demonstrated patience and Àexibility.
x Previous experience in proposal development for donors including USAID, OFDA,
BPRM, ECHO, DFID, UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, Major Foundations and other.
x Ability to effectively work with government, community leaders, international/
national organizations, donors, partners and other IMC relationships.
x Ability to prepare work plans and budgets; organize staff and delegating
responsibility.
x Provision of oversight and acceptance of responsibility for delegated assignments
x Experience in preparing log-frames and monitoring according to log-frames
x Experience with donor compliance and reporting requirements including USAID,
OFDA, BPRM, ECHO, DFID, UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, Major Foundations and
other.
x Supportive, collaborative, adaptive and participatory personnel leadership and
management style
x Team builder with an ability to train, build capacity, mentor and coach colleagues
x Diplomatic and an effective communicator at all levels
x Strong communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English& Amharic
x Advanced pro¿ciency in the use of MS Of¿ce, Email and other computer
applications
x Experience with establishing strong and effective working relationships with
colleagues from different backgrounds, cultures and experience.
x Experience with proactively identifying and addressing issues, and insuring
effective solutions and resolution
x Able to establish and maintain healthy working relationships with colleagues in
the course of collaborative work.
x Willingness to work additional hours in order to meet tight deadlines.
Required Quali¿cations
x At least 10 years of professional experience overall, with a minimum of ¿ve years
of senior leadership experience supervising senior professional staff within a nongovernment organization implementing humanitarian response and development
programs. Solid educational background including a relevant undergraduate
degree, and preferably with an advanced degree. Extensive non-government
organization experience in relief and development, combined with education/
learning may be considered as a substitute
x Strong relationship builder and communicator with experience leading diverse
work teams, developing an organization-wide strategy for program excellence,
engaging stakeholders, and ability to work as a key member of a senior leadership
& management team.
x Demonstrates integrity, strives for excellence in his/her work, and has experience
of leading others to new levels of effectiveness and programmatic impact.
x Passionate about the mission of International Medical Corps and able to promote
and communicate the philosophy, mission and values of International Medical
Corps to external and internal stakeholders.
x Ability to travel 25 of the time to provide on-site leadership for ¿eld of¿ces and
programs.
Compensation
This is an outstanding opportunity to leadthe highly-effective program area for International
Medical Corps Ethiopia and partner with the IMC Country Director and senior management
team. International Medical Corps will offer a competitive national staff senior leadership/
management compensation package including an attractive base salary at the top tier of
the organizational salary scale, insurance coverage and other bene¿ts.
International Medical Corps is an Equal Opportunity employer. Personnel are chosen on
the basis of ability without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability,
marital status or sexual orientation, in accordance with applicable law.
x
Application Instructions
Interested applicants are invited to ELECTRONICALLY SUBMIT via Email and attached
documents their updated CV and a cover letter explaining their interest, motivation,
quali¿cation and experience related to the above job description prior to the application
deadline of this vacancy announcement to the following address:
International Medical Corps ± Ethiopia Country Of¿ce
Human Resource and Administration Department
Email: [email protected]
PLEASE DO NOT ATTACH COPIES OF TRANSCRIPTS, ACADEMIC DEGREE OR
RECOMMENDATION LETTERS WITH YOUR APPLICATION.
www.thereporterethiopia.com
Only short listed candidates will be contacted
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
16| Vol. XIX No. 946
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www.thereporterethiopia.com
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
Lifestyle
Vol. XIX No. 946 |17
From open markets to
hypermarkets
An aisle inside Safeway Supermarket as compared to a traditional open market in the city
By Henok Reta
Feyine Tolera, a 62-year-old woman
who has for long been purchasing
goods from the street markets of Addis
Ababa, entered one of the city’s biggest
supermarkets located on the outskirts
of the city. She pulled the shopping
cart behind the entrance and pushed it
towards the aisles. She strolled down
the passageway for about ten minutes,
picked up products from the shelves
and read the instructions before placing
them in the cart or back on the shelves.
Finally, after picking what she needed
she came to the cashier to pay for her
groceries. “Did I look I couldn’t do some
shopping?” she humorously asked for
what she was asked by The Reporter at
Safeway Supermarket. “I do this twice
a week and actually enjoy doing it,” she
said.
After finishing her shopping, she
carefully placed the groceries in the
back seat and trunk of her sedan. Being
a single parent she has been doing this
for some 17 years unless she was sick
or was engaged in an occasional social
obligation. According to her, the market
trend in the city has shown tremendous
change and that has significantly
changed the lifestyle of many residents.
“Look at those young people who are
dining in the supermarket. Look at
those young parents who stroll in the
aisles. For me, they seem to leave an
easy and modern life,” she says. Indeed,
a group of young friends queued in the
supermarket to have salads for lunch.
Others were eating desserts at the
bakery aisle inside. “It’s good to come to
this place for a change!” a young bank
employee said.
True to form, Addis is gradually
changing. Some years ago, Lebu – a
new settlement on the south-eastern
outskirts – was not considered by many
as part of Addis. Now, it has got one of the
largest supermarkets in town alongside
banks
and
other
establishments.
Perhaps because the retail business is
considered to be a substantial feature of
urbanization, this supermarket in the
newly-founded residential area poses
itself as a major spot. When looking at
the general populace, a vast majority of
Addis Ababans still do their shopping
at the open markets. Still, the likes of
Safeway, Shoa and others cater to a
significant number of residents. “This is
a trend that is growing and the business
is getting revenue,” Fekadu Kebede,
managing director, Fame Impex Trading
PLC, said.
For some fourteen years, his presence in
the import-export sector has given him
an insightful thought of how profitable
the retail business could become. And
in a somewhat effective consultations
he had with a South African firm,
he realized one of the city’s stylish
supermarkets—Safeway. In the past
few years it has become a place where
a number of international brands and
local trademarks are stacked for the
need of customers. “It has been a year
since we opened the second shopping
center in Lebu area, and the market has
shown us quite an impressive turnover,”
he told The Reporter. Some still view
that supermarkets are predominantly
for foreigners and the well-to-do ones.
“I bet and managed to prove some
people wrong,” he recalled the mounting
pressure he used to have from some
people around when he started the
business. Now, the two supermarkets he
owns, according to him, are satisfying
the needs of his customers. “We are
opening two more this year,” he said.
Addis Ababa has never been new to
supermarkets before. Bambis, Shi
Solomon Hailu, Novis, Shoa and Fantu
are the most common names related to
the retail business in Ethiopia. For some
six decades Bambis has been a favorite
www.thereporterethiopia.com
for many expats as it introduced the
concept of modern retail businesses in
the country. More importantly, they
played a significant role in promoting
the modern market in the country which
still enjoys open and street markets
much more than the modern market.
As a result, groceries, shopping centers
and supermarkets have been gradually
growning, according to commentators.
This, in turn, has already led the city
to be considered by giant international
brands in the retail business like
Walmart and Tesco.
According to Sagachi Research, a
market intelligence firm, the country’s
potential for the retail business has
shown a steady growth so that it could
recently attract global brands. Last year,
the research firm unveiled the city’s
potential of opening 15 to 20 modern
supermarkets and 5-10 new shopping
centers in between now and 2018. The
study further indicates eight Modern
retailers are operating 15 stores (for
a total sales are of 15,300 sq.m.) who
represent 0.5 percent of total groceries
spending in the country. The report,
which was conducted after an extensive
field research in Ethiopia for many
From open... page 30
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
18| Vol. XIX No. 946
DREAMING
OF EUROPE
Y
ared (not his real name), a
thin Ethiopian immigrant
with a pale face, has lived
in Switzerland for 12 years.
He left Ethiopia 13 years
ago and his journey to Switzerland
was not an easy one. He had to start
from Mombasa, Kenya, Frankfurt,
Germany and Lyon, France to reach
there. This route cost him USD 20,000.
The cost for the journey, which was
made a long time ago, makes one raise
his eyebrows since other immigrants
who follow same route in recent times
are said to have paid much less.
SEE THE FULL STORY ON THE
NEXT PAGE
www.thereporterethiopia.com
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
By Mihret Aschalew
Yared (not his real name), a thin
Ethiopian immigrant with a pale face,
has lived in Switzerland for 12 years.
He left Ethiopia 13 years ago and his
journey to Switzerland was not an easy
one. He had to start from Mombasa,
Kenya, Frankfurt, Germany and Lyon,
France to reach there. This route cost
him USD 20,000. The cost for the journey,
which was made a long time ago, makes
one raise his eyebrows since other
immigrants who follow same route in
recent times are said to have paid much
less.
Yared was at a law firm in the first
week of June this year with his lawyer,
Anna Fadini. The law office supports
immigrants in Lausanne, the fourth
largest city in Switzerland. He was there
to seek advice on how to get his wife –
an Ethiopian immigrant – a residence
permit. For him, it took eight challenging
years to get his permit.
Back in Ethiopia, Yared used to work as
a customs officer at the Ethio-Djibouti
border. He alleges that did not get
the promotion he deservesd and was
pushed by officials to join the ruling
party [Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary
Democratic Front]. “This forced me
to quit my job,” he told The Reporter.
Formal resignation was unthinkable so
he just disappeared, prompting his office
to file charges against him. Charges
were looting money and a pistol that he
had as an officer. Frustrated by these
developments, he opted to leave the
Vol. XIX No. 946 |19
country and went to Kenya.
Though he mainly left because of work
related incidents, the situation in the
country was not easy for him and his
parents who were supporters of the
former regime – Derg – and the fact that
they oppose the current government left
them in an uncomfortable situation.
He believes that after the EPRDF took
power his family’s business went down
the drain.
In Switzerland, he waited while doing
some tough jobs and had to pass through
many difficulties for eight years and to
get his permit. Though he lauded his
host country for the provision of social
services like healthcare for all people, he
also said he faced racist remarks while
living in German-speaking parts of the
country.
Another Ethiopian immigrant woman,
who requested anonymity, lives in Bern,
another major city in Switzerland. Her
work is providing Ethiopian food for
restaurants. She also gives door-to-door
cooking services for various functions.
She also works at a daycare center for
two days a week. She also takes care of
an 86-year-old woman for three hours
each day. She came to Switzerland 15
years ago with her 2-year-old son. Prior
to coming there, she spent 3 years in
South Africa.
Upon arrival, she turned herself in to the
authorities and had to spend a week at
the police station. Then in refugee camps
and after all the processes, her asylum
request was denied. She was left with a
right to food stamps, just as the fate of
many Ethiopians in similar situations.
Though many of them try working in
“black markets”, most of them only get
food.
She lived in a house with four other
people. Though things are better off
now, the road that took her there was
not easy at all. Fortunately, she started
getting jobs with the help of some
people and tried her best to improve her
situation by learning the language and
living independently. That eventually
helped her earn a work permit. That had
happened after staying there for eight
years.
Currently, her son is 17 years old. Though
she visited Ethiopia many times, her son
refused to accompany her, saying that
his country is Switzerland, not Ethiopia.
“I learned that let alone those who left
the country very young, even others
who remember things are not willing to
return for a visit,” she said.
Asked by The Reporter to comment on
Ethiopians who take risks and made lots
of sacrifices to go to Europe she said:
“Neither will I encourage them to come
nor will I discourage them.” She believes
that the road is a very challenging one
but says that it may be worth it if a better
life awaits them. She refused to tell her
name because of the information she
provided for the asylum.
Another 32-year-old Ethiopian woman
in Fribourg town arrived in Switzerland
eight years ago. She is married and has
three children. Like many Ethiopian
www.thereporterethiopia.com
migrants her application for asylum was
rejected. Finally, she managed to get
residency permit because her husband
got a government job.
She said her expectation about life in
Switzerland was very much far from
what she saw there. The refugee center
she first went to looks more like a prison,
crowded and dirty. Then government
rented house she was transferred to
was located at the border with France; a
place where people do not live. She says
that whatever money she gets it she pays
it cover her bills. “I have no savings to go
back home,” she tells The Reporter.
Other trainings like cooking and
childcare are given at the language center
the 32-year-old woman goes to. Alvira
Murphy, coordinator of the center,
says the fact that many immigrants are
illiterate is a big challenge.
After staying at government centers for
three months for repeated interviews,
immigrants are sent to regional centers.
Despite uniformity in practices at
federal level, each canton (region) has
a right to decide how it administers
the affairs of the immigrants, including
how much money to allocate for their
expenses (usually for food and shelter).
For instance, some regions prefer to give
food stamps than money and though
insignificant, there is a difference in
the amount of money between regions
where there is preference for money
over food stamps.
Dreaming... page 31
20| Vol. XIX No. 946
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
Society
BRICK BY BRICK
Common building for a sustainable future
By Daniel Dormeyer
Ethiopia is one of the fastest growing
economies in the world with a doubledigit growth rate registered for about
a decade. And the rapidly expanding
population of Addis Ababa, which is
some three million, is expected to reach
six million within 20 years, according
to the World Population Review. The
metropolis is heading towards a megacity status, which leads to an extremely
fast urbanization but also a sharp rise
of precarious settlements. Hundreds are
emerging every year, growing fast into
urban conglomerates. According the
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World
Factbook, the annual urbanization rate
in Ethiopia is 3.57 percent.
In reality the massive demand for
housing exceeds the actual offer, and
current planning approaches tend to
fail when adapting to existing urban
structures. Moreover, the supply
systems are often underrated in the
planning stage, causing mal- or even
non-functioning.
In the efforts to find effective ways that
will contribute to solving the severe
social, economic and environmental
problems resulting from this irresistible
urban growth, the Ethiopian Institute
of Architecture, Building Construction
and City Development (EiABC) and
the Bauhaus University of Weimar
(Germany) have teamed up and
entered a partnership in research and
implementation for sustainable housing
in the highly dense and critical parts of
Addis Ababa.
It takes two to tango
It has been three weeks since Lars-Erik
De Vries arrived from Germany but has
been working full speed since his arrival,
as he had to take over the planning
responsibilities of his predecessor who
was about to return. No time to adapt
or to breathe. His days are filled with
meetings and scheduling, discussions,
on-site visits.
Despite his young age (27), Lars-Erik De
Vries is, by far, not a newcomer to the
business. Born in Hagen, Germany, he
grew up in Sierra Leone where his father
used to work as a pastor. He graduated at
the Bauhaus-University from Weimar,
Germany, and wrote his Master’s
dissertation on an ambitious building
and urban development strategy for
Khalelitsha, a slum quarter of CapeTown, in South Africa, where he spent
seven months. He graduated summa
cum laude and, instead of turning to
eminent architecture firms in his
home country, he accepted a mission as
research assistant under Professor Dirk
Donath in Addis Ababa. There he looks
after the implementation of projects in
progress as well as the organization of an
international symposium in December.
“I consider this assignment as a
unique opportunity for research and
development work. Thereby I know
from my own personal experience how
SICU prototype at the EiABC campus
important it is to accept the culture of
a country you live in, and that it takes
time and patience. Sometimes it is also
necessary to go one step back before
going two steps forward. You should
never forget where you come from,” De
Vries says.
Aknaw Yohannes, on the other hand,
originates from Ethiopia. He is 23 and
studies architecture at EiABC. Since his
younger days, technical work captivated
him, so it was no surprise when he chose
this educational section to research new
building methods and techniques for
the benefit of the next generations in
Ethiopia. The fifth-year undergraduate
architecture student also works as
research assistant in Professor Donath’s
team.
Lars-Erik and Aknaw met for the first
time in Addis Ababa. Two different
backgrounds but one common challenge,
help empowering Ethiopia to a powerful
and future-oriented building industry
with high technical and social expertise.
“The 21st century will be an African
century. With its young and dynamic
population, most of the world’s
uncultivated arable land, untapped
natural resources, a rising middle class,
and fast economic growth… Africa is
the next and perhaps last frontier in
the advancement of globalization.”
Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde
Gebremariam said in 2014.
A major contribution to this ambitious
vision is expected to come from the
research collaboration between two
eminent universities: the Bauhaus
University
Weimar,
a
German
architecture institute of worldwide
reputation, and the Ethiopian Institute
of Architecture, Building Construction
and City Development, an academic
hotspot in Africa.
Founded 1919 as the Bauhaus school
to bring together art and technology,
the Bauhaus University Weimar runs
a broad teaching and research profile,
with a focus around the disciplines of
engineering, architecture and urban
planning. The two last disciplines count
1,200 out of 3,600 students, which makes
it the largest faculty at the university
and even one of the largest in Germany.
The
highly
project-oriented
and
interdisciplinary conception educates
well-trained professionals able to act as
coordinators between the disciplines of
art and design, and develop innovative
solutions for construction technology,
architecture and urban planning.
The EiABC, an independent institute at
the Addis Ababa University (AAU) since
2010, focuses on higher education and
relevant research of professionals, and
providing university-level knowledge
to serve Ethiopia’s needs in the building
and urban fields. Matching the rapid
urbanization processes with an own
capacity for both academic and practicebased assignments is considered as the
EiABC’s historic responsibility.
Driven by the internationalization of
research and teaching, the exchange
of the Bauhaus University Weimar
with African universities has been
strengthened in recent years. On
the other hand, the EiABC is linked
to international universities and
networks, pursuing strong partnerships
as fertile grounds to build own their
www.thereporterethiopia.com
local capacities.
Hence it seemed obvious for both
universities to engage in close
collaboration.
“We both share common values and
attributes: we are active and committed
in researching and implementing
trendsetting ways to shape a sustainable
and equitable building future, for
Ethiopia, Africa and potentially at a
more global scale,” Donath says.
From theory into praxis
In 2012, the EiABC and the Bauhaus
University Weimar launched the
“Welcome Africa” project 2012-2014.
Funded by both universities as well
as the German Federal Ministry of
Education and Research, and backed-up
by DAAD (German Academic Exchange
Service), Strawtec Berlin, icebauhaus
Weimar, and AEE (Afro European
Engineers), this international research
and academic project are aimed at
strengthening
the
collaboration
in research, practical experiences
and competency to bring together
contemporary building technology with
real circumstances.
Clear, though demanding, key principles
regulate this partnership: simple and
cost-efficient,
self-assembling
and
architecturally qualitative, usable for
slum-upgrading and appealing to the
middle class, and workable also without
the intervention of top-class specialists.
The “Welcome Africa” project includes
the realization of three experimental
prototypes in scale 1:1 in the years 2012-
Brick by... page 30
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
Vol. XIX No. 946 |21
Society +
IF YOU WANT TO, YOU CAN DO IT
Students are engaged in charity works
By Mette Sommer
In Sidist Kilo, not far from the National
Museum, is the Practical International
Language and Leadership School.
During the past ten years the school has
been teaching leadership and offered
language courses in Amharic and
English. The courses are very popular
and and admission is all year round.
Since the school had opened its doors
for the very first time, it has grown
bigger and bigger and has become
more international. For instance, the
school has a very close relationship
with the international organization
Projects Abroad, which besides helping
countries such as Ethiopia by different
volunteering programs also sends many
volunteers abroad to this school where
they are taught Amharic.
Of course, many Ethiopians also attend
the school where the leadership classes
in particular are very popular and attract
students from all over the country.
More than just a school
But that is not all. The school also
stands out from others when it comes
to the students finals. When you take a
leadership course you will, instead of
only doing paper work or taking exams,
also be expected to show your skills in
practice. In addition, the school gives
students a charity project, which they
have to complete in 21 days. The charity
project has always the intention to
support the community and is chosen by
the school, which makes it is up to the
students to plan and fulfill charity work
on their own.
But the project is more than just to
complete the task. It requires great
cooperation from team members as well.
To make it easier the team members
therefore always elect a president, a
vice-president, and a secretary to make
sure they fulfill the task.
To complete the project the students
have to raise the money themselves
through hard work. Everything from
shoe cleaning and car washing, to selling
chewing gum on the streets is done to
raise the amount of money they need
to succeed. By doing this they will be
taught valuable life skills such as the
importance of working hard and fighting
for their Goals.
This unique way to educate the students
has through the last ten years not only
helped the students to practice their
skills but also spread a lot of joy in the
community. The students have managed
to fulfill many different charity projects:
from building studios for emergency
fire-fighters to giving 500 disadvantaged
children school materials and uniforms.
So far around 400 students have
graduated from Practical International
Language and Leadership School.
From weak vision to a strong future
Two weeks ago about 44 students
graduated
from
the
Practical
International Language and Leadership
www.thereporterethiopia.com
School after their three and a half months
of hard study. Their graduation project
was to help children with low eyesight.
Their group, The Berhan, manage to
fulfill the projects with great success.
“Our latest project was to give
treatments or restore eyesight for a
hundred children in Ethiopia. We
screened the children so that we could
collect the children, which needed help
the most. Many of those children who got
the opportunity were children with very
weak eyes or infections that would make
them blind later on in life if they didn’t
receive the right treatment. But we had
succeed with the project,’’ Dejene Kasse
Beza, headmaster of the school, told The
Reporter.
The students contacted the Ministry
of Health which directed them to
the Menelik II hospital which is the
only hospital in Ethiopia that has a
Department of Ophthalmology.
At
the hospital the group made a special
agreement and followed the children
and their treatments very closely. At
the hospital they were all screened
and treated by professional doctors
and eye specialists, who also did
advanced eye operations if that was
needed. For instance, one child received
chemotherapy for cancer in the eyes.
After the treatment the children also
received their own glasses, which also
was a great part of the project because
If you want to... page 31
22| Vol. XIX No. 946
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
Interview
Creating a world fit for children
Benyam Dawit (LLD) is Chairperson of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child of the African Union and a Vice-Chairperson
of the United Nation’s Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva. He is currently an Associate Professor of Law at the Community Law Center,
University of the Western Cape in South Africa and has continued to lecture and supervise LLM students on a part-time basis at Addis Ababa University
College of Law and Governance since 2010. He was born and brought up in Addis Ababa.
Benyam was here a fortnight ago when the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child of the African Union held an Extra-Ordinary
Session and evaluated the State Party Reports of five countries including Ethiopia on the implementation of of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare
of the Child. Solomon Goshu of The Reporter took some time from the extremely busy schedule of Benyam to discuss issues of child rights in Africa and
Ethiopia. Excerpts:
www.thereporterethiopia.com
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
Vol. XIX No. 946 |23
The Reporter: Why do states actually
ratify international instruments on
child right?
Benyam Dawit: It is based on the
understanding that these instruments
hold standards that will help to create
a better environment for all; that they
will help to respect human dignity; that
they will help to create, be it a world or
Africa, fit for women, children, persons
with disabilities, etc. At the UN level,
there are ten core instruments including
the one on women, torture and racial
discrimination, children, economic and
cultural rights, civil and political rights.
At the African level, we have the African
Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the
Child which we monitor as a committee.
We have also the African Charter on
Human and Peoples’ Right and the
Women’s Protocol. The main reason why
African states ratify them is that these
can implement them. As humanity we
share a common goal on human dignity
that all states try to instill in the minds
of their citizens and non-citizens. It is a
matter of creating an environment which
respects human dignity, promotes nondiscrimination, facilitates equality and
helps to create a world fit for children
and everyone that lives in it.
How do you see the engagement
of countries at the UN or AU level
human right systems? What is
the role of treaty-based and nontreaty-based organs? How do you
assess the influences of the reports
and recommendations of different
organs, including the committees
and the states reception?
Once international instruments are
ratified, all of them require legislative,
administrative, and other appropriate
measures so that standards that are
available at the regional and the
international level can be incorporated
into domestic laws, constitutions
and regulations. And the kinds of
infrastructure and framework that they
require to be created, be it a national
human rights institution or a data
collection center, machinery or a child
protection system whatever, the case
may be need to be provided for at the
domestic level. Unless and otherwise
states implement these instruments
in good faith and take them seriously,
they will ultimately remain to be just
simple documents or words on paper. So
the main goal of ratification is actually
to translate these standards into the
domestic sphere. These standards, at
least in principle, will promote human
rights, human dignity and address the
issue of discrimination and inequality.
How is the election for the experts
at the UN or AU conducted and what
is the process of nomination and
selection of experts?
In terms of the elections, be it at the UN or
the AU level, both institutions send out
invitations to member states to nominate
individual independent experts to serve
these two treaty bodies. The opportunity
to nominate an individual is a mandate
that is reserved to the states themselves.
So you cannot have an NGO or a national
human rights institution nominate you.
And you cannot nominate yourself
either. But when you get nominated
by your state, you are not going to be
necessarily representing your state. You
are considered as an independent expert.
Once the state nominates you, just like
every other election, you obviously need
to do some campaigning. It requires quite
a bit of leg-work particularly at the UN
level. You need the active support of your
state not only in terms of the nomination
but also in terms of the election. For
instance, for the UN Committee for the
Rights of a Child, the election takes place
in New York. If you are nominated by
country X, then country X, which has a
permanent representative in New York,
will have to do a number of activities
to actually promote that individual as
an independent expert. What is it that
this independent expert will bring on
board? What is the background of this
independent expert? How will this
independent expert promote the mandate
that is endowed in these treaty bodies?
Those are some of the things that the
states actually look into before they elect
this independent expert. Of course, the
UN is a political body. I would be remiss
if I don’t talk about the fact that it is not
only your expertise and your CV that
will have a role to play in terms of being
elected into these bodies. States will
look into the relationship, the political,
economic and historical ties they have
with the country that you actually come
from. It is the same process for the AU.
How was your election process?
I was first nominated by the government
of Ethiopia to be a candidate for the
African Committee of Experts in MarchApril 2010. The election was conducted
in July 2010 in Uganda, Kampala. After
the nomination, the government of
Ethiopia did its part to make sure that
I secured the necessary vote in terms of
the election. I was elected with the third
highest votes. There were 13 candidates
for 6 positions. For the UN-level election,
the same process was undertaken. The
voting was done at the General Assembly
level. The Convention on the Rights of a
Child has currently 195 state parties. At
that stage there were 193 state parties.
All state parties get the opportunity to
vote. There were about 6 candidates from
Africa and a total of 16 candidates from
all over the world. I was the only one who
was actually elected from Africa. The
need to mobilize support particularly
through permanent representative of
Ethiopia to the UN and Geneva in order
to secure the necessary votes was there.
I had 136 votes. That was the fifth highest
vote. The government of Ethiopia was
extremely central in terms of securing
these votes.
What is the mandate of experts in
different committees basically?
We have the mandate to receive initial
and periodic reports on a regular
basis. At the African Committee we
also have the mandate to undertake
investigative missions. And in both
committees, we have the mandate
to receive communications which
is individual complaints that civil
society organizations or individuals
themselves actually bring to the
attention of these committees so that the
committees can look into them and give
recommendations to state parties where
violations have been established.
Experts like you both at the UN
or AU level evaluate and give
recommendations based on the
initial and periodic reports. The
state parties’ engagement is on
a voluntary basis. What are the
mechanisms in which you make sure
that your recommendations are well
considered? And which institutions
are expected to oversee whether
the recommendations accepted by
the state parties’ are considered
seriously or not?
The starting point for implementation
is that states ratify these instruments in
good faith. They are expected to report.
The process of reporting has to be as
participatory and frank as possible. It
should highlight the progress that has
been made. But in the mean-time it
www.thereporterethiopia.com
should also underscore the challenges
and opportunities. The next stage that the
committees are engaged in is to receive
alternative or complementary reports. In
the majority of instances, these reports
are drafted by civil society organizations.
But they can also be done by UNICEF,
UNHCR, WHO, or even national human
rights institutions in some occasions
submit complementary reports. So it is
not only on the basis of the state party
report but also complementary reports
that we do an assessment of what the
situation of children’s right in that
specific state party might look like. And
then we prepare what is called ‘list of
issues’. We also engage with those that
submit the complementary reports. The
lists of issues usually ask for further
clarification from the state on what
was not clear or any new development
between the time of lists of issues and
state report. It is only after that we will
schedule the state party to come to and
engage with the committee in the process
that is called ‘constructive dialogue’.
During the dialogue, the state party
will have the opportunity to receive
questions, to engage with the members
of the committee, points of clarity will be
raised, we also commend the state party
for some of the positive things that it has
done on the ground and highlight some
of the challenges. The treaty bodies do
not work in such a way where they are
confrontational or it is not a court of
law. We don’t make judgments, we make
recommendations. The implementation
depends quite a lot on the good will
of the state party. It is only after the
dialogue that we issue what is called
‘concluding observations’ to the state
party. The concluding observations
usually reflect the discussion that has
been undertaken with the state party
but also the additional information
that the committee members have had
access to. After that the concluding
observations will be sent to the state
party to implement.
In terms of compliance rate, I think one
can say that children’s right are not
very much politicized. There is usually
a sense that children are in need of care
and attention. The Convention and the
Charter talk about the fact that children
should grow up in an atmosphere of
love, happiness and understanding. No
one challenges that. Every state agrees
that we need to exert as much energy
and effort as possible to create an Africa
fit for children. As the two treaty bodies
deal with children’s right, that gives as a
bit of leverage in terms of engaging with
a state party in a constructive dialogue to
help improve things on the ground. But
there is also another aspect to it. While
there may be some specific rights in both
the Convention and the Charter that
may be contested, quite a lot of them are
actually agreed upon. There seems to be
a general consensus on what is contained
in these instruments. When the UN
Convention starts off in 1990, there were
a number of reservations on specific
provisions. Over the last 25 years, states
have withdrawn the majority of those
reservations. If you come to the African
Charter, there are only four countries
that have entered reservations out of 47
countries. This consensus helps us in
implementation on the ground. There
are a number of examples that I can
mention where recommendations have
been given by the committees and states
have actually implemented them. on
a number of occasions, states take the
concluding observations and translate
them into national languages. They also
take them to parliament so that the law-
Creating a world... page 26
24| Vol. XIX No. 946
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
Entertainment
Addis welcomes German jazz
trio CNIRBS at Jazzamaba
folkloristic music and solid beats. In
recent years, the number of Jazz fans in
Addis Ababa has increased despite the
small number of clubs for jazz music in
the city, according to Mulneh Temesgen,
one of the fans. He continuously goes to
the places where jazz is played but such
an opportunity is a massive one as he
often relys on the annual Acacia Jazz
festival to get a taste of some live jazz
music. “I really want to keep attending
such events in order to fulfill my desire,”
he says.
By Henok Reta
On Tuesday, one of the city’s hottest
places for live music, Jazzamba, hosted
CNIRBS, a trio of jazz musicians from
Hamburg who are touring Africa. Addis
Ababa was the seventh destination for
the sensational trio who had traveled
in six African cities before. They
started their Africa journey in Maputo,
Mozambique, on September 1 and
continued to other cities, including
Antananarivo, Johannesburg, Kigali,
Kampala
and
Nairobi.
Matthaus
Winnitzki, keyboardist and composer,
Konard Ullrich, drummer, and Stephen
Meinberg, trumpet and euphonium,
make up the CNIRBS with their wild
improvisation and complex rhythms.
Many fans who gathered at Jazzamba
were thrilled over the way the trio
played their gigs. With their keyboard,
brass, percussion instruments, a
panoply of wires, flashing little lights
and mysterious foot pedals CNIRBS
have already played at a number of jazz
clubs and festivals, entertaining old and
new fans alike. Now, they have finalized
their tour in seven African countries,
of which Addis has become their last
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from African and Caribbean music is
clearly exhibited in many of their beats.
“It’s obvious, Jazz has African roots,”
Meinberg, the trumpeter, says.
The Goethe-Institute facilitated their
tour to Africa to foster the GermanAfrican cultural and historic relations
as the band appear to be playing more
African music. They also appreciate the
African audience which showed them
support and vibrancy. “It’s a pleasure
playing for such a wonderful audience
here,” they praise African jazz music
fans.
Ullrich, the drummer also feels the
same as he traveled to New York in 2006
on a scholarship where he discovered
the Afro-Jazz type of music across the
United States. They describe their music
as a mix of complex global rhythms,
Now the band is leaving for Brussels,
and is set to make its final concert in
Hafenbahnhof in Hamburg in early
November. The members said that they
spent a great time in Africa, and would
like do another tour in the near future.
The Hamburg-based jazz trio CNIRBS finished a tour of seven African countries
destination.
CNIRBS, which means whippersnapper
or manikin in German, is also a brand
name for a very popular telescopic
umbrella. The three band members
routinely push the boundaries of jazz
with their absorbing style of play which
undertakes brief musical forays into
related genres. Although they look like
a typical European band, the influence
Request For Proposal
Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX) would like toinvite capable bidders (Firms)
for:
x Baseline Perception Survey
Therefore, interested Companies/Firms may submit their bids/proposals with due
consideration of the following requirements.
1. Registration: - Bidders are required:
a. To be registered for provision of such and/or relevant services and are
expected to submit a renewed Business License for the current Ethiopian
year.
b. To be registered with Ethiopian tax authorities and should produce valid
documentations which include VAT, TIN and MoFaED/PPA registration
certi¿cates.
2. Bidding:
a. The Terms of Reference/ the bid document can be collected from our
Finance Division located at ECX – Head Quarters,Al-samChelelek
Tower-I, 7th Àoor against payment of non-returnablefee of Br. 100 (One
Hundred);within next consecutive 15 (¿fteen) days effective after the
announcement of this bid.
b. Bids/ Offers are required to be accompanied with a 2% unconditional bid
guarantee/bid-bond.
c. All bids must be submitted to Ethiopia Commodity Exchange with wax
sealed envelope at or before November 14, 2014 10:30 AM local time.
d. Bids will be opened in the presence of bidders and/or their of¿cial
representatives who wish to attend on same date stated in 2/C above.
3. Notices:
a. Bids submitted by bidders who do not meet the above mentioned minimum
requirements shall be rejected without further notice.
b. ECX demands strict adherence to deadlines and Bids submitted beyond
the ¿nal submission date & time will not be considered.
c. ECX reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids.
d. Clari¿cations/enquiries can be forwarded to the Exchange through the
following contact address:
Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX)
Procurement & Property Unit
Al-Sam Chelelek Tower-I, 7th Àoor
Tel.-011 554 7001, Fax- 0115547010
Email: [email protected]
Addis Ababa
Invitation to Enroll for Engine Room Ratings Course
Choose a career in ships at sea!
Invitation to all quali¿ed mechanical technicians. Apply your skills and knowledge in
an exciting and ¿nacially rewarding job in the maritime industry.
The Ethiopian Maritime Academy is introducing a new course from 17 November
2014. It is a course for engine room ratings.
The learning outcomes of the course, in line with the STCW Code Section A-III/4, are:
a.
Ratings forming part of a watch in a manned engine-room or designated to
perform duties in a periodically unmanned engine-room; and
b.
Section A-III/5: Ratings as able seafarer engine in a manned engine-room or
designated to perform duties in a periodically unmanned engine-room.
The course is eleven weeks long and quali¿es successsful students to act as a team
member in the engine room under the leadership of the Of¿cer-in-Charge of the
Engineering Watch. Once at sea, the rating becomes a wiper and can after a number
of months can be promoted to an oiler. Our course prepares the succesful student for
both these jobs. Generous salaries are compatible with current market levels in the
maritime industry.
To be eligible, you need at least a Level III vocational quali¿cation in the following
occupational streams: General Mechanics, Automotive engine servicing, Metals
and engineering, Mechanical production and manufacturing, or Electro-Mechanical
production.
Screening will be a written examination and an interview. Details on application.
Place of Registraion:
Bahir Dar University Maritime Academy Room No. 155
Telephone: Bahir Dar 0588-200888 or 0588-209257
Ethiopian Maritime Training Institute, Addis Ababa Tracon Tower 8th Àoor during
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Telephone: Addis Ababa 0111-262014 or 0111-262030 or 0918-708062
You can use our website adress www.emticorp.com or
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www.thereporterethiopia.com
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
The inequality...
Indeed, beyond this trio’s moral,
social, and political implications lies
a serious economic concern: instead
of creating incentives for hard work
and innovation, inequality begins
to undermine economic dynamism,
investment,
employment,
and
prosperity.
Given that affluent households spend
a smaller share of their incomes and
wealth, greater inequality translates
into lower overall consumption,
thereby hindering the recovery of
economies already burdened by
inadequate aggregate demand. Today’s
high levels of inequality also impede
the structural reforms needed to boost
productivity, while undermining
efforts to address residual pockets of
excessive indebtedness.
This is a dangerous combination
that erodes social cohesion, political
effectiveness, current GDP growth,
and future economic potential. That
is why it is so disappointing that,
despite heightened awareness of
inequality, the IMF/World Bank
meetings – a gathering of thousands
of
policymakers,
private-sector
participants, and journalists, which
included seminars on inequality in
advanced countries and developing
regions alike – failed to make a
consequential impact on the policy
“
Vol. XIX No. 946 |25
agenda.
Policymakers seem convinced that
the time is not right for a meaningful
initiative to address inequality of
income, wealth, and opportunity. But
waiting will only make the problem
more difficult to resolve.
In fact, a number of steps can and
should be taken to stem the rise in
inequality. In the US, for example,
sustained political determination
would help to close massive loopholes
in estate planning and inheritance,
as well as in household and corporate
taxation,
that
disproportionately
benefit the wealthy.
Likewise, there is scope for removing
the antiquated practice of taxing hedge
and private-equity funds’ “carried
interest” at a preferential rate. The
way home ownership is taxed and
subsidized could be reformed more
significantly, especially at the top
price levels. And a strong case has
been made for raising the minimum
wage.
To be sure, such measures will make
only a dent in inequality, albeit an
important and visible one. In order
to deepen their impact, a more
comprehensive macroeconomic policy
stance is needed, with the explicit goal
of reinvigorating and redesigning
CONT`D FROM PAGE 14
structural-reform efforts, boosting
aggregate demand, and eliminating
debt overhangs. Such an approach
would reduce the enormous policy
burden currently borne by central
banks.
It is time for heightened global
attention to inequality to translate
into concerted action. Some initiatives
would tackle inequality directly;
others would defuse some of the forces
that drive it. Together, they would go a
long way toward mitigating a serious
impediment to the economic and
social wellbeing of current and future
generations.
Ed.’s Note: Mohamed A. El-Erian is
Chief Economic Adviser at Allianz and
a member of its International Executive
Committee. He is Chairman of President
Barack Obama’s Global Development
Council and the author, most recently,
of When Markets Collide. The article
was provided to The Reporter by Project
Syndicate: the world’s pre-eminent
source of original op-ed commentaries.
Project Syndicate provides incisive
perspectives on our changing world
by those who are shaping its politics,
economics, science, and culture. The
views expressed in this article do not
necessarily reflect the views of The
Reporter.
To be sure, such
measures will make only
a dent in inequality,
albeit an important and
visible one. In order to
deepen their impact, a
more comprehensive
macroeconomic policy
stance is needed, with
the explicit goal of
reinvigorating and
redesigning structuralreform efforts, boosting
aggregate demand,
and eliminating debt
overhangs. Such an
approach would reduce
the enormous policy
burden currently borne
by central banks.
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL- (RFP -ETH- 2014 – 9115304
(Open ONLY for Local Organization/Firm)
Topic: Consultancy services: to conduct a baseline survey on Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting (FGM/C) & Child Marriage in Adar, Chifra
and Mille district of Zone One in Afar Region.
Background
Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) and child marriage are deeply embedded Harmful Traditional Practices (HTPs) that are widely practiced in
the Afar regional state. Violence against children and women in general and HTPs in particular are recognized to signi¿cantly constrain children’s and
women’s access to essential resources and increase their vulnerability to violence, discrimination, and exploitation.
2. Speci¿c Objectives.
The purpose of the baseline survey is to assess the magnitude of the current practices and attitudes towards FGM/C and child marriage in Adaar,
Chifra and Mille districts of Afar region. The survey will inform the design of context speci¿c interventions on abandoning FGM/C and ending child
Marriage in the three selected districts and also serve as a bench mark to track progresses.
3. TEAM COMPOSITION in the ¿rm and Experience Required.
1) Specialists with a Masters in social science preferably in anthropology, ethnography or sociology who have at least 8 years’ experience in ¿eld
research dealing with socio cultural studies preferably on HTP. 2) 1 statisticians (BSC and above) with knowledge of statistics software for designing
the sampling frame, data entry and tabulation and 4 years of relevant experience. 3) Enumerators with 2 years of experience on data collection and
¿rst degree in social science or statistics (4) 1 project manager with a Masters in management or other social science ¿elds and 8 years of experience.
Experience & credibility of the consultancy ¿rm that carried out similar job for other national/international agencies will be an advantage. The ¿rm
should make available the CVs of their employees. Experience in the area of Social Science Research particularly in the area of Harmful Traditional
Practices (with sample research reports submitted and good analytical knowledge, language skills and Àuent in English and Amharic and knowledge
of Afarigna is an advantage.
Interested and eligible bidders from local organisations are invited to collect the complete tender documents by sending an email to Mr. Sebastian
Muzuma ([email protected]) or Mr. Deresse Damte ([email protected]) Starting on Thursday 30-October-2014. Proposals are to be submitted
to UNICEF Ethiopia Of¿ce on or before 9.00 am (East African Time) 14th November 2014 (Friday). Please quote the RFP nr. 9115304 in all your
correspondences. Due to the nature of the bid, there will be no bid public opening for this offer. UNICEF reserves the right to accept or reject part or
all of any or all bids. ADDRESS: UNICEF Ethiopia, UNECA Compound, NOF Building, 2rd Àoor Supply Section, Attn. Mr. Sebastian Muzuma / Mr.
Deresse Damte, P.O.BOX 1169, TEL: +251-11 518 4233 / 4167, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
www.thereporterethiopia.com
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
26| Vol. XIX No. 946
Creating a world...
CONT`D FROM PAGE 23
making body will have the opportunity to
look into these documents and see where
there is a need to develop national policy
and laws, and to harmonize national
and international laws. We notice all
these not necessarily because we have
presence on the ground and monitor
all the progress in implementation.
The state parties come back in a cycle
because, for instance, the African
Charter requires the submission of
periodic report every three years. When
they come in the next round, state parties
are expected to inform what measures
they have put in place to implement the
recommendations.
In relation to the African committee one
peculiar thing that we do not have at the
UN Committee is the fact that after two
and a half years of issuing the statement,
we have the opportunity to ask the state
party to allow the working group of the
committee to go into the ground and to
engage with the various stakeholders like
civil society organizations, UN agencies,
national human rights institutions, but
more importantly the state institutions
themselves like the Ministry of Health,
the Ministry of Education, the ministry
of Children’s Affairs, the Ministry of
Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and so on. We usually get a sense of the
extent to which the recommendations
have been implemented. UNICEF is very
central in the implementation process
both at the UN and AU level.
The majority of state parties actually
take these recommendations very
seriously. It doesn’t mean that they don’t
face challenges during implementation.
They may face challenges in terms of
poverty and resources. For instance, you
might receive a concluding observation
that pertains to harmful traditional
practices. And the recommendations
there are not the ones that you can
immediately implement fully. They
actually require quite a bit of time and
resources. They also require engagement
with traditional, opinion, and religious
leaders. What we have noticed as a
committee is that almost on all occasions,
states are moving in the right direction.
They might not be moving with the pace
that we want them to move sometimes.
There is also a disparity between rural
and urban, girls and boys and so on. For
example, in terms of reducing underfive mortality, addressing malnutrition
issue, creating a child-friendly justice
system, harmonizing their laws, state
parties are moving in the right direction.
One of your publications juxtaposes
the UN Convention with the African
Charter. What issues are peculiar to
the African context in line with these
two international instruments? Is
Africa becoming a better place for
children in recent times particularly
after the continent is dubbed ‘Africa
rising’ due to the economic booming?
There are some specificities in the
African Charter. The Charter defines a
child as a person below the age of 18. It
doesn’t have a but and an if. It focuses
on the girl child. It addresses harmful
traditional practices in a clear manner.
FGM, child marriage and betrothal are
clearly addressed. It deals with bursaries
and scholarships for gifted children. The
role of the extended family is recognized.
It also recognizes children in armed
conflict. It doesn’t require a child to cross
international borders to be considered
Africa that are actually booming in
terms of economic development and
finding economic resources, we at the
committee ask the question of how this
boom would translate itself into creating
an Africa fit for children. Another crosscutting team and challenge that we face
in Africa but that we are making strides
on is the issue of birth registration. I can
confirm that there is no country from
Africa that has come before the African
committee where we haven’t spent a
good portion of our time talking about
birth registration. A number of African
countries do not have the institution,
the capacity and the resources needed to
have a comprehensive birth registration
system. The Charter talks about the
fact that children should have the right
to birth registration immediately after
birth. But there are efforts that are
being undertaken by governments,
including the government of Ethiopia,
where extensive efforts are actually
being undertaken to improve birth
registration systems. I should mention
the great efforts that madam Zuma has
done not only in South Africa but also as
the main person who has been pushing
for vital statistics and registration
through the AU.
The issue of inter-country adoption
is another area where you have
published a few articles. What
are your major concerns in its
application in Africa?
as a refugee. Children responsibility is
one of the peculiar provisions.
I would say Africa is moving in the
right direction. There are areas where
we have made significant strides; there
are areas where there is a lot of room for
improvement. One area where Africa
has made significant stride is related
to the process of revising colonial-era
laws. Particularly after the coming into
force of the Charter, the majority of
African countries have actually come
up with some sort of legislation that
addresses more recent and updated
issues pertaining to children. So in
terms of law-making and standard
setting we have come a very long way.
In terms of establishing the necessary
institutions, be it a national human
rights institutions or ombudspersons or
setting up the coordinating bodies that
need to oversee the implementation of
the Charter throughout the state party,
we have also come a very long way. In
terms of policies, there are a number of
those in a number of African countries
like policies on HIV AIDS, violence
against children, children deprived of
their family environment, children with
disabilities, and so forth. But in terms
of implementation, we have also come a
long way. For example, in terms of health
and education, we have come a long way.
In education, we have made a significant
stride in terms of enrollment, providing
schools in rural areas, reducing the
distance that children have to walk or
travel to go to school.
In terms of some of the areas where
there is still room for improvement,
for instance, on education, a number of
countries indicate that they provide free
and compulsory primary education. But
in reality some countries do not provide
a genuinely free education. Even
when they do not genuinely provide
free primary education, they make it
compulsory, which goes against the
Charter. The Charter makes primary
education compulsory on the assumption
that it is actually free. Otherwise, you
are practically asking parents to do the
impossible, particularly those parents
who do not have the necessary resources
and who are living below the poverty
line. So in terms of making education
genuinely free, a number of African
countries still have a long way to go.
Enrollment rate has grown significantly.
But in the mean- time in a number of
countries with high enrollment rate like
Benin, quality has been compromised.
Infrastructure, pre-school, harmonizing
formal and informal laws, addressing
the social work force, budgeting for
children, is some of the other challenges.
When we keep on talking about ‘Africa
Rising’ and some of the countries in
www.thereporterethiopia.com
One of the things that has happened on
the African continent is that when a
number of African countries started to
process inter-country adoption, in the
majority of instances the laws, in terms
of monitoring, regulating, and doing the
gate-keeping work were not, and are
still not in compliance with the Hague
Convention on Inter-country Adoption.
What the Hague Convention tries to do
is promoting the best interest of a child.
It tries to regulate issues of improper
financial gain and irregularities and
trafficking in the context of inter-country
adoption. It also promotes coordination,
cooperation and recognition with states
that are state parties or contracting
states to the Convention. Under the
Convention, state parties are required to
establish a central authority which deals
with the country where the prospective
adopted families are coming from.
Because inter-country adoption is no
more a private matter. And increasingly
when the laws in other countries are
becoming more and more tight and
demanding, there was a huge turn to the
African continent. There is a feeling in
a number of quarters that Africa is the
new frontier for inter-country adoption.
The laws, policies, and the human
resources are not well prepared to
address the problem. But we are seeing
some of progress in that regard. For
instance, ten years ago the state parties
to the Hague Convention were very
small. Now, 13 African countries are
state parties. The Convention doesn’t
require parties to promote inter-country
adoption necessarily. But if the state
party decides to undertake inter-country
adoption, the Convention requires the
state party to comply with the minimum
standards provided. Personally I am not
necessarily bogged down on the number
of children that are being adopted from
Africa but rather on the profile of the
children and the extent to which the
gate-keeping is done effectively to make
sure that the children that are adopted
are those that are genuinely deprived of
their family environments permanently,
and a suitable alternative care option
cannot be found for them at the domestic
level with a view to promote their best
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
Vol. XIX No. 946 |27
Third Hub of Africa Fashion Week held
By a Staff Reporter
The 3rd edition of the Hub of Africa Fashion Week is underway
in Addis Ababa. Clairvoyant Marketing Agency PLC and In
the Bag — organizers of the event — announced that the twoday international runway show dubbed the “Editorial Edition”
highlights twelve brands including designers Mahlet Afework
(aka Mafi – from Ethiopia), Sheria Ngowi (Tanzania), Ruald
Rheeder (South Africa), Taibo Bacar (Mozambique), Kahindo of
Modanik (DRC), Mataano (Somali – Ayaan and Idyl), Katungulu
Mwendwa (Kenya), Doreen Mashika (Zanzibar), Kepha Maina
(Kenya), and Sandstorm (Kenya).
“For editors, buyers and industry tastemakers, there will be
an up-close-and-personal presentation of designers and their
collection,” the announcement stated. “The Editorial Edition
is created to fill the void of African designers on the global
platform; by having the right editors on board we will be able
to showcase the brands that are coming out of Africa. We are
looking to make sure that business in the African Fashion
Market is well represented and can fast-forward Africa as the
fashion forward continent.”
The organizers add: “We are at the pinnacle of making fashion
history. We realize that global brands also borrow from our
cultures, which is why we see our designers as those that will
carry us to the next frontier. Key editors and media including
Fashion One TV, Vogue Italy, Zen Magazine, Pana TV, Designing
Africa, Style Cartel, Latina Magazine and Tatler Magazine, as
well as buyers such as FA254 of Germany will be attending.”
DHL is listed as logistics partner of this year’s event, took place
on October 23 and 24 at Galani Coffee and Gallery in Addis
Ababa.
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interests.
Do you encourage school feeding to
successfully implement the right to
education for children in Africa?
The African Charter under Article
11 talks about measures to support
school retention and to minimize dropout rates. Obviously, it would be very
difficult for children to have a stomach
which is empty and attend class. There
are a number of incentives for those
parents to actually send their children
to school in instances where there is
a school feeding scheme. It removes
poverty by at least putting food three
times a day on the table. School feeding
schemes in Africa contributed to school
attendance rate, addressing the gender
parity, retention, and learning outcomes.
Here at the African committee, we
usually raise issues of school feeding
schemes, the quality, the frequency,
and whether or not the government is
having some ownership of it so that it
is not necessarily dependent on foreign
funding.
How do you generally characterize
child right in Ethiopia?
Ethiopia is one of the first few countries
that ratified the African Charter. The
relationship between Ethiopia and the
Committee goes a long way. Not only
because we are the host to the AU, but
also because we have previously had a
Committee member, Dr. Assefa Bequele.
Ethiopia is also one of the 20 plus
countries that has so far reported to the
Committee. As you would recall, I have
recused myself from the consideration of
the state party report of Ethiopia because
the Rules of Procedure of the Committee
actually require that when your state
comes before the Committee, you have
to recuse yourself. My colleagues in
the Committee are currently working
on the concluding observations to the
Government of Ethiopia. Ethiopia will
receive these observations and Minister
Zenebu Tadesse was very gracious
and forthcoming in saying to the
Committee when she was here leading
the delegation of Ethiopia that the
government of Ethiopia will give these
concluding observations the serious
attention that they deserve. Without the
need to go into much detail, lest I run
the risk of pre-empting the concluding
observations that my Committee
colleagues will provide, some objective
facts exist-In the course of this week
the Committee considered 5 State Party
Reports -Ethiopia, Mozambique, Guinea,
South Africa and Kenya. The Committee
is very happy that Ethiopia was the only
country that had a delegation that was
led by a minister. Ethiopia’s delegation
was also composed of a multi-sectoral
representation as the delegation had
people from health, education, justice
and so forth. That has contributed to
a very constructive dialogue with the
Committee members. This as a backdrop,
the government of Ethiopia was able to
give the context and the message that ,
among others, said 1) This is a country
of 90 million people and we have around
45 million that are children. If that
45 million was a country, that would
actually be the 28th largest country in the
world, which highlights the mammoth
task ahead to implement the Charter
fully. 2) Our starting base was also lowin terms of where we were few decades
ago on child wellbeing indicators. 3) But
despite these, we are in the right track
as Ethiopia has improved for instance
in terms of under-five mortality, birth
registration, school enrollment, gender
equality, harmful traditional practices.
I have the feeling that the Committee,
based on the constructive dialogue
it had, will be able to provide the
concluding observations that will be
able to assist the government of Ethiopia
to sustain and continue in these positive
trajectories and further strengthen
efforts in creating an Ethiopia fit for
children.
Invitation to Website
Designers
Enat Real Estate would like to invite
Website Designers specialized and
experienced in Website design for Real
Estate only. The quali¿ed designers
may send their resumes in an email to
[email protected], before the
end of October 31, 2014.
OR
Interested Web Site designers may
deliver their proposals to Enat Real
Real Estate, Suite No.307, Tommy
Tower, Africa Avenue (Bole Road)
Addis Ababa.
www.thereporterethiopia.com
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
28| Vol. XIX No. 946
Unleashing...
on African women, their families, and
communities. The costs usually strike
in the prime of women’s economically
productive lives, devaluing their future
contributions to society. At the extreme,
more than 400 African women and
girls die every day during pregnancy
or childbirth, scarring families and
plunging surviving children into
hardship.
90 percent of the world’s pregnant women
and children with HIV live in Africa,
and, despite notable recent reductions in
HIV transmission rates, adolescent girls
are still more than twice as likely as boys
of the same age to carry the virus. Yet
barely a third of young Africans know
how to prevent HIV – another reason
for urgent and comprehensive sexuality
education.
Many of these deaths are caused by the
estimated five million unsafe abortions
carried out annually in Sub-Saharan
Africa. The cost to society in lost income
from death and disability is nearly USD
1 billion. Almost all of these deaths
occur in countries with restrictive
abortion laws, which African leaders
should consider reforming as a matter of
common sense and social justice.
Another epidemic afflicting African
women is violence, all too often
perpetrated with impunity. Sexual
violence is used as a tactic of war. But
it is also a disturbing feature of home
life; 37 percent of African women report
having been abused by their partner.
In the case of female genital mutilation
and child marriage, such violence is
culturally sanctioned. We must change
laws, judicial systems, and attitudes that
exonerate the perpetrators, and we must
provide help to victims.
A prime focus should be on protecting
the most vulnerable – adolescent girls.
More than one-third of African girls
marry before the age of 18, which
threatens their health, truncates their
education, and lowers their aspirations
for the future. They are also more
likely than older women to die of birthrelated complications, and are more
prone to abuse. Though most African
states outlaw early or forced marriages,
enforcement is weak.
African girls are also disproportionately
vulnerable to contracting HIV. Roughly
T
Attitudes can change. Contraception, for
example, was once a contentious issue.
Today, most African leaders accept it as
an important, cost-effective investment
and as part of their countries’ economicdevelopment strategies. Basic family
planning in 16 Sub-Saharan countries
could save more than USD 1 billion in
education costs alone. The number of
maternal deaths could fall by one-third,
saving millions (in developing countries
CHILDREN’S...
CONT`D FROM PAGE 10
overall, maternal and new-born healthcare savings could reach USD 5.7 billion).
However, the sad reality is that, despite
support from various development
partners and donors, assistance for
reproductive health care and family
planning fell by half in the last decade.
The
compounding
benefits
of
ending legal, economic, and gender
discrimination are vast. Healthier,
wealthier, and better-educated women
tend to produce healthier, wealthier,
and better-educated families, because
women typically invest more of their
earnings than men do in their children’s
wellbeing.
With
the
continent’s
population forecast to double by 2050,
there is hardly a better time to invest
in women and girls. It is as much an
economic as an ethical argument.
Ed.’s Note: Joaquim Chissano, former
President of Mozambique, co-chairs
the High-Level Task Force for the
International Conference on Population
and Development (ICPD). The article
was provided to The Reporter by Project
Syndicate: the world’s pre-eminent source
of original op-ed commentaries. Project
Syndicate provides incisive perspectives
on our changing world by those who are
shaping its politics, economics, science,
and culture. The views expressed in this
article do not necessarily reflect the views
of The Reporter.
The current Ebola epidemic in West Africa reflects
a fundamental ecological imbalance. A virus that
previously infected the fruit bat has crossed over to
humans, whose population growth and density is at
odds with the support that the natural environment can
provide. That imbalance is hardly unique to Guinea,
Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
Ebola’s next...
prepared. But, with limited resources
and equipment and poorly trained
medical support staff outside of the
large metropolitan areas, it is easy
to imagine the disease hitting health
workers, as recent cases in Madrid and
Dallas – not to mention West Africa –
demonstrate. Indeed, because Ebola
presents symptoms similar to malaria,
dengue fever, and other endemic tropical
diseases, medical workers may not
take adequate precautions – or, worse,
may send patients home in a highly
contagious phase.
The government’s options are limited.
The health-care system faces deeper
systemic challenges that cannot be
addressed overnight or only in response
to Ebola. What the authorities can do is
improve their tracking of all passengers
arriving from West Africa, just as the
United States and the United Kingdom
have begun to do.
Ideally, all passengers arriving from the
region would be quarantined on arrival
and monitored for symptoms for at least
eight days. But that would be unfair, and
the government’s capacity to implement
such a program across all of India’s
international airports and seaports is
dubious.
Instead, all arriving passengers from
West Africa need to be alerted to the
symptoms of the disease, instructed how
to monitor themselves, and made aware
of the importance of seeking medical
attention at the first sign of illness.
Moreover, it is essential to educate
health-care workers in all urban areas
about the virus and its symptoms, and to
train them to ascertain patients’ medical
and travel history.
The current Ebola epidemic in West
Africa reflects a fundamental ecological
imbalance. A virus that previously
infected the fruit bat has crossed over to
humans, whose population growth and
density is at odds with the support that
the natural environment can provide.
That imbalance is hardly unique to
Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
While it is probable that Ebola will
CONT`D FROM PAGE 14
surface in India in the near future, an
adequate response is possible, as Nigeria
has shown. Lagos, where the Nigerian
authorities have done a remarkable job
of preventing the spread of the virus,
closely resembles India’s megapolises.
India’s government should take note.
Ed.’s Note: Hrishabh Sandilya is a
lecturer on South Asian politics at Charles
University in Prague. Dany Shoham is
a senior researcher at the Begin-Sadat
Center for Strategic Studies, Bar Ilan
University, Israel. They are Visiting
Fellows at the Institute of Defense Studies
and Analyses (IDSA) in New Delhi. This
commentary reflects the authors’ personal
views, not those of the IDSA. The article
was provided to The Reporter by Project
Syndicate: the world’s pre-eminent source
of original op-ed commentaries. Project
Syndicate provides incisive perspectives
on our changing world by those who are
shaping its politics, economics, science,
and culture. The views expressed in this
article do not necessarily reflect the views
of The Reporter.
www.thereporterethiopia.com
CONT`D FROM PAGE 10
Hundreds of local child-liberation
groups, some in the least promising
of places, have emerged to fight for
children’s civil rights. These include
the Freed Kamlari Development Forum
(which combats girls’ slavery in Nepal);
the Upper Manya Krobo Rights of the
Child Club; and the Yellow movement,
which campaigns for youth rights in
Ethiopia.
These young activists may not yet be
trending on Twitter or Facebook, or
even be household names in their own
countries, but support for their cause
is growing fast. Consider the campaign
for child-marriage-free zones, which
began with schoolgirls in 20 areas of
Bangladesh uniting to fight against
child marriage. The movement now
operates in Pakistan, India, and Africa.
The success of these groups, led by Plan
International, has forced governments
to toughen laws against child marriage,
and – as in Pakistan’s Sindh province –
beef up enforcement and policing.
Yousafzai
and
Satyarthi
would
undoubtedly point to thousands of
others like them who are protesting
against child marriage, labor, and
trafficking. Indeed, for the past two
years, the Youth Courage Awards
have recognized campaigners – role
models for a new generation – who have
transformed the prospects for children
in their own countries. They include:
India’s Ashwini, a visually impaired
champion for disabled children; Attal,
who created a girls school in his family
kitchen in Afghanistan; Shweta who
grew up in a South Asian brothel and
created a support group for trafficked
and abused girls; and Salyne, whose
organization, Teach For Lebanon, is
helping to educate many of the country’s
half-million Syrian and Palestinian
refugees.
One Youth Courage award winner,
Razia, who at the age of nine was forced
to stitch footballs when she should have
been in school, started her civil-rights
work after Satyarthi rescued her. She is
now leading the campaign in India for
the right to education.
The campaign against child exploitation
and for education has become global. The
organization A World at School is now
circulating the biggest-ever petition in
support of the Millennium Development
Goal of universal education.
The sad fact is that children are doing
more than adults to fight for their own
rights. Nonetheless, the child-liberation
movement that Satyarthi, Yousafzai, and
others have helped to mobilize is growing
by the day, and new, courageous voices
are speaking out against injustices that
cannot be allowed to persist for another
generation.
Ed.’s Note: Gordon Brown, former Prime
Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer
of the United Kingdom, is United Nations
Special Envoy for Global Education. The
article was provided to The Reporter by
Project Syndicate: the world’s pre-eminent
source of original op-ed commentaries.
Project Syndicate provides incisive
perspectives on our changing world
by those who are shaping its politics,
economics, science, and culture. The views
expressed in this article do not necessarily
reflect the views of The Reporter.
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
Vol. XIX No. 946 |29
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www.thereporterethiopia.com
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
30| Vol. XIX No. 946
From open...
months, aims to highlight the attractive
and dynamic market potential. Although
the report states that modern retail is
in its early stages of development when
compared to other sub-Saharan African
countries, a multinational consumer
goods and retail companies are looking
at expanding their operations into
Ethiopia.
In addition, people engaged in the
retail business and studies are saying
that the growing middle class and the
city’s vibrant economic activity will
unquestionably make many changes
to the overall lifestyle. “I believe that it
will move even deeper to the lower strata
of society,” Fekadu said. Indeed, the
condominium housing scheme is still a
major cause for the retail business as it
always appears to be a proven reason for
change in lifestyle across the city. “We
have gone so far in adopting such a simple
and new way of life in apartments,”
Meaza Adugna, a condominium resident,
told The Reporter. She used to believe
that shopping in supermarkets was
ridiculous as she often thought that they
are “luxurious” places. “I used to think
that they were meant for foreigners and
a few rich Ethiopians because of the
stores and their prices,” she said.
Nowadays, one can notice that a number
of mini-markets have opened their doors
for customers on the ground floor of the
condos to cater to Ethiopian households.
They offer a variety of powdered spices,
injera, traditional bread and fully-cooked
stew (wot). “We have plenty of customers
who frequently buy our traditional doro
wot (chicken stew),” Haymanot, a minimarket owner on the ground floor of a
condominium building located around
Mekanissa, said. She recommends that
Brick by
2015, all building up on each other and
with increasing required academic
education levels: SECU. SICU and
MACU.
The first prototype, called SECU
(Sustainable Emerging City Unit), was
focused on material-oriented research
and realized in 2012 in three months only
at the EiABC campus.
Targeting a starting house for fastgrowing urban areas in Ethiopia with
innovative and low-weight construction
materials and techniques, it introduced
the potential of highly compressed,
prefabricated straw panels, easily
assembled with a wooden frame. A
punctual foundation enables to keep
water away from the straw plates, which
also compose the floor surface.
“This floor surface is surprisingly so
resistant that it can even withstand the
weight of a four-wheel-drive car,” De
Vries says.
The SECU prototype is already in
the process of being implemented in
Rwanda.
The second prototype, called SICU
(Sustainable Incremental Construction
Unit), involves medium enterprises of
prefabrication industry and was started
in 2013. In this mainly process-oriented
Fekadu Kebede
the bigger supermarkets should focus on
local items and try to meet the demands
of the vast majority of customers than
focusing on imported food items unless
it is necessarily. “For instance, baby
formula and processed baby meals
may not be compromised, but other
types of foods should be supplied by
the big supermarkets since minimarkets cannot meet the demand,” she
recommended.
In fact, the trend is not new for some
supermarkets in the city. Almost all
offer a certain local product well-kept
under ventilation. “Ninety percent
of our customers are locals,” Fekadu
said adding that he had already given
much emphasis to the amount of local
products stacked on his shelves. “Apart
from some of the international brands
that are impossible to produce here
we can and should rely on local food
processing factories to supply us with
the products,” he said. Moreover, he
proudly says that some of the traditional
food items his company recently started
to sell had managed to fulfill the demand
of his loyal customers. “I am looking
forward to the establishment of agroprocessing factories to replace the
imported food items in the near future,”
he said. The most significant setback for
the business is lack of information and
awareness by the general populace. And
that is related to the price of the items
that are being sold in the supermarkets.
However, the reality always turns out
to be different, according to marketing
agents and employees. “The price of
most of the locally produced items
in our supermarket is very much
reasonable,” Senait, an employee at
Shoa Supermarket, told The Reporter.
Despite all the indicative mechanisms
that the city is experiencing with regard
to the phenomenal boom in modern
retail business the complaints from
operators still keeps mounting. Some of
the reasons enumerated by the people in
the business are the lengthy customs and
transit processes while importing the
goods, being unable to access the right
place to setup a supermarket as many
customers feel uncomfortable with
regard to safe parking in a certain area
and some of the regulations that appear
to be unconventional when compared to
the global trend.
De Vries says.
CONT`D FROM PAGE 20
research phase, the international team
of students with their tutors researched
and explored the possibilities of
designing and realizing an incremental
housing unit in an urban context.
The SICU prototype is a compact doublestorey unit comprising a prefabricated
concrete lower structure and lightweight
eucalyptus frames for the upper floor,
and respecting the same requirements:
affordable and rapid to assemble with
building and architectural qualities.
After all parts have been prefabricated
by micro- and small-scale enterprises,
creating skilled employment and
capacity building, the building was
constructed in ten days by 35 students
from three countries and now stands
up in a highly dense neighborhood of
Addis Ababa, serving to demonstrate
an alternative housing approach that
prompts further discussions between
policymakers, industry actors and
members of the academia.
Homeowners will be able to finish this
purposely
incomplete
construction
themselves by installing building
components (wood, corrugated metal
sheets etc) according to their needs.
“This concrete baseplate can be loaded
on a small rack body truck and it takes
only four people to assemble the unit,”
Interestingly, this unit considers also
space for little shops or cattle besides the
habitable surface. Currently, the unit
has two floors (“G+1” or “ground floor
+ one additional level”), but it could go
up to G+3. Basically, the extension of the
living units designed by the university
team represents another key parameter
in the context of fast urbanization.
Further attention will get paid to the
upgrading of showers and toilets, with
the objective to deploy underground
and rain-proof tanks for used waters (socalled “grey water” from the sink and
“black water” from the restrooms).
Discussions are underway to validate
the building of a larger number of SICU
in the outskirts of Addis Ababa.
The third prototype, called MACU
(Mobile
Automated
Contemporary
Unit), has been set up this year and
production-oriented. It integrates the
environmental constraints in a holistic
design and realization process. Placed
in Juba, South Sudan, and coordinated
by the experts and researchers from
EiABC, MACU is conceived according
to a modular principle. Using CNC
(Computer Numerically Controlled)
machines, the plywood boards get
molded with millimeter precision as
predetermined on the global building
plan, a simple principle reminding a
Lego construction set.
The first MACU is in the process of
getting built up in Addis Ababa.
www.thereporterethiopia.com
CONT`D FROM PAGE 17
On the other hand, the verification and
permit of entrance for food items usually
creates a mess in transit and may put
both the company and the nation in
danger of losing millions of birr after
disposal. “We recently disposed goods
that were nine months early before day
of expiration, and that is estimated to be
some 1.2 million birr,” Fekadu explains
citing the tough regulation that bans the
importation of goods after one year and
two months before their expiration date.
In a city that has a contrasting image,
the rapid transformation itself has
already converted the way of life for
many and the retail businesses are
believed to be part of this landmark
conversion. Even if it looks a bit late
to make the city competitive with
other African cities, the overall review
vividly shows the immense potential
that Addis Ababa would enjoy within
a few years. According to the study
conducted by Sagachi, a firm founded
by former consultants from Boston
Consulting Group, BCG, more than 1000
households identified that 24 percent
of households have monthly incomes
higher than USD 500, a threshold which
makes them attractive consumers in the
main product categories. Thus, in the
coming years, boosted by the country’s
development and the steady emergence
of a middle class, modern retail should
develop quickly to reach 1.5 percent of
total grocery expenditures by 2018, and
more than 20 modern supermarkets are
expected to be opened in the capital city,
they deem.
“Yes, we are carrying out massive
expansion and plan to have more superand hypermarkets in a few years,”
Fekadu said.
This prototype of a minimal customized
house for the middle-income class
represents a small residential unit that
offers an appreciable extension potential
in width and height thanks to smart
connector systems. In short, it is a house
built to grow with the family.
Bringing building structure
infrastructure in sync
and
This joint Ethiopian-German project
to explore and implement construction
techniques that tangibly upgrade
housing stock in the city clearly
demonstrates that high-quality building
is possible with basic materials.
When people look deep into this form of
academic partnership they will realize
what opportunities the most common
materials offer by sharing knowledge.
For instance, using lime mixed with
cheese (“aybe”) to fix elements, or
employing the benefits of alternative
materials compared to concrete are
some of the innovative ways.
“We have the resources and a proven
adaptability, now local businesses
should be encouraged to produce all the
components we need,” Aknaw says.
The researches and achievements of both
universities have also the potential to
integrate participatory design methods
and urban planning in prioritized urban
infrastructure strategies. They offer
valuable insights to strengthen the
townscape in this context of extreme
fast urbanization and an enlarged
automotive raster made of large and
straight roads, and flanked by rows of
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
Vol. XIX No. 946 |31
Dreaming
There are five immigrant centers in
Fribourg, of which two are located in
the center of the town. There is also a
center outsourced to a private company
to be administered. The rooms for
immigrants, housed in an old building,
were small. Since the building hosts
many people, cooking in the shared
kitchen whenever one wants is difficult.
So there is a schedule for it. The
refrigerator is also shared, with small
boxes for each occupant.
The administrator of the private center,
Claude Gumy, says that each immigrant
has 12 Swiss francs (USD 12.60 or 255
birr) allowance for each day. The
division is 10 francs for food, one for
laundry and one for incidental expenses.
The allowance is given twice a month.
Immigrants have health insurance and
the center is visited by nurses bi-weekly.
Gumy also notes that despite the
counting/checking
the
immigrants
three times a week, there is an act of
disappearance. Some of them return
back after a while. He said in most
cases the asylum application is rejected
because many of them went there for
economic, political and family union
cases.
He reckons there are some who even left
for another European country before
knowing the results of their application.
But, according to the Dublin Treaty of
European countries, any immigrant
must apply for asylum at his first entry
and not for a country of his choice. This
is the reason why many cases are being
rejected. Officials that spoke to The
Reporter say that many immigrants in
Switzerland have such cases.
According to Gumy, going to jail for
petty crimes such as theft is another
challenge added to going to another
country. Another huge hindrance is,
condominiums, where workplace and
living place might get more and more
divided. Firstly it is expected to be done by
demonstrating how long-term materials
can avoid subsequent expenditures, and
secondly by showcasing the benefits
of planning upfront all the parameters
aside from the building itself (water
and electricity supply, sanitation, roads
and sidewalks, transport). Ethiopia’s
development will become even stronger
through a holistic approach with an
interdisciplinary thinking, which has
leveraged the reputation of the EiABC
and the Bauhaus University of Weimar.
Future-oriented thinking within the
Ethiopian culture
The
partnership
between
both
universities has also laid the foundation
for further growth to shape a positive
future.
“We are grateful that Ethiopia offers
the opportunity to take the next step
towards sustainable building within
the Ethiopian culture. We have shared
our German ecological thinking by
privileging natural materials like straw
and earth rather than concrete. And
together we can make even more room
for alternative techniques and concepts
like green toilets to produce energy or
car-sharing to save it,” De Vries says.
Indeed the new generation of specialists
educated in Ethiopia is already proving
that the use of local materials helps
despite efforts to integrate immigrants
by giving various trainings to enable
them to be independent, is immigrants
inability to read and write and also
failure to be willing to work. Young men
and teenagers are the culprits of such
acts. Another point he cited is the flux of
workers from other European countries
because of economic problems which
made the job market very competitive.
Nigisti Gidey, 37, went to Switzerland
two years ago. Her first stop Over
was in Italy and she managed to cross
Switzerland’s border within a few days
assisted by smugglers. She told The
Reporter that her travel was organized
by an illegal agency in Addis Ababa and
the whole process cost her ten thousand
dollars.
She thought that she would make it big
in Europe only after two to three months
living as an asylum seeker. She dreamt
of taking her husband in a short period
of time and living happily ever after.
But after living as an asylum seeker
in Switzerland for one year and five
months her request for refugee status
was rejected and she clearly understood
her dream of living in Europe is just
going to be a dream.
At this time she started to think of
coming back to Ethiopia and fell sick
with a swollen lung infection and her
husband’s effort to convince her worked
and made her return fast.
Nigisti and her husband now own a
unique opal processing and export
business that has been embraced by
the International Organization for
Migration (IOM’s) Assisted Voluntary
Return and Reintegration Program
and financed by the Swiss government
and Cantonal donor. There are many
Ethiopians who dream of going to
Europe and the US. Though it did not
building in an architectural qualitative
though simple and hygienic way.
“Sustainable development definitely
interests all the people we meet when
implementing our projects, but there is a
need to communicate more and generate
a broader awareness,” Aknaw says.
CONT`D FROM PAGE 19
work out for her, Nigisti says, “Let them
go and try their luck.”
According to information The Reporter
got from the IOM office in Addis Ababa,
last year 12 Ethiopians returned through
the Voluntary Return and Reintegration
Program.
This is not the only face of the lives
of Ethiopians in Switzerland. There
are Ethiopians working for different
UN agencies and other international
organizations. Although migration has
always been perceived as individuals’
decision to flee poverty and has negative
connotations; it is factual that migration
contributes in different ways for both
countries of origin and host.
Developing countries benefit from
remittances, unemployment is reduced
and young migrants enhance their life
prospects. Returning migrants bring
savings and skills. These and other
factors made migration considered as an
agent of development rather than only a
phenomenon that burdened countries.
Zerihun Tadele (PhD) heads the
Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable
Agriculture’s Teff Biotechnology Project
at the University of Bern (Switzerland).
He
concentrates
on
improving
economically important, but underresearched crops for the developing
world. Zerihun is also coordinating the
International Teff Genome Sequencing
Initiative. He holds agronomy and
molecular biology degrees from the
universities of Addis Ababa, Alemaya,
and Basel (Switzerland), and teaches at
the University of Bern. He is heading
similar projects on Teff in Holeta and
Bishoftu towns as well. Zerihun says
that his work on Teff is not related to
the controversial Genetically Modified
Organisms (GMO) but is called
mutagenesis.
For him and for the Ethiopian
framers benefiting from the project,
implemented under his supervision,
migration is positive while it is the
reverse for those Ethiopians who went
to Europe dreaming as if it was heaven,
he told The Reporter. “Most of them pass
through hardship for years to secure
their permit. For some who got the
chance to work professionally like me,
migration can be seen as an opportunity
but for those who are well educated
being a laborer cannot be considered as
an opportunity.” Zerihun said.
Asked by The Reporter whether he has
plans to move back to Ethiopia, Zerihun
replied that he will be back when the
project he is working on in Bern is
concluded.
Daniel Zollinger, migration analyst at
Switzerland Federal Office for Migration
told The Reporter that relatively the
number of Ethiopian asylum seekers in
the country is low and he estimates the
number is around 15 per month.
However, his office does not believe any
African country is safe, acceptance of
request of asylum is highly dependent
upon the individual’s reason for asylum,
he explained. He says that propounded
fear of persecution on accounts of
political opinion is an instance. Being
member of opposition political parties
like the Ogaden National Liberation
Front (ONLF), the Oromo Liberation
Front (OLF) and Ginbot 7 and being a
journalist are common cases of Ethiopian
asylum seekers in Switzerland.
According to information obtained from
the office, in 2013 there were 21,465 cases
and 246 cases were presented for the
office by Ethiopians. In the same year 57
cases got positive response while for 31
cases were granted temporary permit.
Starting from 2004 up to 2013 annual
average of the number of Ethiopian case
is 229.
Ed.’s Note: Crossing around the world,
7 teams of journalists from Switzerland
and “Beyond” examine the theme “The
Migratory Equation”. More on http://
eqda.ch/site/.
IF YOU WANT TO...
CONT`D FROM PAGE 21
those children, who were offered help, were like in earlier projects, orphans or
children from families with only little resources. By giving them the opportunity to
get a better vision, by giving them eye glasses or an operation, the children were not
only provided the necessary help, they were also given a better future.
Practitioners,
researchers,
and
policymakers from Europe and Africa
will gain deeper knowledge of these
alternatives
to
current
planning
practices in social housing in Ethiopia
and all over Africa from December 15 to
17 at the Goethe-Institute in Addis Abba
during the International Symposium on
Integrated Infrastructure. There they
will also work together on developing
ideas through lectures, workshops, and
a panel discussion.
Osman Idris, vice president, is very proud of what they achieved but also says that
they learned a lot by being part of the project. “Sometimes it was very difficult, but
we learned so much. It was very exciting to be a part of the project. We also learned
to think about how we can change our lives and how thankful we should be for the
life we lead. But most important, we learned that if we really want to do something,
we can do it,” Osman said.
All this augurs a promising future,
as confirmed by the Bronze received
by the two universities for the SICU
prototype at the Holcim Awards 2014 for
“Incremental Construction: Low-cost
modular housing scheme, Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia”.
“We learned so much and all found it really interesting to work with a project like
this. We enjoyed making a difference. It was really interesting and I am satisfied
with the way it turned out.’’ But both the president and the vice-president of
the group agreed that it would not have been possible without the help from the
community. “We want to thank all the people who donated money or in other ways
to help us reach our goal. Without your help we would not have been able to help all
the children’’
Read next week how the EthiopiaGerman
architecture
collaboration
intends to enter new dimensions of a
sustainable future in Ethiopia with
Professor Dirk Donath, Head of the
International Project Team.
Ed.’s Note: The writer is on an internship
at The Reporter.
It was a difficult challenge but what they achieved was stunning. Not only did they
complete the task, they managed to help a further 77 children. As Bemnet Muhammad
proudly said: “Our goal was to help 100 children but after 21 days we have helped 177
to have better vision.’’ He was the team president for the project, and says that they
are thinking about continuing the project.
Join the team
But even though they achieved great success with the latest project there are still
many people who need help. “The problems are far from over. Therefore, we need to
educate and train more leaders so that all these problems will be solved one day not
only by our charity projects but also by their knowledge,’’ the headmaster says. He
is already thinking about their next project. But as the vice president said: “If you
really want to do something you can always do it.”
Ed.’s Note: The writer is on an internship at The Reporter.
www.thereporterethiopia.com
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
32| Vol. XIX No. 946
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The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
Vol. XIX No. 946 |33
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The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
34| Vol. XIX No. 946
By Leyou Tameru
@anchihoye
BitsΎ
&
ΎPieces
Questionable
metamorphosis!
I have been reading an interesting book during the past
few days because it could possibly help me answer a
lifelong question I have been asking myself. The book is an
autobiography by the current Ugandan president Yoweri
Museveni. The reason I even bought the book is that I have
always wondered what has motivated the heads of state of
Africa to actually become what they are. My fascination
comes from a perspective of a young person who is seeing
who they are today rather than experiencing who they were
at the beginning and the movements they started or were a
part of.
First let me tackle an issue that is somewhat related to what
I mentioned above. For a curious reason heads of state of
African countries seem to have a bit more power in their
own countries than those in the west. Of course, every head
of state will be one of the, if not the, most influential person
in their own country. But when it comes to drastically
swinging a country on one side or the other, African heads
of state seem to be capable of doing that. I wondered why
that was the case, and it dawned on me that it’s because our
institutions are dependent on that one person. At the center
of our institutions lies the current head of state, whoever it
may be. And because of that, policies, structures, laws and
everything in between change at the whim of one person.
And it’s precisely for this reason that it is very important
that the leader of the country be someone who has the
interest of their people at heart. In doing so, they will be able
to turn the institutions into being beneficial to the people,
rather than useless and mere symbols.
Coming back to the main issue, I have been reading
autobiographies of many African heads of state. And the one
thing they all have in common is that the origin of why they
wanted to enter politics or a movement is something that I
find to be completely normal. Honestly, I would have done
the same thing if I were in their shoe. Many of them talk
about how they thought that politicians are not trustworthy,
the system of governance needs to change and so on. I read
about how President Museveni started a study group with
his friends where they would discuss African-centered
issues from an African perspective because the education
he was receiving in University was too Eurocentric. He says
that his group had many pan- African speakers give lectures
including Stokely Carmicheal who happens to be one of
the founders of the Black Panthers in the US. If President
Museveni and I were contemporaries, I would have gladly
joined his study group. Yet decades later, schools’ curricula
are still western-based and one would still have to create
one’s own platform to be able to discuss African issues from
African perspective. I say this because this is something my
friends and I did while in school. In his decades of power, did
he “forget” to reform the education system? Or was it just
not a priority anymore?
In reading these books by them and about them, I was able
to see the human side of these leaders. And in humanizing
them I was able to put myself in their place, and find
commonalities. Yet, after a certain point it all stops. None
of it makes sense. Their writing becomes more about
explaining why they failed or why they became what they
became rather than why they kept doing things the way they
did. And at that point, I have a very hard time relating to
them.
From humble beginnings to endings that are far from
humble, what exactly makes these heads of state morph? A
wise person once said that “power corrupts, and absolute
power corrupts absolutely.” But is it really that simple? Or
were they all power hungry from the beginning and did a
good job of hiding it? Does this mean that if I followed in
their footsteps and assumed power, I too would become like
them? I would like to think that I would not, but something
tells me that there is more behind the metamorphosis they
are not revealing. Whatever it is, I hope someone speaks out
about it sooner than later, because I doubt that anything
would change unless we find out what it is!
Ed.’s Note: Leyou Tameru is a graduate of Georgetown and Addis
Ababa University Law schools, specializing in International Legal
Studies. Born and raised in Addis Ababa, she seeks to understand
the impact of economic, political and social issues on everyday
lives. She can be reached at [email protected]
Nine parties...
political demands, the leaders said during the press
conference.
Members of the parties in the cooperation are
both national and regional-based and in response
to The Reporter’s questions regarding the impact
the cooperation would have on future relations,
the leaders replied: “Since we have been working
together for a long it doesn’t impose challenges in
our relation in the future.”
By the same token, since the National Electoral
Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) is the authoritative body
in relation to parties’ affairs the leaders were also
asked about their relation with the board and in
this regard, “We are allowed to cooperate any time
without notifying the board, therefore we don’t have
to give any notification to the board,” the secretary
of the cooperation said.
The leaders of the cooperation stated that they were
revising and identifying the major pitfalls of the
opposition camps in relation to working together.
“We found out that the major reason for the failure
CONT`D FROM PAGE 3
of the opposition parties to work together was the
problems in the internal democracy of the parties
and the supremacy of individuals above the parties,
and since we identified these as major challenges we
are able not to be trapped by the same challenges in
this cooperation,” the leaders said.
They also said that since the failed coalition that
occurred in the 2005 elections, there were many
other initiatives and it is obvious that the initiatives
to work together in the opposition camps is lagging
behind and this cooperation is aimed at its best to
change this attitude through society.
During the course of the negotiation there were
about 12 parties engaged in the process until the
final stage and parties like Unity for Democracy
and Justice (UDJ) and other parties from Forum
for Democratic Dialogue in Ethiopia (Medrek) were
not signing the cooperation agreement due to some
technical difficulties, however, they said that they
would be back soon after finalizing their issues,
according to the chairman and the secretary.
Draft bill proposes...
CONT`D FROM PAGE 4
importance saying it has become necessary to amend the Copyright and Neighboring Rights Protection
Proclamation No. 410/2004 to provide legal protection that is compatible with an ever growing development
of copyrights and neighboring rights and to create conditions enabling the right holder to administer their
rights in an organized and enhanced manner.
The proposed draft law allows the formation of collective management society in which the right holders of
works protected under the proclamation that may form collective management society to jointly administer
their rights. According to the bill the collective management shall be formed as a non-profit entity proposed
but should be granted by the Intellectual Properties Office.
After debating on the proposed bill the House refereed the bill to the Science and Technology Affairs
Standing Committee for more revision.
Russian company...
north-eastern part of the country and covers 42,000
sq.km. The PPSA secures a seven-year exploration
and a 25-year production period.
Based on the new Ethiopian petroleum law, the
Ethiopian government will take 70 percent of the
production while the company will have a 30 percent
share if the exploration effort bears fruit.
GPB Global Resources is an international group
of companies engaged in petroleum and mineral
resources exploration projects in various parts of
the country, including Africa, South America and
the Middle East. In Africa the company is active in
Eritrea, Mali, Ivory Cost, Niger and Mali.
Officials of the Ministry of Mines are happy with
GPB’s swift move to launch the oil exploration
project. “They are going to start the oil exploration
project according to schedule,” a senior official at
the ministry told The Reporter. “Some companies
take several months to open an office, leave alone
awarding a contract. We are optimistic that GPB
will fullfill all its commitments,” the official said.
The company committed itself to undertake seismic
survey and drill at least two exploration wells in
the initial exploration period. GPB Global Neftegaz
Services BV, an affiliate of GPB Global Resources,
originally established to advise on the development
of Gazprom’s overseas up stream oil and gas
portfolio.
Russians are not new to the Ethiopian oil exploration
sector. In the socialist era Soviet Petroleum
Exploration Expedition (SPEE) was prospecting
for oil and gas in the Ogaden basin in the 1980s.
Russians were involved in the mining sector too. It
was Russian Geological Survey that discovered the
Kenticha tantalum deposit in Borena Zone in the
Oromia Regional State. They also discovered the
Legedembi primary gold reserve, which MIDROC
Gold is currently mining.
Ethio-Turkish...
sectors are making use of the global market.
According to Roman, in pursuit of support for
those women investors, she (Roman) will work on
assisting women who are excelling in their career.
She also said that she would assist those who will
work in providing job opportunities for the most
marginalized women in the society.
The first lady is known for instigating an initiative
dubbed “Connecting 1500 Women and Young Girls
to the Export Market,” which among others will
provide opportunities for women entrepreneurs
to have access to foreign markets. One of such
business owners is Bethlehem Berhane, founder
and owner of Entoto Beth Artisan located around
Entoto Mountain in the northern part of the capital.
Bethlehem told The Reporter that she employees
145 staffs, out of that 128 are women from the most
deprived parts of the Entoto locality. Being part of
the delegation in June, led by the first lady, she said
she had found Turkish suppliers for her company.
Bethlehem noted that currently her company
exports jewels and leather goods to the US and
European markets.
She said she is venturing on to expand her business
www.thereporterethiopia.com
CONT`D FROM PAGE 4
CONT`D FROM PAGE 5
to processing metal accessories aimed at substituting
importations of accessories and related inputs. That
said, the new planned expansion will cost some 22.5
million birr and will employ some 300 women. Yildiz
told The Reporter that companies like Entoto Beth
Artisan are getting momentum because they are
more focused on social business activities. She went
on to say that the impacts of the likes of Bethlehem
surfacing are appreciated in the outside world.
The Turkish businesswomen, according to Yildiz,
are extending their stay in town for ten days to look
more into big enterprises so that they might have
more mutual foundations on the business prospects.
According to Gashaw Debebe, secretary general
of the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and
Sectoral Association, the two nations have enjoyed
relationships since way back in the days of the
Ottoman Empire. First lady Roman said that both
Turkey and Ethiopia have a trade volume of USD
three billion. She also mentioned that there are
some 350 Turkish companies investing in Ethiopia,
out of which she named Ayka Addis Textile and
Bmet Cables manufacturers.
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
Vol. XIX No. 946 |35
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The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
36| Vol. XIX No. 946
FOOD
FOR...
CONT`D FROM PAGE 6
also urges state parties to “take all
appropriate measures with a view to
achieving the full realization of this
right”.
Ethiopia,
represented
by
Zenebu
Tadesse Minister of Women, Children
and Youth Affairs, presented its first
report on the implementation of the
charter before the African Committee
of Experts on October 7. The minister
was accompanied by a multi-sectoral
representation from health, education,
and justice – a gesture appreciated by
the experts.
Aided by a sustained and rapid economic
growth over the past decade, Ethiopia
is credited for achieving big results in
improving under-five mortality, school
enrollment, birth registration, gender
equality and prevention of harmful
traditional practices.
“Regarding some of the countries in
Africa that are actually booming in
terms of economic development and
finding economic resources, we at the
Committee ask the question ‘how will
this boom translate itself into creating
an Africa fit for children?,’” Benyam
Dawit (LLD), Chairperson of the African
Committee of Experts on the Rights
and Welfare of the Child of the African
Union, told The Reporter.
Benyam, who is also Vice-Chairperson
of the United Nation’s Committee on the
Rights of the Child in Geneva, believes
Ethiopia’s report has given context
to the mammoth task facing Ethiopia
as a nation with child population of
45 million, its low starting base and a
country that is on the “right track”.
IWMI launches...
CONT`D FROM PAGE 7
intensification may be the key to
future food security so that finding the
best ways forward to achievement is
needed, according to him. “Ensuring
farmers’ benefit from the integration
while ensuring health ecosystem is the
ultimate goal of the research project,”
he added.
Nathaniel Matthews (PhD), research
coordinator of Water, Land and
Ecosystems (WLE) office of IWMI, on
his part strengthened the promotion
of WLE as a new approach to
sustainable intensification in which
a healthy functioning ecosystem is
seen as prerequisite to agricultural
development, the resilience of food
systems and human well-being.
Furthermore, generating and sharing
the knowledge and practices needed
to influence future investments and
governance of natural resources and
ecosystems for enhanced agricultural
productivity and improved livelihoods
is also the goal of the program, the
coordinator stated.
According to the report, nearly 50
percent of farmland in Africa suffers
from erosions and nutrient depletion.
Since one-fourth of the world’s surface
is already degraded and 24 billion tons
of soil are lost to erosion every year,
the continent will undoubtedly find
itself in a worsened situation. More
importantly, by 2050, about two-third
of the world’s population is expected
to live in urban areas to impact the
ecosystem including the case of
Ethiopia and region. “I want to look at it differently as urbanization looks a
factor both in development and degradation,” Simon said. He emphasized on
the transformation of lives from farmers to consumers through urbanization,
and the concern he has for the safer ecosystem.
Ethiopia releases...
helicopters were locked by the Ethiopian
Air Defense Unit North Regiment.
Sources said since the helicopters were
civilian there was no need to intercept
and escort them by fighter planes. The
helicopters finally landed safely at
the Bahir Dar Ginbot 20 International
Airport. Immediately, The Ethiopian
defense forces escorted the 26 foreign
pilots (East Europeans) directly from
the helicopters to a detention facility in
Bahir Dar. Sources said the Sudanese
embassy in Addis Ababa was lobbying
for their release.
The Ethiopian National Intelligence and
Security Service (NISS) was handling
the case. The pilots were interrogated
before they appeared before the
Amhara Regional State High Court in
Bahir Dar town accused of entering a
sovereign state without permission.
“Their intention was to refuel and cross
the Ethiopian airspace and to fly to
Kenya and then to Tanzania,” sources
said. “They made a silly mistake. After
confirming their intension they were
released,” sources said.
The court released them on bail. The
Ethiopian
government
last
week
released the 26 pilots and helicopters
and they all left the country. Their case
is adjourned and they are expected to
re-appear before court. “But the case
could be solved through diplomatic
negotiations,” sources said. The broker
who misguided the leasing company is
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CONT`D FROM PAGE 1
being detained.
Officials of ECAA declined to comment.
Officials of the Sudanese Embassy in
Addis Ababa were not available for
comment by the time The Reporter went
to press.
In 2001, Ethiopian Defense force air
defense unit shot down a cargo aircraft
which entered Ethiopian air space
through Tigrai Regional State without a
fly-over permission. The cargo aircraft
was coming from Eritrea enroute to
Mozambique. At that time the cockpit
crew did not communicate with the
ECAA. The pilots remained mute when
asked to respond by the Ethiopian air
defense. The aircraft was leased by
an African company from a US-based
leasing company. Two European pilots
died in the incident. The aircraft was hit
by a Russian-made anti-aircraft missile
called Volga.
Biosafety amendment...
CONT`D FROM PAGE 1
away the full responsibility from a
government office of the GMO’s country
of origin and gives it to the exporter.
There has been a strong push,
particularly from researchers in the
field of bio-technology, for a more lax
legislation whereas environmentalists,
wary of the risks associated with GMOs,
wanted a stricter law.
“Some provisions contained in the
existing law were an obstacle to
undertake works in bio-technology and
do not meet the current developmental
needs of the country,” states a document
attached to the draft amendment.
Dealing with the specific issues of
improving student enrollment and
performance, Ethiopia’s maiden report
credits the nationwide school feeding
programme.
In a bid to boost to the manufacturing
sector particularly the textile sector,
the government has been considering
the option of using genetically modified
crops like BT cotton. The option was
considered as an alternative to alleviate
shortages of raw material which has
plagued the textile sector.
“For example, student enrollment
rates in Oromia region increased by 25
percent as a result of the introduction of
the school feeding program,” the report
stated.
However, local environmental activists
found the proposed amendment as
“worrisome”.
A
bio-engineering
expert and activist, who opted to
remain anonymous, believes that the
precautionary legislation is being used
to promote modern bio-technology.
“Obviously, it would be very difficult for
children to attend class in a meaningful
manner with an empty stomach,”
Benyam says. “School feeding schemes in
Africa contributed to school attendance
rates, addressing the gender parity,
retention, and learning outcomes.”
“We have no issues with modern biotechnology but it is very dangerous to
use modern bio-technology as a cover
to promote genetic engineering,” he
told The Reporter. Despite the well
documented risks associated with GMOs
the draft amendment is proposing to
render inapplicable the existing law
enacted with the aim of averting the
dangers associated, he added.
In the absence of a government initiative
to support students in urban areas,
schools in Addis Ababa hope to rely on
the assistance of charities from local and
international NGOs and individuals.
Unlike Berhaneh Zare where a charity
organization supports 150 students with
school materials, uniforms and foods,
schools like Misrak Dil Elementary
School has no external means of
supporting students at risk of dropping
out.
Four leaked Cables of US Embassy Addis
Ababa of August to December 2009 and
Feb 2010 reveal strong opposition to the
Ethiopian Biosafety Proclamation and a
persistent lobby to scrap it. The Cables
claimed that move was driven by US
corporate interests.
While waiting for the city school feeding
program to start, the school community
are attempting to devise their own minischeme to help the 72 students identified
for the proposed school feeding
programme at Misrak Dil. Teachers
and supporting staffs of the school are
planning to raise funds to keep their
students in class.
The draft bill, which was submitted
to Parliament’s Forest and Natural
Resource Standing Committee, contains
amendments to six provisions to the
existing legislation. The bill was drafted
by the Ministry of Environmental &
Forest (MoEF), Ministry of Agriculture
(MoA),
Ethiopian
Institution
of
Agricultural Research (EIAR) and the
Ministry of Science and Technology
(MoST).
“We have discussed about allocating ten
percent of our salary,” Tsion says. But
she is not sure whether the amount they
hope to raise would be enough or if they
can ensure sustained contribution.
www.thereporterethiopia.com
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
LEISURE
Vol. XIX No. 946 |37
Crossword
ACROSS
1. Ceases
6. Dirty air
10. Baby cow
14. Author _____ Ingalls
Wilder
15. Bean curd
16. Semi-precious gem
17. More likely
18. Soviet Union
19. Former Oakland pitcher
____ Blue
20. Baths
22. Enthusiastically
24. Goes astray
25. Alters
26. Issued a passport
29. Women’s
undergarments
30. Assemble or modify
material
31. Frank or candid
37. Deacon
39. Consume
40. Late Princess of Wales
41. Rehabilitates (political
prisoners)
44. Dollop
45. Even scores in golf
46. Prioress
48. Leaves that form the
ovary of a Àower
52. Threesome
53. Austin ______
automobiles
54. The quality of being
highly valued
58. Germanic earth goddess
59. Beside
61. Did not (contraction)
62. Aquatic bird
63. Box
64. 2nd most populous
country
65. Queen Elizabeth’s
daughter
66. Unrestrained excessive
sexual activity
67. Pharaohs ruled here
Down
1. Shredded cabbage
2. Spanish hors d’oeuvres
3. Three of these per half
inning
4. Made hot before putting
in the food
5. Philosopher Jean-Paul
______
6. Nubs
7. Grows on the north side
of rocks and trees
8. Orange Free State
9. British soldiers from
Nepal
10. Group of witches
11. Mimicking
12. Serving spoon 13.
Excoriates
21. A language of India
23. Lessened
25. Island in the
Mediterranean
26. Swerve
27. Inactive
28. Not front nor back
US Box
office
I want to stay home
and study here.
There are too many
distractions in my
classroom.
Excuse me dad can I
talk to you?
Kuncho Komments
29. Urchins
32. Approaches
33. Wrapping with ribbon
34. Glen or glade
35. Son of Seth
36. Swabs
38. Currency of
India
42. Caribbean music
43. “Roseanne” actress
____ Gilbert
47. One under par (golf)
48. Pincer
49. _____autics
50. Radioactive gas
51. Flying vehicle
52. Weepy
54. Pull along the ground
55. Current
56. Cut or trim
57. Immediately
60. Annual Percentage Rate
Well not until my
bed starts asking me
to take out a piece of
paper for the math
quiz.
Are you sure? Don’t
you have as many
distractions at
home?
Sure Kuncho,
what is it?
Your Zodiacs
ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20)
CANCER (June 22-July 22)
-ublic relations, personal relationships & łnding a happy
balance between them. Your best work is within a group
of close knit associates, especially when there’s a highminded ideals involved. Your people skills will shine brightly
once you understand the value of others’ input. You may
come into contact with someone who works especially well
with you. Take advantage of the situation. This week lucky
numbers are: 76, 32, 52, 96, 7
TAURUS (Apr. 21- may 21)
Relationships, łnancial matters & romance. Your emotional
reactions will continue to affect your łnancial & personal
situations. Shrug off other people’s jealousy of your situation
& get to the matters at hand. Show your appreciation and
thanks, creatively to those who matter. You may just spark
the łre to a wonderful relationship. Romance is sure to
follow, as long as you keep up the positive Ńow. This week
lucky numbers are: 73, 56, 44, 26, 37
A simple common experience that feels like a revelation
when it happens to you personally. The only reason why
you aren’t further ahead is that you have not been honest
with yourself. Charm and sweetness will win big rewards
with family members, as well. You feel like you’re ready
to go for the gold. Your strategy at the moment is the truth
and whatever it brings to the lives that it touches. This
week lucky numbers are: 34, 79, 85, 62, 17
Gone Girl
3
The Book of Life
4
Alexander and the Terrible,
5
The Best of Me
6
Dracula Untold
7
The Judge
8
Annabelle
9
The Equalizer
10
The Maze Runner
LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23)
CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20)
A need to conduct yourself in the most professional &
honest manner. Rumours or secrets revealed may leave
an unpleasant taste in your mouth, stay away from the
łring line. Your deep need for security will help you with
beautiłcation projects that relate to land, real property,
or anything that can decorate a home. This week lucky
numbers are: 94, 43, 82, 26, 53
Sentimental & emotional ties being pulled. Focus on work issues
and cooperative ventures that will bring real and concrete
rewards. You may łnd things have bee a little too predictable,
lately. Look out! Things are going to start to really change.
If someone seems irritable, allow them to blow off steam.
Don’t hold it against them. That should help you to balance the
emotional & material baggage you possess. Listen to offers that
originate from a distance. They may prove to be a good option to
your dilemna. This week lucky numbers are: 34, 65, 17, 7, 56
SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22)
LEO (July 23-Aug 22)
GEMINI (May 22-June 21)
Fury
2
(astrology-online.com)
Unexpected funds that seem to come your way from
nowhere. A powerful opportunity exists for you to raise
funds, collect income, and set up a fund that will start to
bring in money more consistently. Old friends, associates
will offer their support, take them up on it. Try to suspend
your old prejudices. Take the world by surprise and dance
to the tune of your success. This week lucky numbers are:
9, 71, 69, 15, 56
Teamwork & your ability to get everyone involved in your
project. Amuse yourself with things you understand & get
other’s to provide their expertize. Get good agreements now
and be sure you play the game with total fairness. Romance
at this time, may not bring the satisfaction you desire. You
may be temporarily distracted by problems that someone
else creates. This week lucky numbers are: 5, 14, 26, 33, 78
1
VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23)
A well needed surge of positive energy from an unlikely
source. Often, you may have felt alone lately, but you’ll soon
realize that you have a lot of support behind you. Others will
listen if you address the matter seriously. Invite more people
into your home to share stories & get acquainted. With a little
effort, you’ll be able to improve your living conditions and
family łnances. Your mind is shrewd, as well as original.
Express yourself & others will vie for your attention! This
week lucky numbers are: 96, 6, 28, 62, 14
Emotionally łred communications. Try not to hurt feelings,
but you must express how you feel. Once the air has cleared,
you’ll start to be able to see things from a new perspective.
New light will łnd its way into a dark corner of your life. Your
strong constitution and popularity could turn your life into a
perpetual celebration. If you try to conserve your energy early
on in the week, you’ll be able to enjoy your week-end. Once
you are rested emotionally & physically, your conłdence will
return. They’ll just make you sad & frustrated. Get positive, plan
your approach & you’ll start to feel like your old self, again.
This week lucky numbers are: 24, 87, 80, 57, 29
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21)
Domestic changes that provide you with much needed personal
freedom. The behavior of others should not be your concern. You
cannot take on th burden of other’s actions, especially one who is
unstable. Go up and around obstacles that impede your progress.
You can’t afford any more delays. Financial rewards are due you
simply because of your diligence and attention to details. If you
need extra help or łnancing, this is the time to ask for your needs
to be met. This week lucky numbers are: 51, 13, 42, 82, 31
SPOT THE DIFFERENCES
Can you spot the 12 differences between the two pictures?
www.thereporterethiopia.com
Solution
AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 -Feb. 19)
A time to wake up, open your eyes wide, and get a grip.
Communicate with those who support your values. Lead the way by
simply doing what you do best. A deep conversation could change
your life. Now more than ever, you must pay attention to the details.
Those who love intensity are happy to call you their friend. Those
who don’t know you, will soon be pleasantly surprised by your
presence. . The energy you possess this week can propel you into
bigger & better things. This week lucky numbers are: 71, 50, 86, 8, 28
PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20)
A feeling of restlessness, for reasons you don’t yet understand.
Reconnecting with your centered self is more important. If you are
concerned about your health, you should address those concerns.
Love, health, and contentment are priceless commodities, remember
everything else is just gravy. Matters of great personal importance
are at stake. Objectivity may be the only thing that can save you. This
week lucky numbers are: 96, 95, 71, 81, 87
Solution
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
38| Vol. XIX No. 946
Genzebe nominated for top
athletics award
By Mark Jenkin
Genzebe Dibaba is among three women
to make the shortlist for the World
Athlete of the Year Award given by the
International Association of Athletics
Federations.
Birhanu finally edged away from his
compatriot Abebe Degefa over the last
500m to finish 12 seconds ahead.
There was an Ethiopian one-two in the
women’s race too, as 23-year-old Sado
claimed her fourth marathon triumph
and Meseret Kitata was second in 2-31-08.
Thousands of runners wore face masks
during the race amid concerns the thick
smog had reached hazardous levels.
Ed.’s Note: The writer is on an internship
at The Reporter.
The Ethiopian track star has enjoyed an
outstanding year, setting three indoor
world records for the 1500m, 3000m and 2
miles within 15 days in February.
Ethiopia to...
She then won gold over 3000m at the
World Indoor Athletics Championships
in Sopot, Poland.
CONT`D FROM PAGE 5
and the generated 300 megawatts of solar
power will be linked to the national grid.
Genzebe, 23, is joined on the shortlist by
New Zealand’s Valerie Adams, who won
Commonwealth and World Indoor titles
at shot-put and extended her unbeaten
run to 56 competitions.
The company has completed the prefeasibility study to implement the
project and the signing of the MoU will
grant GTA the ability to start a full and
complete feasibility study on specific
region. The project is estimated to be
worth USD 600 million and, according to
the MoU, GTA is expected to set up shop
in Ethiopia within the next six months.
The third contender for the women’s
prize is Dafne Schippers, from the
Netherlands, the heptathlete who won
the 100m and 200m sprint titles at the
European Championships.
The three contenders for the men’s
award are Dennis Kimetto, the marathon
world record breaker from Kenya,
Renaud Lavillenie, the pole vaulter from
France, and Mutaz Essa Barshim, the
high jumper from Qatar.
Representatives from the IAAF, national
federations and members of the media
selected the six finalists from an initial
list of 10 men and 10 women. The winners
will be decided by the International
Athletics Foundation council and
announced at the 2014 World Athletics
Gala in Monaco on November 21.
hours 10 minutes 42 seconds and Fatuma
Sado was the women’s champion in 2-3003.
In relation to the significance of the
project, the CEO told The Reporter:
“In addition to generating 300 MW of
renewable energy that will fill in the gap
of energy supply deficiency in Ethiopia,
GTA will also help create jobs and offer
global expertise that will increase the
“know-how” in green energy for local
experts.”
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The CEO added that the project is owned
by the Ethiopian government and the
role of GTA is to undertake the overall
activities of the project and in relation to
the issue of the management of the project
the Ethiopian Electric Power has not
yet decided. “If they have the qualified
professionals to manage and administer
the project after its completion we will
hand over the project, if not we will also
engaged in the management,” the CEO
said. However, he added that it is not
yet decided and it will be decided in the
future.
Genzebe, the younger sister of three-time
Olympic gold medallist Tirunesh Dibaba
and Olympic silver medalist Ejegayehu
Dibaba, is hoping to become the first
Ethiopian winner of the women’s award
since Meseret Defar in 2007.
Previous winners of the men’s prize
include Kenenisa Bekele in 2004 and 2005
and Haile Gebrselassie in 1998. Ethiopian
athletes have enjoyed victories this week
in testing marathon racing conditions
around the world.
Regarding the source of finance, the
CEO told The Reporter: “We are planning
to find and facilitate the finance from
various sources mainly from President
Barack Obama’s Power Africa Initiative
and transfer it to the government of
Ethiopia and the Ministry of Finance
and Economic Development (MoFED)
will approve the finance once we find the
finance from various sources.
In the heat and humidity of the
Netherlands, Betelhem Moges showed
her strength to win the Amsterdam
Marathon in 2 hours 28 minutes 35
seconds.
The 23-year-old gained her first marathon
victory in only her second race at the
distance, finishing 40 seconds clear of
Ogla Kimaiyo, the second-placed athlete
from Kenya. Diane Nukuri Johnson,
from Burundi, was third in 2-29-35.
The duration of the overall project will
be determined after six months which
is included in the MoU and, according
to the CEO, the issues related to finance
and other matters are expected to be
finalized within the coming six months
and if things go according to the plan the
CEO told The Reporter that they will sign
a contract after six months and that will
determine the overall duration of the
project.
The next three places went to Ethiopian
athletes with Megertu Ifa fourth in
2-32-31, Guteni Shone fifth in 2-36-57
and Worknesh Alemu sixth in 2-38-07.
Betelhem has a best time of 2-26-42 set
while finishing fifth on her marathon
debut in Dubai in January.
GTA provides engineering consulting
and
management
services
for
transmission, distribution, industrial
and generation clients. It is also
engaged in the process of evaluating
the transmission grid deliverability,
applying for interconnection, and
coordinating
design,
engineering,
procurement of renewable generation
facilities.
The men’s champion was Bernard
Kipyego who clocked 2-06-22 to win
his first marathon at the 11th attempt,
leading Kenya to the top three places.
Thick smog in the Chinese capital did
not prevent a double victory for Ethiopia
in the Beijing Marathon on Sunday.
Girmay Birhanu won the men’s race in 2
www.thereporterethiopia.com
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
Sport
Vol. XIX No. 946 |39
Imitating Nadal, Federer
After
studying
management
and
graduating from Admas University, he
is now working at the Shala club while
looking for another job.
By Mark Jenkin
In the blazing heat of the afternoon
sunshine, two tennis players are
competing ferociously on a clay court. As
the dust flies up, the way they exchange
long rallies, contest every point and
show respect for each other, evokes
comparisons of Rafael Nadal taking on
Roger Federer at the French Open.
Ayana Abebe, a lawyer, and Hailu Belay,
a retired electrical engineer, compete
regularly at the Shala Park Club, a
facility which has been open for 17
years in Bole sub-City. On this occasion,
Ayana sends down the winning shot to
secure the victory by two sets to love.
While Ethiopia is renowned for the
brilliance of its athletes and the passion
of its football supporters, clubs like
Shala, which has two courts and 70
members, prove tennis has a part to
play in the nation’s sporting culture
too. Hailu, who first started playing in
2006, said: “I tried all sports like football,
volleyball and bowling. Nowadays my
favorite sport is tennis. “We have a
tennis community and we are enjoying
it. It’s so friendly. I wanted a pastime and
it’s good for health and exercise.”
Four years ago, Roger Federer visited
Ethiopia with his charity foundation.
The Swiss star, a seven-time winner of
the Wimbledon Championship, is said
by many to be the greatest player of all
time. It was hoped his influence would
inspire more Ethiopians to take up the
game.
However, there are only a handful
of tennis clubs in Addis Ababa. So,
demand for court space often outstrips
supply. Although financial restraints
Photo By: Reporter /Mesfen Solomon
But this is not the famous Roland Garros
professional tournament which takes
place in Paris every May and June. This
is Addis Ababa in October and merely
a friendly encounter between two
enthusiastic amateurs playing for the
love of the game.
Ethiopia does not have a distinguished
history at the highest level of tennis.
The Davis Cup, which sees the leading
nations compete in a men’s tournament,
has not seen the nation take part since
2002 and their best finish was fourth in
the Group 111 pool in 1996. The women,
who compete in the Fed Cup, lost all 13
of their fixtures when they took part
during the 1990s.
For the game to grow in this country,
it is suggested promising players need
greater financial support and more
opportunities to play in tournaments.
can prevent some young players joining
a club, at Shala there is plenty of
encouragement with youngsters starting
out as ball boys.
the standard of Ethiopian tennis. “It’s
hard to say I have seen it progress,”
he said. “It was much, much better
previously.”
“A little bit of pocket money will be given
to them and the most important thing is
they will be given training,” Hailu said.
And Woldegabriel is working hard to
put that right. “I like this sport,” he said.
“My duties are coaching the staff and
the youngsters, managing the tennis
court and, from time to time, organizing
competitions.”
“They will be the young players that,
for the future, will take over. Five or six
years ago they were kids; now they are
good players.”
Overseeing the development of those
young players is the club’s long-serving
coach Woldegabriel Woldehawariat,
who can be found court-side six days a
week.
With 50 years’ playing experience,
he does not possess the same speed
of previous days, but it is clear the
technical side of his game, the service
and shot-making, remain in excellent
shape.
Woldegabriel was once ranked among
the top five players in Ethiopia and was
coach of the national junior team in 1986.
He would like to see an improvement in
Among the emerging players to
benefit from his tutelage are Mehari
Gebrselassie and Behilu Alemayehu.
Mehari, 22, has been playing for more
than eight years. “I started out as a ball
boy when I was a kid,” he said. “The
coach, after he finished work, taught us
how to play tennis.”
Mehari has represented the Ethiopia
junior squad at a tournament in Kenya
but more recently, despite being ranked
No 2, missed out on selection for another
competition in Egypt because he could
not afford the fees. “If you have money,
you can go but at that time, I couldn’t
go,” he said.
“Tennis is a little bit expensive. So, I
think that limits the number of players
and, of course, there are very limited
tennis quarters in Addis Ababa,” said
Hailu.
Yet, as the profile of world tennis
increases, surely it is only a matter of
time before the sport develops in East
Africa.
“It’s not well known like football,
volleyball or basketball,” said Ayana,
who is able to follow the worldwide
game. “I watch Wimbledon, the US Open
and the Australian Open on TV when I
get time,” he said.
There is certainly no lack of enthusiasm
at Shala. Members were watching with
great interest this month when Roger
Federer clinched the Shanghai Masters
title in China.
“Federer is a really good player,” said
Mehari. “I like his style. And Nadal, he is
a hard worker and a very hard runner.”
With a combination of Roger’s style
and Rafa’s hard work, may-be, in time,
Ethiopia can produce a player to shine
on the world stage too.
Ed.’s Note: The writer is on an internship
at The Reporter.
On the road to victory
By Mark Jenkin
Patience and hard work are the
attributes Tirfi Tsegaye says are vital to
success for any long-distance runner. At
the age of 29 and with victories in two of
the world’s biggest marathons this year,
the athlete from the renowned running
town of Bekoji knows what it takes to
reach the top.
As she passed through the Brandenburg
Gate and crossed the finishing line in the
Berlin Marathon with a personal best of
2 hours, 20 minutes, 18 seconds, Tirfi
became the fastest woman in the world
this year.
Victory in the German capital was
the perfect way to follow up her
breakthrough triumph in Tokyo in
February when she smashed more than
three minutes off the course record,
finishing in 2-22-23.
Three weeks after the brilliant run
in Berlin, she is relaxing at home in
Addis Ababa, reflecting on the final two
kilometers when she finally broke clear
from her friend and training partner
Feyse Tadese.
“I worked my heart out,” she said. “I
worked hard to get what I wanted. I was
so tired but I was the leader, so that made
me strong.”
Trailing behind the American athlete
Shalane Flanaghan by 18 seconds at
the halfway stage, Tirfi showed tactical
discipline and confidence to run her
own race. “I didn’t think about winning,
I thought for my time,” she said.
That time turned out to be a minute
faster than she had ever run before
as Flanaghan, then Tadese were left
trailing.
Six years ago in Portugal, Tirfi
announced herself on the world stage by
winning the Porto Marathon in 2-35-31.
Along with her gradual improvements
every year, have come marathon
victories in Paris and Dubai, and a halfmarathon best of 1-07-42 in Ostia, Italy.
Competing in major European races
was a long way from her thoughts
while growing up in Arsi. “I ran from
my school to my home just to compete
with my friends, not to compete in the
Olympics,” she said.
There is no doubt about the athletics hero
Tirfi looked up to during her younger
days: “Kenenisa”, she said, smiling
broadly. The great Kenenisa Bekele is
only three years older but by the age of
22 was already a world record holder
over 5,000m and 10,000m and Olympic
champion at the longer distance.
He set the standards for all emerging
athletes, not just from the Oromia
Regional State but the whole of Ethiopia.
Bekoji has produced a remarkable
number of world class athletes, including
Olympic champions Kenenisa, Derartu
Tulu, Tirunesh Dibaba and Fatuma
Roba. Tirfi, however, does not believe
there is any secret to so much talent
emerging from one small town.
“People think when they see runners
come from there, they think like winners
but anyone, if they work hard, can be a
winner,” she said.
“You need to have patience and work
hard.” It was not until the age of 18 she
realized, with dedication and discipline,
www.thereporterethiopia.com
athletics could become her career.
The ability to respond to setbacks is what
makes the best athletes stand out from
the rest. Tirfi endured tough marathons
in Boston in 2011, where she finished
11th, and Frankfurt last year, when she
was seventh.
After finishing a marathon runner-up in
Turin, Shanghai (three times), Toronto
and Berlin in recent years, the patience
and hard work finally paid off in 2014 by
making the top step of the podium.
Now she is hoping to build on that
success in 2015 with another marathon,
either in Tokyo, in February, or London,
in April.
Tirfi, who trains in the hills above
Kotobe in Addis, is the latest in a long
line of athletes to put Ethiopian distance
running on the map.
“It makes me happy when my country’s
flag is waving,” she said. “In the future, I
hope I can make my country proud.”
Ed.’s Note: The writer is on an internship
at The Reporter.
The Reporter | Saturday | October 25, 2014
40| Vol. XIX No. 946
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