Reviving Education in Tigray: A Path to Recovery and Resilience

By: Daniel Mekonnen Yilma 

Executive Summary

The Tigray region of Ethiopia is grappling with a profound educational crisis resulting from the compounded effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and a devastating conflict that has spanned two years. The education system has faced near-collapse due to prolonged disruptions. The Pretoria Peace Agreement, signed in November 2022, offers a critical opportunity to address these challenges and restore educational services. However, despite this peace agreement, significant issues remain that hinders the return to normalcy in education.

The purpose of this policy brief is to present a comprehensive analysis of the current state of education in Tigray, highlighting the severe impacts of the conflict and the pandemic, with the intention of informing and influencing the action of civil societies, NGOs and IGOs working in the education sector and regional and federal government officials. The data reveals that a substantial portion of students remains out of school, and many schools are either severely damaged or occupied by internally displaced persons (IDPs). The recommendations outlined herein aim to restore and improve the education system, focusing on infrastructure repair, provision of scholastic materials, support for Accelerated Learning Programs (ALP), and addressing security and human resource challenges.

Key points

  • Severe Educational Disruption: The Tigray region’s education system has been severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and a devastating two-year conflict, leading to extensive damage to school infrastructure and significant drops in student enrollment.
  • Low Student Enrollment: Only 40% of the targeted students were enrolled in the 2023/24 academic year, leaving 1,487,600 students, including 729,267 girls, out of school. The Central and North Western zones are particularly affected by high rates of out-of-school children.
  • Widespread Infrastructure Damage: The conflict has resulted in extensive damage to educational infrastructure, with 74.9% of schools partially damaged and 19.1% completely destroyed. Many students are forced to learn in temporary or unsafe conditions, severely impairing their educational experience.
  • Teacher and Human Resource Shortages: The region faces a critical shortage of teachers, with 16.1% (2,434) more teachers needed. The conflict has also left many teachers demotivated due to prolonged unpaid salaries, further exacerbating the educational crisis.
  • Psychological Trauma: The war has caused widespread psychological trauma among students and teachers, with significant learning loss and evidence of substantial psychological distress, including high levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among teachers.
  • School Feeding Programs as a Solution: School feeding programs are identified as a critical intervention to mitigate the effects of drought and famine, enhance students’ ability to attend school, improve their health and concentration, and incentivize parents to send their children to school.
  • Crowd-funding as a Strategic Policy Option: Crowd-funding is proposed as an innovative mechanism for raising funds for school feeding programs, engaging NGOs, IGOs, the private sector, and the diaspora to expand and sustain these initiatives effectively.
  • Increased Focus on Female Students: The educational crisis disproportionately affects female students, necessitating targeted interventions to address their specific needs and challenges, particularly in the aftermath of the conflict.
  • Need for Comprehensive Psychosocial Support: Comprehensive psychosocial support for both students and teachers is essential to address the widespread trauma, reduce learning loss, and promote mental well-being, which are critical for restoring the education system in Tigray.
  • Call for Collaborative Efforts: The policy brief emphasizes the need for collaborative efforts among various stakeholders, including the government, NGOs, international organizations, and the private sector, to rebuild the education system in Tigray and ensure long-term resilience and sustainability.

Full Policy Brief: https://initiativeafrica.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Policy-Brief-Final-4.pdf

ግጭትን ለማስወገድ የመቻቻል ባህልን ማጠናከር ያስፈልጋል

ከእሸቱ ደስታ 

በሐገራችን ግጭቶች ብዙውን ጊዜ ምንጫቸው ሌላውን ሰው ወይም ሌላውን ወገን በስህተት መሳል ነው፡፡ ይህም ስለሌላው ያለን እይታ የተዛባ የግጭት ምንጭ ሲሆን እናየዋለን፡፡ ይህንንም በጥቂቱ እንመልከት በሐይማኖት ረገድ አንድ እስላም ወይም ክርስቲያን የሆነ ሰው ሌላውን የሚያይበት እይታ የተዛባ እና ትክክል አለመሆኑ፣ አንዳንድ ጊዜ እንደዚህ አይነት አመለካከት በብሔረሰብ ውስጥም ይንጸባረቃል፡፡ ይህም ጠባብ የፖለቲካ ስሜት ያለው አንድ ኦሮሞ ስለ አማራው ወይም አማራው ስለ ኦሮሞው ወይም ጉራጌው ስለ ትግሬው ወዘተ በአእምሮው ይዞት ስሎት ያለው ስዕል ልክ ያለመሆኑን ያጋጥማል፡፡  

ሌላው ስልጣን ነው፡፡ ስልጣን ዓለምን እያፋጀ ያለ ነገር ነው፡፡ በስልጣን ዙሪያ በኢትዮጵያ ውስጥ የሚጣሉ ሰዎች ብዙ ናቸው፡፡ ቀደም ሲል በመሳፍንት ዘመን “እኔ” የሰለሞን ዘር በመሆኔ ስልጣን ይገባኛል፡፡ ንጉስ መሆን አለብኝ የሚለው በአንድ ወገን በአጋጣሚ ሰብሮ የሚወጣው በሌላው ወገን በሚያደርጉት ሽኩቻ ሕዝቡን ያፋጁበት ጊዜ ቀላል አይደለም፡፡ በደረግ ዘመንም በፖለቲካ ሽኩቻ ወገን እርስ በርሱ የተላለቀበትን መጥቀስ ይቻላል፡፡ ለምሳሌ የመላው ኢትዮጵያ ሶሻሊስት ንቅናቄ (መኢሶን)፣ የኢትዮጵያ ሕዝቦች አብዮታዊ ፓርቲ (ኢሀፓ) እና የመሳሰሉት ሕዝቡን ለእልቂት ዳርገውታል፡፡ ሌላው ኢኮኖሚ ነው፡፡ አንዳንዱ አካባቢ ለም እና በቂ ሀብት አለው፡፡ ሌላው ደግሞ የለውም፡፡ በዚህ መነሻ ሰው በተፈጥሮው ለም እና ሐብት ወዳለበት አካባቢ ይሰፍራል፣ ይሰማራል፡፡ ከዚህ ጐን ለጐን አንዳንድ ግጭት ፈጣሪዎች በሰፋሪዎቹ ላይ ጠብ በመጫር ከአካባቢው እንዲለቁላቸው የሚጥሩ አልጠፉም፡፡ እንግዲህ እነዚህ አጓጉል እና ትክክል ያልሆኑ በአእምሮአችን ስለን የምናስቀምጣቸው ነገሮች የግጭት ምንጭ ይሆናሉ፡፡ እንዲህ አይነቱ ነገሮችን አዛበተን የማየት እና በትክክለኛ መልካቸው ያለማስቀመጥ ባሕል ሊወገድ ይገባል፡፡ 

ግጭት ባለበት ሀገር ሰብዓዊ መብት እና የንብረት ጥበቃ ብሎ ነገር የለም፡፡ ሕዝቡ እንዲሁ እንደደማ፣ እንደተዘረፈ ነው የሚኖረው ለማሳያ ያህል ግጭት ያስከተለው ጉዳት አለፍ አለፍ ብለን ለመቃኘት እንሞክር፡፡ ንጉስ ኢዛና “እኔ” ይላል፡፡ “ከተከዜ ማዶ ሱዳን፣ ቤንች፣ ምጵዋ፣ ራያ እና ዘቦ አካባቢ ያሉ ሰዎችን ወግቼ ንብረታቸውን ዘርፌ መጣሁ” ይል ነበር፡፡ ዮዲት ጉዲት በዘመነ መንግስቷ በኢትዮጵያ ቤተ ክርስቲያን አቃጥላ፣ አክሱምን አፍርሳ፣ የነበረውን የመንግስት ተቋማት በሙሉ ድራሹን አጥፍታለች፡፡ በአጼ ኃ/ሥላሴ ዘመን መንግስት ደግሞ አንጻራዊ ሰላም አለ ቢባልም የኢርትራ ነፃነት ግንባር፣ የትግራይ፣ የጐጃም፣ የባሌ እና የደራሳ ሕዝብ ንቅናቄ በመኖሩ ምክንያት በግጭቶቹ በሰው እና በንብረት ላይ ጉዳት ደርሷል፡፡ በደርግ ሕዝቡ በአዋጅ እና ያለ አዋጅ ንብረቱ ተቀምቷል የኤርትራ ነፃነት ግንባር እና የሕውኃት ጦርነት እንዲሁም በውስጥ በተፈጠረ የፖለቲካ ድርጅቶች ሽኩቻ ሐገሪቱ ደም በደም ተራጭታለች፡፡ በዘመነ ኢሀዲግም ሆነ አሁን በፖለቲካ አለመረጋጋት ምክንያት በተለይ በአማራ፣ በትግራይ እና በኦሮሚያ ክልል የሚኖሩ ወገኖች የሚደርስባቸው ፈተና ተገልጾ አያበቃም፡፡ በዚህም በርካቶች ተገለዋል በሚሊዮን የሚቆጠሩ ተፈናቅለዋል ወይም ተሰደዋል፡፡ ንብረታቸውም ቢሆን ተቃጥሏል ተዘርፏል፡፡ ይህም እስከ አሁን የሚታይ ክስተት ሲሆን የሁሉንም ወገን ለሰላም ርብርብን ይጠይቃል፡፡ 

ሌላው በሀገራችን ባህላዊ የግጭት አፈታት የተጫወተው ሚና ከፍተኛ ሲሆን ከዚህም ውስጥ በሀይማኖት አባቶች እና የሀገር ሽማግሌዎች ሰላምን በማምጣት በኩል ያደረጉት አስተዋጽኦ ከፍተኛ ነው፡፡ ለምሳሌ ያህል በኦሮሞ ባህል በሽምግልና የሚቀመጥው አባ ገዳ ይመስለኛል፡፡ ቤቱ አጥር የለውም አይዘጋም በአጠቃላይ ሁሉም ነገር በቤቱ አጥር ውስጥ የተሟላ ነው ማንም ደኝነት የፈለገ ሰው ሰተት ብሎ ነው የሚገባው እሱ ካለ፣ ከተናገረው፣ ከፈረደው ውጪ እልፍ ማለት አይቻልም አሁን አሁን እየላላ ሄደ እንጂ በጉራጌም እንደዚሁ ነው፡፡ ጉራጌ “ቅጫ” የሚል ሕግ አለው፡፡ ይሄ ቅጫ እንደ ሕገ መንግስት ማለት ነው፡፡ በዚህም መነሻ ማንም ሰው ሰው ገድሎ ወይም ንብረት ዘርፎ በሰላም ሊቀመጥ አይችልም፡፡ በሆነ ምክንያት ሰው የገደለ ከሆነ እርሱን በደም አይበቀለውም፡፡ ግድያን በግድያማ ከጨረስከው ያው መቆሚያ የለውም፡፡  

ስለዚህ የገደለ ሰው ለሟች ቤተሰብ የገንዘብ ካሳ ይከፍላል፡፡ ይህንንም ገንዘብ ገዳይ ብቻ ሳይሆን ጐሳውም ያዋጣል፡፡ ይሄ በዚህ ብቻ አይቆምም የገዳይ እና የሟች ሚስት ልጆች ይጋባሉ፡፡ የንብረት ዘረፋ ካጋጠመ ደግሞ የተዘረፈው ሰውዬ ንብረት ሙሉ በሙሉ እንዲመለስ ይደረጋል፡፡ በአጠቃላይ በሀገራችን የሽማግሌው ስርአት እኮ ነው ይዞ አገሩ ያቆየው፡፡  

በባሕላዊ የግጭት አፈታት ጊዜ ከዘመናዊ ጋር ተቀናጅቶ መቀጠል አለበት፡፡ በዚህም በባሕልም ሕግ ነገር ለማጣራት ብዙ ጊዜ ይፈጃል፡፡ ይህ ማጠር አለበት፡፡ ለዚህም ባሕላዊውን ከዘመናዊ ሕጐች ጋር በማስማማት እና በማዋሀድ ለአገር ሽማግሌዎችም ሆነ ለሀይማኖት አባቶች ተከታታይ የግንዛቤ ማስጨበጫ ትምህርት ሊሰጥ ይገባል፡፡ ሌላው ሽማግሌዎች ስንል አሁን ያሉት ሽማግሌዎች ጊዜውን ጠብቀው አይኖሩም፣ይሞታሉ፡፡ የተማረ ሰው ከስር ከስሩ መተካት አለበት፡፡ የተማረው ሰው የኢትዮጵያን ታሪክ፣ ባሕል፣ ሐይማኖት እና ስርአት ጠንቅቆ ማወቅ እና መማር ያስፈልገዋል፡፡ ይህ ሲሆን የሀገር ሽማግሌዎች ስርአት ከትውልድ ወደ ትውልድ ይተላለፋል፡፡ በግጭት ዙሪያም የሚከሰቱ ችግሮችም እንዲሁ ደረጃ በደረጃ ይፈታሉ፡፡  

የግጭት አፈታት እና አወጋገድን ስኬታማ ለማድረግ መንግስትን ጨምሮ ከከፍተኛ ትምህርት ተቋማት እና ከሕዝቡ የሚጠበቁ ዋነኛ ተግባራት በጥቂቱ የሚከተሉት ናቸው፡፡  

መንግስትን በተመለከተ፡- የሀገራችን ሰው መንግስት እና ፀሐይ አንድ ናቸው ይላል፡፡ ይህም ሁለቱም ሲያበሩ ለሁሉም በእኩልነት መሆኑን ለማሳየት ነው፡፡ ከዚህ አንጻር  በመንግስት በኩል ብርሐኑ ለሁሉም ዜጋው እኩል ካልሆነ ግን ጥርጣሬ ያሰነሳል፡፡ ተአማኒነቱም ይቀንሳል፡፡ ሌላው ለአንድ ሀገር መንግስት የሕዝብ ተቀዳሚ አባት እና ሐብት ስለሆነ ይህንን ባሕሪ ማጣት የለበትም፡፡ ከዚህ ጐን ለጐን ደግሞ መንግስት ሕግ ያወጣል፡፡ የሚያወጣቸውንም ሕጐች ለሕዝቡ የሚጠቅሙ፣ የሚያሳድጉ፣ የሚያሰሩ መሆን አለባቸው፡፡ ከዚህ አኳያ መንግስት ያወጣውን እራሱ መጠበቅ አለበት፡፡ ይሄ ካልሆነ የመንግስትነት ባሕሪውን ያጣል፡፡ በተጨማሪ መንግስት የፍትሕ አባት ነው ሕዝብ ሌላ መሸሻ የለውም፡፡ ፍትሕ የመንግስት ጥብጣብ ናቸዋ እና ፍትሕ ሊያጓድል አይችልም፡፡ ስለሆነም ፍትሕን በማስተናገድ ሕዝብ ከመንግስት ብዙ ይጠብቃል፡፡ መንግስት ደግሞ የፍትሕ አባትነቱን ማረጋገጥ ግዴታው ነው፡፡ ይህ ሲሟላ ብቻ ነው የግጭት መንስኤዎች የሚደፈኑት፡፡   

የከፍተኛ ትምህርት ተቋማትን በተመለከተ፡- ዩኒቨርስቲ ማለት ከተለያዩ የሀገራችን ክፍሎች የተለያየ ባሕል፣ ቋንቋ፣ ስልጣኔ ያላቸው ወገኖች ተሰባስበው አንድ ቦታ የሚገናኙበት  መናሃሪያ ማለት ነው፡፡ ከዚህ አኳያ ከፍተኛ የትምህርት ተቋማት የሰላም፣ የመግባቢያ፣ የመወያያ በአጠቃላይ ወጣቶችን በእውቀት የመቅረጽ ኃላፊነት የተጣለባቸው ናቸው፡፡ በዚህ መሰረት ዩኒቨርስቲዎች በካሪኩለማቸው ውስጥ የግጭት መከላከልን ጉዳይ ትልቅ ቦታ ሊሰጡት ይገባል፡፡ በእርግጥ ጅምሩ ያለ ቢሆንም ተጠናከሮ መቀጠል አለበት፡፡ ይህ ተግባራዊ ሲሆን ነው፡፡ የሰላም ጀግኖችን በብዛት ማፍራት የምንችለው፡፡ ይሄ ሐሳብ በኢትዮጵያ በግጭት መከላከል ዙሪያ  ዩኒቨርስቲ መቋቋም አለበት፡፡ ይህም ተግባራዊ እንዲሁን የሚመለከታቸው ሁሉ በጋራ ሊያስቡበት ይገባል፡፡  

ሕዝቡን በተመለከተ፡- ሕዝቡ የግጭት መንስኤ የሆኑትን ነገሮች ወዲያው ለማስወገድ እርስ በርስ የመነጋገር፣ ተቻችሎ የመኖር ባሕልን ማዳበር ያስፈልገዋል፡፡ እንዲሁም መንግስትን በዚህ ረገድ የማገዝ፣ በትክክለኛ አቅጣጫ የማይጓዙትን የመንግስት ኃላፊዎችንም ሆነ ሌሎችን የመቆጣጠር እና የማጋለጥ ትልቅ ሚና አለው፡፡               

ሰላም ለንግዱ ዘርፍ ለአገር ግንባታ ወሳኝ ነው 

ከእሸቱ ደስታ  

ሰላም ለሰው ልጆች ሁሉ አስፈላጊ እና ዋነኛ ከሆኑ እሴቶች አንዱ ነው፡፡ በማንኛውም መልኩ እጅግ በጣም ጠቃሚ አይደለም የሚባል ሰላም እንኳ ፍትሐዊ ነው ከሚባል ጦርነት ይመረጣል፡፡ ሰላም ከሁሉም ፍትሕ ይበልጣል፡፡ የጦርነት ጥሩም ሆነ መጥፎም የለም፡፡ ሰላም የሁከት እና የብጥብጥ ተቃራኒ ነው፡፡ ሰላምን ብዙዎች ከስጋት ነጻ መሆን፣ አለመረበሽ፣ መረጋጋት፣ ነፃነት ብለው ይገልጹታል፡፡  

ለዚህም በአገራችን ኢትዮጵያ ከቅርብ ጊዜ ወዲህ ግጭቶች ታይቶ በማይታወቅ ደረጃ የተለያየ ባሕሪ በመያዝ በተደጋጋሚ እየተከሰተ መሆኑን ከፍተኛ እና አሳሳቢ ማህበራዊ እና ኢኮኖሚያዊ ችግሮችን እያስከተለ ይገኛል፡፡ በግጭቶች ሳቢያ በርካታ ንፁሃን ዜጎች ተገድለዋል በሚሊዮን የሚቆጠሩ ከቀያቸው ተፈናቅለዋል፣ ተሰደዋል፡፡ አካላዊ እና ስነ ልቦናዊ ጉዳት ደርሶባቸዋል፡፡ ለረጅም ጊዜ የቆዩ ማህበራዊ ግንኙነቶች ተዛብተዋል፡፡ ይህንን አሳሳቢ እየሆነ የመጣውን አደጋ እና ስጋት መመልከት ለሰላም ወዳድ ኢትዮጵያዊያን ሁሉ አንገብጋቢ እና ተቀዳሚ አጀንዳ ሆኗል፡፡  

ይህ ሁኔታ እልባት እንዲያገኝ ከሚፈልጉት የሲቪል ማህበረሰብ  ድርጅቶች አንዱ የሆነው ኢኒሼቲቭ አፍሪካ ከሚያከናውናቸው በርካታ ተግባራት መካከል በሰላም ግንባታ ዙሪያ ኘሮጀክት ቀርጾ በመንቀሳቀስ ላይ መሆኑ ነው፡፡  

በዚህም በተለይ ንግድ ለሰላም እና ልማት በሚለው ኘሮግራሙ የንግዱ ዘርፍ ተዋንያኖች በተለያዩ የግጭት ቀጠናዎች ውስጥ መደበኛ የንግድ ስራቸውን የመቀጠል እና ከሌሎች የሲቪል ማህበረሰብ ድርጅቶች ጋር ተባብሮ በመስራት ማህበረሰቡ ለረጅም ጊዜ እርስ በርስ ተከባብሮበት የኖረው ማህበራዊ ሰንሰለት እና የአብሮነት ውል ሳይበጠስ እንዲቀጥል በማገዝ ረገድ ቁልፍ ሚና ሊጫወቱ እንደሚችሉ ያምናል፡፡  

ይህም ብቻ አይደለም የግሉ ዘርፍ የስራ እድሎችን በመፍጠር፣ ለሰላም መደፍረስ የተጋለጡ  አካባቢዎችን እንዲያገግሙ በማገዝ ብሎም ወደ ዘላቂ ሰላም የሚያመሩበትን መንገድ በመፍጠርም ቁልፍ ሚና እየተጫወተ እና በመጫወት ላይ ይገኛል፡፡  

በዚህም ንግድ ለሰላም ኘሮግራም ትኩረት ሰጥቶ በዋናነት እየሰራባቸው ካሉት ቁልፍ ተግባራት አንዱ የግሉን ዘርፍ አቅም መገንባት ላይ ነው፡፡ ከአቅም ግንባታ በተያያዘ የንግዱ ማህበረሰብ ወይም የግሉ ዘርፍ በአገራዊ ምክክሩ አገራዊ መግባባት እና በሰላም ግንባታ ዙሪያ የራሱን አስተዋጽኦ ለማድረግ እንዲችል የአቅም ግንባታ ድጋፎችን ሰጥቷል እየሰጠም ይገኛል፡፡  

ከዚህ በመነሳትም የንግዱ/የግሉ ዘርፍ በአገራዊ ምክክሩ ሚናቸው ጐልቶ እንዲወጣም እየተሰራ ነው፡፡ በዚህም በተለያዩ ጊዜያት በአገራችን ከሚገኙ የንግድ እና ዘርፍ ማህበራት ም/ቤት፣ የነጋዴ ሴቶች ማህበራት እንዲሁም ከቢዝነስ አባል ድርጅቶች ጋር በተደረጉ ምክክሮች በአጀንዳነት እንዲቀርቡ የሚነሱ ነጥቦች አሉ፡፡  

በቅድሚያ የንግድ ሥራ በተሟላ ሁኔታ ለማከናወን የሚያስፈልገው ወጪ እንዲቀንስ መንግስት ታክስን እና የተለያዩ ክፍያዎችን መቀነስ እና ሕገ ወጥ ንግድን መከላከል፣ በፖለቲካ ያለመረጋጋት እና በአካባቢ አስተዳደሮች በንግዱ/ በግሉ ዘርፍ በሚገኙ ማህበረሰቦች ላይ የሚፈጸሙ ተጽእኖ እንዲሁም የክልል ተወላጆች አይደላችሁም በሚል ማግለል ላይ ትኩረት ተሰጥቶ መወያየት አስፈላጊ መሆኑን በተጨማሪም የግሉን/ የንግዱን ዘርፍ ከማጠናከር አኳያ ምክክሩ በግሉ ዘርፍ የሚመራ እድገትን ማበረታታት እና ንግድ ሥራ ማከናወን ምቹ ከባቢን መፍጠር ይገኝበታል፡፡  

በሌላም በኩል በሞኖፖል አሰራሮች ላይ እርምጃ መውሰድን፣ ስራ ፈጣሪነትን እና ለሁሉም ገበያ እና ተዋንያን እኩል የመወዳደሪያ  ሚና መፍጠሩን ተጠቃሽ ነው፡፡ ሌላው ለግሉ ዘርፍ የንግድ ፖሊሲዎችን እና ደንቦች ለማሳያ የንግድ፣ የትራንስፖርት፣ የገቢ እና ወጪ እንዲሁም የታክስ እና የጉምሩክ ፖሊሲዎች እና ደንቦች ላይ ትኩረት መስጠት እንዲሁም ከግሉ/ንግዱ ዘርፍ ፍላጐት ጋር የተጣጣመ እና ምርታማነትና ፈጠራን የሚያጐለብት የትምህርት ኘሮግራም ማስፋፋት፣ የሰራተኛ ዜጋው ክህሎት እንዲበለጽግ በቴክኒክ እና ሙያ ዘርፍ ያተኮረ የትምህርት መርሃ ግብር ላይ በስፋት መዋዕለ ነዋይ እንዲፈስ እንደሚያስፈልግም ተጠቁሟል፡፡  

Initiative Africa and National Rehabilitation Commission Sign MOU to Enhance Rehabilitation Services and Community Reintegration Programs

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – July 12, 2024 – Initiative Africa (IA) and the National Rehabilitation Commission (NRC) have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on a range of projects designed to improve rehabilitation services and support community reintegration programs across Ethiopia. The signing ceremony, held at the NRC headquarters, marked a significant step towards strengthening the partnership between the two organizations in their shared mission of promoting inclusive development and sustainable growth.

Under Article 2 of the MOU, IA, and NRC will undertake several joint duties and responsibilities. These include developing a comprehensive understanding of the benefits they can achieve through partnership, testing cooperation and coordination between their programs, and planning various discussions focused on business integration. The collaboration also aims to provide capacity-building support to the NRC’s peace-building efforts and work together to secure financial support for joint ventures and projects that can transform research into innovative solutions.

The relationship between IA and NRC, will involve detailed procedures for joint projects, regular bilateral meetings to monitor project implementation, and the creation of an independent management and control system for each project. Both parties will assist each other in fulfilling their obligations under the MOU, with strategies, priorities, and opportunities for resource sharing and knowledge transfer being key components of their cooperation. Regular forums, workshops, and networking meetings will be organized to facilitate this collaboration and assess the benefits of their joint efforts.

This partnership aligns with IA’s commitment to fostering social and economic inclusion and NRC’s mandate to provide effective rehabilitation services nationwide. By leveraging their combined expertise and resources, both organizations aim to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for all Ethiopians, particularly those undergoing rehabilitation. The MOU is expected to pave the way for impactful initiatives that will contribute to the overall well-being and empowerment of communities across the country.

Enabling Local Ingenuity Through Catch-up and Life Skills for Young Girls in War-Affected Central and Northwestern Tigray

Axum, Ethiopia – July 7, 2024 – Initiative Africa (IA) has officially launched a project titled “Enabling Local Ingenuity through Catch-up and Life Skills for Young Girls in War-Affected Tigray.” Funded by the Malala Fund, this three-year initiative aims to address the critical educational and psychosocial needs of young girls impacted by the conflict in the Tigray region.

The launch event in Axum brought together key stakeholders, including education officials and representatives from Initiative Africa. The program began with opening remarks from a Tigray Region Education Bureau head, who emphasized the urgent need for accelerated learning programs (ALPs) to support young girls affected by the ongoing crisis. An introduction to Initiative Africa followed, along with a presentation on the project’s objectives and implementation strategies.

The project will engage 24 schools and reach 1,000 students across Tigray. It includes community-based and accelerated learning programs, basic literacy and numeracy training, life skills development, vocational training, and crucial mental health support. The initiative also advocates for policy changes that prioritize girls’ secondary education as a national priority. A formal agreement was signed on May 12, 2024, between Initiative Africa and the Tigray Regional Education Bureau, solidifying IA’s legal capacity to implement the project in the region.

During the event, participants engaged in a Q&A session, offering valuable suggestions and feedback on the ALP program. They highlighted the urgent need for school feeding programs, support for families, and infrastructure repairs due to the extensive damage caused by the conflict. Community engagement and economic support for mothers were also identified as critical factors for the project’s success.

The event concluded with small group planning sessions and closing remarks, followed by discussions involving school directors. These discussions provided insights into the challenges and opportunities for implementing the ALP program, including the need for teacher training, curriculum flexibility, and addressing psychosocial barriers.

Key recommendations from the workshop included comprehensive psychosocial support for children, families, and teachers, implementing an accelerated learning model tailored to the needs of war-affected students, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders to develop effective educational recovery strategies.

The launch of this project marks a significant step towards rebuilding the education system in Tigray and empowering a generation of young girls with the skills and knowledge they need to contribute to their communities and beyond. Initiative Africa and the Malala Fund are committed to ensuring that these girls receive the support they need to overcome the challenges posed by the conflict and achieve their full potential.

For the full report: https://initiativeafrica.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Malala-Launch-Report.pdf

Axum Airport Reopens, Signaling Hope for Economic Growth

Ethiopia – June 9, 2024 – The recent reopening of Axum Airport represents a significant turning point for the region, promising renewed economic opportunities and growth. The airport, which had been closed due to the conflict in Tigray, left a profound impact on the socio-economic fabric of the area, disrupting trade, tourism, and livelihoods. However, with its reopening, the region is poised for a revitalization.

The closure of Axum Airport had far-reaching consequences, particularly for local businesses reliant on tourism and trade. Hotels, restaurants, and small enterprises faced unprecedented challenges as the flow of tourists dwindled.

In the lead-up to the reopening, Initiative Africa (IA), in collaboration with the Center for International Private Enterprises (CIPE), organized a pivotal conference in Axum on October 2, 2023, under the theme of ‘Revitalizing Axum’s Tourism’. This gathering brought together experts, stakeholders, and community leaders to explore strategies for leveraging the airport’s revival to stimulate economic growth. This workshop underscored the importance of the reopening of the Airport to revive the economy of Axum.

The reopening of Axum Airport symbolizes hope and resilience for the residents of Axum and Ethiopia. It represents a significant step towards economic recovery and progress. As the region prepares to welcome travelers and cargo once again, the positive impacts on the local and national economy are anticipated.

While the reopening of Axum Airport is a milestone worth celebrating, its full potential will unfold gradually over time. As flights resume and activities at the airport pick up pace, the region can look forward to a brighter future.

Initiative Africa and Tigray Authorities Partner to Launch Accelerated Education for War-Affected Students: Signing Ceremony Marks Milestone in Educational Initiative

Mekele, May 12, 2016 – In a significant move to address the educational disruption caused by the conflict in the Tigray region, Initiative Africa has signed a three-year project agreement aimed at providing accelerated education to students who have fallen behind, particularly girls. The signing ceremony took place on May 12, 2016, in Mekele.

The project, funded by the Malala Fund, focuses on implementing community-wide accelerated education and teacher training programs, targeting 1,000 students aged 9 to 15. These students, affected by the war, will not only receive education but also life and skills training, crucial for their personal and professional development. The initiative spans six districts in the central and northwestern Tigray zones, reflecting a broad geographical reach.

Representatives from the Regional Education Office and the Planning Finance and Aid Coordination Office attended the ceremony, where they expressed their strong support for the project. They recognized Initiative Africa’s efforts to provide much-needed educational opportunities to young women and boys in the region.

The project agreement marks a collaborative effort between Initiative Africa, the Malala Fund, and regional authorities, emphasizing a unified approach to tackling educational setbacks caused by the conflict. Through this partnership, the project aims to create a sustainable impact, empowering war-affected youth with the tools they need to rebuild their lives and contribute positively to their communities.

As the project unfolds, it promises to bring hope and educational opportunities to those who need them most, fostering resilience and future prosperity in the Tigray region.

በመቀሌ የፕሮጀክት ስምምነት ፊርማ ተካሄደ

በሲቪል ማህበረሰብ ድርጅቶች ባለስልጣን የተመዘገበው ኢንሼቲቭ አፍሪካ ከማላላ ፈንድ በተገኘው የገንዘብ ድጋፍ በትግራይ ክልል በጦርነቱ ምክንያት  በትምህርት ወደ ኋላ የቀሩ ተማሪዎች በተለይም ልጃገረዶችን የተፋጠነ ትምህርት እንዲያገኙ የማስቻል የ3 ዓመት የፕሮጀክት ስምምነት ፊርማ ስነስርአት ግንቦት 12 ቀን 2016 ዓ.ም በመቀሌ ከተማ ተካሄደ።

ከፕሮጀክቱ ዋነኛ ተግባራት መካከል እድሚያቸው ከ9 እስከ 15  አመት ለሚሆኑ 1000 ተማሪዎች በማህበረሰብ አቀፍ የተፋጠነ የትምህርትና የመምህራን ስልጠና መርሀ-ግብሮች መተግበር እንዲሁም የህይወትና ክህሎት  ስልጠና እንዲያገኙ ማስቻል ሲሆን ፕሮጀክቱ የሚተገበረው በማዐከላዊና በሰሜን ምዕራብ ትግራይ ዞኖች ባሉ 6 ወረዳዎች ነው።

የፕረጀክት ስምምነት ፊርማው የተካሄደው ኢኒሺዬቲቭ አፍሪካ ከክልሉ ትምህርት ቢሮ እና  እቅድ ፋይናንስና እርዳታ ማስተባበሪያ  ቢሮ ጋር ነው።

በፊርማ ስነ-ስርአቱ ላይ የተገኙት ሁለቱም የሴክትር መስሪያ ቤቶች ተወካዮች ኢንሼቲቭ አፍሪካ በክልሉ በጦርነት የተጎዱ ወጣት ሴቶችና ወንድ ልጆች በተፋጠነ ትምህርት ተጠቃሚ የሚያደርግ ፕሮጀክት ለመተግበር በመንቀሳቀስ ላይ መሆኑ የሚያስመሰግነው ነው ካሉ በኋላ ፕሮጀክቱ ስኬታማ እንዲሆን አስፈላጊውን ትብብር ሁሉ እንደሚያደርጉ ቃል ገብተዋል።   

Empowering Female Potters: A Revival through Skill Development in Tigray

In an ambitious effort to empower women and rejuvenate a heritage craft, Initiative Africa, in collaboration with the Tigray and Axum Tourism Offices, has launched a pivotal skill development training program for female potters in the Tigray region. This initiative is a significant part of Initiative Africa’s “Business for Peace” project, which seeks to mitigate the impact of recent conflicts on local industries. Trainees, including Haimanot Abrha from Hauzen and Atsede G/Yohannes from Adwa, have applauded the program for enhancing their pottery skills and fostering a vibrant exchange of cultural and artistic experiences across the region.

The training has emerged as a beacon of hope for participants like Trhas G/Egziabher from Yeha, who, along with her fellow artisans, aspires to resume work and overcome the severe challenges posed by the loss of workspace and the dissolution of their support structures. These women, whose livelihoods have been drastically affected by external crises, view the program as an essential step towards revitalizing their craft and regaining their economic independence. The initiative has also facilitated a critical dialogue between the artisans and government officials, paving the way for potential solutions to their predicaments.

Responding to the artisans’ needs, Mr. Gebre, head of the Axum Tourism Office, and Mr. Dawit from the Tigray Tourism Bureau have vowed to take concrete steps to assist these women. Their commitments include reorganizing pottery associations in the seven districts and liaising with governmental bodies to find alternative locations for work and sales. These actions reflect a broader commitment to addressing the systemic issues facing these artisans, demonstrating the potential for targeted skill development programs to catalyze community-wide economic recovery and empowerment.

Through the lens of Initiative Africa’s “Business for Peace” project, this training program is a testament to the power of combining cultural preservation with economic empowerment. By focusing on the female potters of Tigray, the initiative not only aims to protect an invaluable aspect of the region’s heritage but also to lay the groundwork for sustainable peace and prosperity in the aftermath of adversity. This effort marks a promising step towards the revival of the pottery industry in Tigray, offering a model for how targeted interventions can rebuild communities and restore hope.

Business for Peace: Building Business Engagement in the Upcoming National Dialogue

On April 5, 2024, at the Cassiopeia Hotel, regional chambers of commerce came together for the “Business for Peace” event, aimed at enhancing the involvement of the business sector in Ethiopia’s national dialogue. The day began with IA’s project manager delivering the opening remarks, followed by a presentation from the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission that set the context for the discussions. This meeting provided a platform for members of regional chambers to deliberate on the challenges and opportunities for businesses in contributing to the country’s peace and economic stability.

Discussions during the event focused on several pressing issues, including the need for ethnic coexistence, the impact of VAT on small traders, the role of media in promoting informed public discourse, and the critical importance of creating job opportunities. Participants advocated for better governance, a more conducive environment for investment, and the inclusion of women in the national dialogue process. These discussions highlighted the complex relationship between peace, economic stability, and governance, reflecting on how regional chambers can play a role in these areas.

In response to the issues raised, the Dialogue Commission pointed to the importance of open dialogue in addressing fear and insecurity, the need for inclusive representation in the national dialogue, and assured the audience of the commission’s autonomy from political influences. The event underscored the importance of women’s participation, the necessity for collective action, and the role of media in supporting peacebuilding efforts.

The “Business for Peace” gathering marked an occasion for regional chambers to consider their part in Ethiopia’s broader dialogue on peace and economic recovery. While not without its challenges, the event provided a moment for reflection on the potential collective action and responsibility in navigating toward a more stable and prosperous future.