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Month: December 2022

Gastronomic Resolution for the New Year

Posted on by Tizita S.

I started to feel the heat on a cool summer day, sunnier than the previous ones though I dressed lightly. A reminder of the need for a heightened mood and atmosphere for that particular day, with a definite would-be spillover to the new year under the Gregorian calendar, cliqued in the ear. It could not have been a good start for a day out, seemingly envisioned as a day to piece together a new year’s resolution.

I came out to stroll down the length and breadth of Addis Abeba centre every weekend, not because the internet, computers, and mobile phones mania with me were over. My interest in the evolution of technology is intact. However, the speed of nowadays gizmos that unnecessarily consumes continuous screen time, instead calling for extended breaks.

As I pondered if being connected to the internet is indeed being connected to other people, either as friends or followers with nothing to say to each other, I arrived at Piassa. It was a stroll down memory lane henceforth, showing the theatre and movie I attended and the eateries swivelled around in my thoughts.

It reminded me not only of the skipped lunch for the sake of eating outside. It was an essential item in my new year’s resolution.

Great cooking is an art form as dear as creating masterpieces that are appreciated mainly in restaurants. My plan for the New Year is to make a quick cursory tour to examine, as far as possible, the eateries around the city centre closely and carefully. I intend to make comparisons that factor into decisions with friends to identify and remain loyal patrons to those that come out excellent while having a conversation about theatre, films and news on the creative world. The cramped and friendly raw meat eateries are not included in this, though.

Lost in this thought, I arrived at a restaurant close to a food and catering school.

Inside, its vibe tilts to that of a bar than a restaurant. I had ordered Spaghetti, accompanied by bread and plastic bottled water with a hardly identifiable sauce, whose colour was dominated by paper and generously added onion. Halfway, I could go with the old flatware and metal plate. No salt was added, and the taste was no more an issue with the tongue and the teeth, as the pasta was overcooked.

Undoubtedly, a city cannot assume social significance without its restaurants. Its practitioners’ duty hangs on rewards for initiative and effort with feedback from every plate produced. It looked awkward, for a while, to me how my mood swung from that of annoyance to piquancy. It immediately brought the psychological metaphor of reframing, which is the process of changing the way we look at something, from negative to positive, as changing our perception of an event, a person, or an experience.

Then, as I thought of avoiding any hint of gentrification, the small Arabian Ful Medames and Feta kinds of food preparing eateries came to my mind. They are common in Addis Abeba, with simple, understated, and correct dishes as the houses are always cramped and crowded with tastes almost the same through generations being timeless.

Restaurateurs, training institutions and regulators of the business should focus on the intimate knowledge of the characteristics of major food items or ingredients than list overseas, mainly French-sourced names of dishes. It is what it takes to present what is available with taste and a limited menu instead of plating void of taste burdened with complaints about what is not available.

The change in the feedback with a favourable taste determines ones worth, as credentials and years of experience stay at the side with the plate. Meanwhile, my new year’s resolution to e-world and reviews to share with friends is intact. I hope my next effort will discover merits and talents in people that I can hardly wait to address.

Stubborn Inflation Manifests Instability

Posted on by Tizita S.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated that Ethiopia’s GDP grew by two percent last year, which used to be between six and 10pc in the preceding five years.

The value of the Birr has also fallen rapidly since 2017, while inflation remains at double digits despite policy measures taken by the Administration of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD). Cooking oil, beverages, bread and cereal prices have dramatically risen. The war between Russia and Ukraine significantly aggravates these markets as they are the major suppliers of wheat, crude and refined cooking oils, and agricultural inputs.

One risk of higher inflation is that it has a regressive effect on lower-income families and older vulnerable living on a fixed income. As prices rise faster than wages, there will be a steep decline in real incomes, putting pressure on institutions that can grow to political instability and social unrest. The recent strike by university teachers could be considered a reflection to reckon with.

Inflation is one of the significant macroeconomic challenges facing Ethiopia’s economy. While the country recorded double-digit average growth rates until 2017, inflation averaged 15pc in the 17 years beginning 2003.

Data from the Central Statistics Service (CSS) indicate that the headline inflation in February this year slightly decreased by one percentage point to 33pc from the month before, while food inflation increased by one percentage point to 41.9pc. In November, inflation had reached 35.1pc, showing a four percentage point increase from the previous month. The price of food items increased, making it difficult for many to carry the burden.

The rising food inflation is resulting in severe food access constraints for low-income and vulnerable households.

Inflation intensifies the problem of poverty and becomes challenging for people in the lower-income groups already living hand-to-mouth. According to the World Bank report in 2020, the national poverty rate declined amid challenging climatic conditions, with recommendations on areas that need profound attention.

Borgen Project is a United States-based organisation monitoring and fighting global poverty. It praised Ethiopia for halving the poverty rate in 15 years, from 44pc in 2000.

“An estimated four Ethiopians escape poverty every minute,” it reported. “Infrastructure developments and continued growth in the agriculture and service sectors helped bolster the nation’s economy and improve living conditions for its people.”

These appear to be generational gains in retreat.

With the pandemic and the civil war in the north, low economic growth has become an additional burden in the past three years, decelerating the figure each year.

The lack of access to capital significantly contributes to poverty traps. Among the economic challenges are unemployment, slow economic growth, debt burden, the balance of payment deficits, steady depreciation of the national currency, and low foreign exchange reserves. The federal government’s increased spending over the two-year war, low agricultural production, and supply chain disruptions induced by the pandemic have pushed the bar high.

Unemployment does not make a drastic change with slight inflationary changes. However, a significant fluctuation could lead to theft, corruption, embezzlement, and money laundering to survive. These recognise the economic, unemployment and social damage that high and volatile inflation can bring.

The costs of unemployment are apparent when viewed from an economic perspective. Its social costs are challenging to measure, leading to broader social unrest. It is essential to increase the productivity of the agriculture and industrial sectors to create job opportunities.

Extravagant spending on projects needs to be reduced while enhancing the productivity of the domestic economy vital. Applying a firm monetary policy helps to create stable economic growth. It is also essential to control the money circulation not to aggravate the already skyrocketing commodity prices. The long-lasting adverse effects will become stubborn if the inflation persists.

The Way Forward: A New Vision for the Future

Posted on by Tizita S.

We traditionally reflect on the consequences of our past behaviour during the end-of-year holidays and contemplate the good to achieve in the 12 months ahead. When we set resolutions, we strive to determine how we can do better in our own lives. Perhaps we could also take the occasion to consider how we might achieve such improvement on a larger scale.

In 2015, the world’s leaders attempted to address the major problems facing humanity by establishing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) – a compilation of 169 targets to be hit by 2030. Every admirable pursuit imaginable made the list: eradicating poverty and disease, stopping war and climate change, protecting biodiversity and improving education.

In 2023, we are at the halfway point, given the 2016-2030 time horizon, but we will be far from halfway towards hitting our putative targets. Given current trends, we will achieve them half a century late.

What is the primary cause of our failure?

There is little difference between having 169 goals and having none. We have placed core targets such as eradicating infant mortality and providing basic education on the same footing as well-intentioned but peripheral targets like boosting recycling and promoting lifestyles in harmony with nature. Trying to do everything at once, we risk doing very little, as we have for the last seven years.

It is long past time to identify and prioritise our most crucial goals. With several Nobel laureates and more than 100 leading economists, the think tank Copenhagen Consensus has done precisely that, identifying where each dollar can do the most good.

We could, for example, hasten an end to hunger.

Despite significant progress over the past decades, more than 800 million people still go without enough food. Careful economic research helps identify ingenious and effective solutions.

Hunger hits hardest in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, beginning with conception and proceeding over the next two years. Children who face a shortage of essential nutrients and vitamins grow slowly, both physically and intellectually. They will attend school less often, achieve lower grades, and are poorer and less productive as adults.

We can effectively deliver essential nutrients to pregnant mothers. The provision of a daily multivitamin or mineral supplement costs a bit over two dollars for a pregnancy. This helps babies’ brains develop better, making them more productive and better paid in adult life. Each dollar spent would deliver an astounding 38 dollars of social benefit.

Why would we not first take this path?

Because in trying to please everyone, we spend a little on everything, essentially ignoring the most effective solutions.

Consider, as well, what we could accomplish on the education front. The world has finally managed to get most children into school. Unfortunately, the schools are often of low quality, and more than half the children in poor countries cannot read and understand a simple text by age 10.

Typically, schools have all 12-year-olds in the same class, although they have very different levels of knowledge. No matter which group the teacher teaches at, many will be lost and others bored. Let each child spend one hour a day with a tablet that adapts teaching to that child’s level. Even as the rest of the school day is unchanged, this will, over a year, produce learning equivalent to three years of typical education.

What would this cost?

The shared tablet, charging costs, and extra teacher instruction cost about 26 dollars for a student over a year. But tripling the learning rate for just one year makes each student more productive in adulthood, enabling them to generate an additional 1,700 dollars in today’s money. Each dollar invested would deliver 65 dollars in long-term benefits.

When we fragment our attention and try to please everyone, we implement superficially attractive but inefficient policies. Along with hunger and education, there are about a dozen other incredibly effective policies, such as drastically reducing tuberculosis and corruption. Those are targets we could and should hit. The moral imperative is clear: we must do the best things first.

There is a resolution, both personal and social. That is the pathway forward to a better future. Let us resolve to walk down that road as we consider the dawning of the new year.

Beautifying Cities While Neglecting Residents’ Well-Being

Posted on by Tizita S.

Despite the low urbanisation level and sporadic growth, the federal government has recently made enormous efforts to beautify the urban public space. These projects stir concerns about spatial inequalities, power monopolies and priority dilemmas in a metropolis that already struggles with severe sanitation, water, housing, and transportation constraints.

It causes a conflict of interest among different parties about the use of public space. In most cities, these conflicting interests are described from investors’ perspectives and the state rather than citizens, particularly street vendors, the homeless, elders, and children. Massive beautifying projects have been launched in Addis Abeba, Hawassa, Bahir Dar and other cities after Prime Minster Abiy Ahmed came to office. Building green infrastructure along lakes, mountains, and streets is now a top focus for city officials.

Experts indicate that cities undergo significant changes due to demographic pressure and environmental problems. By offering ecosystem services and the advantages of those services, green infrastructure is a conventional and preferred strategic planning method that can handle and adapt to these difficulties. However, most of these urban activities conflict with the meaning and the actual function of public space. Scholars argue that space is built and modified by society in an urban setting. Furthermore, these spaces are open and accessible for everyone without differences.

Hawassa, for instance, demonstrates how public space changes into state control mechanisms in the name of prosperity or modernisation.

After the Italians were routed in May 1941, Emperor Haile Sellassie, who had been in exile in England, returned and resumed his systematic campaign to assert his vision of modernisation. Young students were sent overseas for higher studies, and more schools were opened. The Ministry of Interior hired administrators from all tiers of government sectors.

Salaried civil servants collected taxes, and new secondary cities were furnished. When the Emperor visited the Sidama region in 1957, he was astounded by the stunning geography. He ordered the implementation of what was then a new master plan. Taking the assignment, the then Mayor, Mengesha Seyoum (Ras), laid the groundwork for the city’s rapid socioeconomic and extensive infrastructure developments and the current master plan. Hence the foundation for the contemporary look of the town.

The unprecedented political upheaval in 2018 did not only change the country’s leadership; instead, it gave a new status to Hawassa. The city is the seat of the recently established Sidama regional states. It had spent the previous few months planning to demonstrate for visitors travelling there to commemorate nations, nationalities, and people’s day how this political success transformed into urban development.

New green corridors, street billboards and walkway renovation have all been built in the city centre.

Regardless of its well-renowned tourist destinations, the recent public megaprojects and private investments are transforming the city into an industrial hub.

The beautifying projects have two primary features: top-down or state-led approaches. This will impact the project’s sustainability and public ownership in the future. It leads to spatial inequities. Low-income people lose the right and capacity to own property once the state begins to administer and regulate it. It also weakens the social ties that bind residents together and may even progressively erect social hierarchies.

The priority dilemma is the project’s second challenge. Despite the significant financial and resource investments, urban inhabitants face harsh and pressing economic realities and good governance difficulties. Major cities have been dealing with severe water and housing shortages over the last few decades. Due to high rates of rural-to-urban migration and an inadequate urban strategy, cities are becoming a source of many problems.

While those initiatives unquestionably benefit city residents and the regions, they cannot directly address the community’s pressing concerns about unemployment and cost of living pressure. Achieving beautification will not result in significant advancements in well-being for the city and its residents.

We Owe It to Us to Seek Help

Posted on by Tizita S.

This past week a young Federal First Instance Court judge allegedly murdered his partner before committing suicide by throwing himself from a 13-storey apartment building around the Megenagna area. His partner’s alleged unfaithfulness was reported as the cause of the tragic incident. Those who witnessed the tragedy said it was horrific to see the dismembered body of a person scattered everywhere.

Such incidents have become a growing phenomenon, especially among high school boys exposed to illicit drugs at a tender age. Disturbing news is everywhere.

Another tragic story involves a young man who ended his life after separation from his fiancé. I have also attended the mournings of two men brutally murdered in front of their young children as retaliation for business failure.

I know the pain of losing loved ones to suicide. I lost my friend in my early 20s. To the credit of my friend, whom I used to consider a sister, she confronted me about her troubled relationship and struggle with suicidal thoughts. Some mocked the arrangement to see a psychiatrist and forced my friend to withdraw from her treatment. She was called spoiled and purposeless for seeking professional help.

Although I flagged up the problem to those who could have offered support, they considered it a false threat, only to be traumatised when she tragically took her life.

Lack of support from family, friends, society and religious organisations aggravates the problem. Each person struggling with suicidal thoughts has harrowing stories of pain, grief, heartbreak, or hopelessness. Their emotions are raw when we give ears to their hurt.

People in pain are willing to share their stories if there are given attention without judgment and misunderstanding, often making them isolate themselves. They regarded expressing their feelings in fear of awful feedback than support.

Unfortunately, suicide prevention is not the priority in the struggling underfunded health system. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports, on average, one psychiatrist is available for half a million people in Africa at a significantly lower rate than recommended.

Four Ethiopian researchers – Berhanu Boru Biftu, Bewket Tadesse Tiruneh, Berihun Assefa Dachew and Yonas Deressa – published a study last year in the International Journal of Mental Health Systems. Their conclusion should be alarming. A “high prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempted suicide observed in the general population in Ethiopia.”

The prevalence of suicidal thoughts may reach 55pc; the percentage of attempted suicide at 19pc, they discovered.

Our society is not supportive of emotionally and mentally harmed people. This probably has a lot to do with associating depression and mental illness as “taboo”. Accepting depression as an ailment that requires proper treatment is a luxury.

There is a perception that depression is something anyone could get and recover from, as simple as having a bad day. Unfortunately, this misperception is perpetuated as most people, despite their best intentions, do not understand the complexity and its consequences.

We all have our way of dealing with problems in life, and noticing the pain of others may not be likely if they are not sharing it. It is vital to lend ears to those in trouble and help them deal with their emotions. With the support of loved ones and friends, we can bounce back from any unfortunate situation that seemed impossible to manage. Understanding those who are in depression is essential.

I have seen strong people fall to their knees and become vulnerable. Encouraging them to gain control and overcome depression as they navigate through their struggle is a lifesaving act.

There is no magic cure for life’s tragedies. However, there is always time to begin the road to recovery.

Loud Reminder to Protect Own Ears

Posted on by Tizita S.

I cannot be the only one bothered and sidetracked by individuals who talk loudly. Not only do they disrupt my thought process, but they also make me think about the things they are saying even when I have no interest in doing so.

I am sure everybody has encountered such people, primarily on public transport. They are too loud not to be remembered even after leaving the premises. I would know more about them than their distant relatives.

It is understandable when people are forced to talk loudly to communicate due to countering noises and a lousy network. People may also fail to listen to the other person behind the phone due to hearing impairment. But it becomes annoying when there is no justification.

Some people could be loud without annoying others. The firm and authoritative sound in their voice could be heard.

I once encountered a foreign national who told me about kids she met in the school compound she teaches. Kids constantly called her with a deafening sound from a close distance. I found that interesting. I believe the issue begins at a young age. I know kids in my area who are so loud they could be heard from afar. To my surprise, neither of their parents is loud enough to be imitated by the children.

I began doing some research, hoping to understand the psychology of loud people.

They are not always as confident as they appear to be, with some references disclosing reasons behind their loudness. Shy people tend to be loud to compensate for their shyness. Their loudness is a veil to appear confident before others who would not be able to figure out their true nature. Those who talk too much also try to appear knowledgeable when they know little. In my experience, that is not always the case, as I have engaged with people who talk too much but seem to know the depth of what they are talking about.

Some people talk louder to feel important and get the attention of others. Perhaps for this kind of people, being loud puts them on the pedestal of getting noticed as they are attention seekers. They tend to talk over others, desiring to see others value what they say during the conversation. Little did they know that talking over others can be rude and infuriating.

I find it discouraging to converse with such people as they keep cutting others off in the middle of a normal conversation. They dare to get mad when others do the same towards them. Such behaviour is highly contagious. The more time we spend with someone like that, we start to adopt their behaviour.

People also tend to be loud when trying to prove a point to others and mostly missed the chance to express themselves growing up. Suppose they were ignored and never got attention from their parents or caregivers as a child. They feel neglected; raising their voice becomes one of their ways to be heard and gain recognition. When they become adults, they try to use their voices to overcompensate for their repressed upbringing.

I found this to be true in people with high materialistic tendencies. People who grow up poor acquire materials to overcompensate for what they used to lack when they get the chance.

The most apparent reasons come down to childhood and nature. Some are born with the formation to speak louder due to strong muscles in their throat areas. Others are the product of childhood upbringing. Perhaps these people had loud parents, and everyone in the household was loud enough to be emulated. It is hard to blame these individuals because their background says it all.

But for others with hearing problems getting the necessary treatment is required.

Modern life can be noisy. Yet even though many people know that they should use earplugs when taking public transport or maybe attending a ceremony, they do not seem to care.

Porcelain Hustling

Posted on by Tizita S.

Street vendors offer up second-hand ceramic and bathroom products around Urael church in the capital. Nine out of ten Ethiopians do not have access to sanitation facilities rendering cholera outbreaks. UNICEF estimated about 80pc of communicable diseases in Ethiopia are caused by a lack of sanitation and clean water. A cholera outbreak occurred early this October in three districts within Bale zone, Oromia Regional State. A report by African Leaders for Nutrition (ALN) ranked Ethiopia 54th in terms of access to improved sanitation in 2019.

SWEEPING SYMPATHIES

Posted on by Tizita S.

(Left) Genet Hagos, deputy president of Enat Bank, Fiseha Habtemariam, president of Purpose Black, Eyuel Kassahun, president of Endezega (Right)

Enat Bank, Endezega Project and Purpose Black Initiative combine forces with training 5,000 mothers employed in the street sweeping towards self-sufficient enterprises. Ethiopia’s dependency ratio, according to World Bank estimates, was close to 75pc last year. This means only one-fourth of the population does not require assistance in providing for themselves. The war in the northern part of the country put over 20 million people in need of immediate food assistance, according to FAO report in 2022.

Cashless Horizons

Posted on by Tizita S.

A lonely street juxtaposes the Addis Abeba Science Museum with the skyscraper of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) around Taytu Street. The global push towards digitisation has gripped Ethiopia in the form of Digital Ethiopia 2025. The push towards a cashless society that “records all transactions for the government and provides convenience to citizens” is the running model. With an adult literacy rate of 51pc and internet coverage to only a quarter of the population, going cashless seems unlikely. The World Bank ranked Ethiopia 159 out of 190 for ease of doing business in 2020. Unceasing crashes of systems only serve to push down the ranking.

US Pledges $55b to Africa

Posted on by Tizita S.

Trade, investment, peace and security challenges in Africa are considered the core challenges over the next three years through the eyes of the United States.

Following the US-Africa summit, the Undersecretary for Economic Growth, Energy & Environment Jose W. Fernandez reviewed the outcomes by outlining his government’s intentions towards Africa. At a press briefing hosted by the US State Department, he stated that the US planned to invest 55 billion dollars in the continent over the next three years.

The 1.3 billion population size of the continent offered market potential, especially with the further implementation of the trade agreement. Its leaders recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Secretariat of AfCFTA, Wamkele Mene.

The global ambition towards clean energy has also put the vast lithium resources of the continent in the eyes of the electric supply chain. The Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia signed a memorandum of understanding in March 2022 to establish lithium processing plants with the US government’s assistance.

The Undersecretary also emphasised the underutilisation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) by African countries, stating that it was a mass market that provided the trade gateway of 6,500 products with duty-free access to the US markets.

According to Jose, this was one of the discussion points President Joe Biden raised with the African leaders. Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea had their preferential trade access terminated in January 2022 due to violating the  AGOA statute. The tight forex crunch has Ethiopia crossing its fingers in the hopes of reinstatement to AGOA following the cessation of hostilities between the federal government and armed forces in Tigray.

Print, Packaging Expo Comes Live

Posted on by Tizita S.

Industry experts, professionals and buyers were gathered last week to explore the paper, commercial printing and packaging technology and solutions at an international tradeshow expo. Dubbed Afri Print & Packaging Expo (APPEx), nearly 70 exhibitors participated in the event held at the Skylight Hotel, Africa Avenue (Bole Road).

Exhibitors such as Betselot Alemayehu, deputy manager of Avast Printing & Advertising, were excited to explore new and robust connections while the co-owner of Metal Gems, a company established three years ago. Ramzy Teshsome, exploring the market, said the price of one sheet metal has rapidly increased from 1,200 to 4,000Br in the past three years.

Hosted by Prana Events in partnership with Expo Team for Service, the event organiser, Nebiyu Lema, recalled the fast-growing imports need for printing and paper-converting technology recorded a 14pc annual growth in the four years beginning in 2016.

Over 3,000 visitors attended the event, where exhibitors shared their experiences as they were forced to look for alternatives in the face of the digital world replacing the print industry.

President of the Ethiopian Publishers & Printers Association, Tefera Seyoum, admitted the print industry is on rocky roads and urged tax incentives. The decision by the Ministry of Education to publish students’ textbooks abroad could be a good demonstration of the neglect of the domestic industry, demanding efforts to enhance the quality of prints locally.

The Chemical & Construction Inputs Industry Development Institute under the Ministry of Industry is working on building a pulp factory in the next five years.

US Supports Women Entrepreneurialism

Posted on by Tizita S.

Indiana, Debre Markos, and Bahir Dar universities joined to host a workshop last week, funded with a 600,000 dollars grant from the US. Women from Bahir Dar and Debre Markos universities have participated in the workshop focusing on entrepreneurship geared towards empowerment.

The US has a global effort to expand women entrepreneurs, with the Ethiopian project kicking off on international women’s entrepreneurship day on November 22, 2022. Last year a 10,000 dollar grant from the US was awarded to four projects that offered outstanding prospects.

Lifting Up Young Female Entrepreneurs (LIFYE), which aims to empower women to have their career paths, and Partnership in Business Entrepreneurship and Leadership Transformation (PIMBLET) were the two initiatives launched last week with aims to establish new business incubation centres and survey the entrepreneurship landscape in Bahir Dar city, the seat of the Amhara Regional State.

The Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) will train women from Jima, Addis Abeba, and Dire Dewa cities using a US State Department tool – Dream Builder.