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Month: April 2023

From Rural Roots to Urban Innovators: The Inspiring Story of Ethiopia’s BuraNEST

Posted on by Tizita S.

On a recent Saturday afternoon, I found myself at the Century Mall in Addis Abeba, a personal favourite spot, when I unexpectedly bumped into an old acquaintance from university, Maheder Gebremedhin. It had been almost three decades since we last crossed paths; we eagerly caught up on each other’s lives.

I had been following Maheder’s radio show, “Kebet Eske Ketema,” literally translated as “From Home to the City,” on FM 102.1.

The show explores various topics, from urban development and architectural issues to celebrating the achievements of prominent builders and urban planners. Maheder’s talent as a radio host and relatable and honest approach makes the show engaging and informative. The program would often leave listeners eagerly anticipating the next episode.

On this particular day, Maheder mentioned a documentary film screening and panel discussion taking place at the Century Mall Cinema and invited me to join him.

Upon entering the Cinema, I was initially surprised by the documentary’s subject matter. Instead of the urban architectural theme I had anticipated, the documentary – “Urban Genesis” – focused on the story of Tilahun Ayalew, a farmer in his 50s living in rural Ethiopia. The documentary depicted his daily struggle and challenges while exploring broader social, economic, and political changes occurring in the country.

Directed by a Swiss filmmaker, Dodo Hunziker, the documentary took over seven years to produce and involved a team of architects, engineers, and consultants.

A key figure in the film is Fasil Ghiorgis, a prominent Ethiopian architect and academic known for his work on heritage restoration projects, such as the Saint Mary of Tsion Cathedral in Aksum and Baata Mausoleum in Addis. Fasil has also written extensively on Ethiopia’s architectural history, including a book titled “The City & Its Architectural Heritage, 1886-1941.”

Another central character is Zegeye Chernet (PhD), an esteemed architect, planner, and educator. He worked closely with the veteran Swiss architect Franz Oswald, who conceived the idea for the BuraNEST project, an experimental model town designed to combat the challenges of rural-to-urban migration. Oswald’s vision was to create a sustainable, self-contained urbanization model that could be replicated elsewhere in Ethiopia and beyond.

Benjamin Stähli, another significant character in the documentary, is an architect who became deeply involved in the BuraNEST project, even adopting Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity along the way.

As the documentary unfolded, it became clear that the BuraNEST project faced considerable challenges, testing the resolve and commitment of all those involved. However, it ultimately ended triumphantly, with the successful completion of the housing project and a heartfelt celebration of the team’s achievements.

Tilahun and his wife, Tigabnesh, were seen kissing Oswald in the traditional Ethiopian way, reserved for someone one truly and unreservedly respected. Tilahun’s “prodigal son”, who had left the village for a better life in Bahir Dar and later Addis Abeba, returned home and started enjoying life with his kin and kith, in the newly transformed rural-turned-urban town, which he built with the help of his father.

At the very end, Tilahun and Tigabnesh are seen competing feverishly in the exciting traditional dance, Eskista. The spectators clap hands, all eyes filled with great joy.

Following the screening, the audience was treated to a panel discussion featuring key figures from the documentary, including Fasil, Zegeye, Dodo, and Stähli. The conversation was lively and emotional, with many in the audience moved by the project team’s efforts.

The event concluded with a coffee and snack reception in the hallway outside the Cinema, where attendees could mingle and express their gratitude to the filmmakers and project team. It was a humbling experience to speak with these individuals who had devoted so much time and effort to improving the lives of rural Ethiopians, addressing the broader challenges of urbanization.

Unfortunately, Oswald was not present to see his dream come to fruition, but his impact on the project was undoubtedly felt throughout the event. Maheder’s significant role in raising awareness of these issues through his radio show cannot be understated. Through his platform, he has made a substantial academic contribution and created a forum for exchanging ideas, resource mobilization, and critical assessment of contemporary urbanization and architectural development trends.

“Urban Genesis,” tells the inspiring story of the BuraNEST project and sheds light on the broader developmental challenges countries like Ethiopia faced. The documentary demonstrated that these issues can be tackled through innovative, collaborative, and domestically-driven solutions. By sharing the experiences and perspectives of those involved in the project, the film has undoubtedly sparked important conversations about sustainable development and urban planning.

As I left the event, I felt inspired by the dedication and optimism of the project team and the filmmakers. Their determination to make a difference in the lives of rural Ethiopians and their unwavering belief in the power of local communities to address their own challenges were a testament to the potential for transformative change.

“Urban Genesis” is a powerful reminder of the importance of addressing the complex challenges developing countries like Ethiopia face. It is a story that will resonate with audiences worldwide and serves as a call to action for everyone to do their part in creating a more sustainable and equitable future.

In a time when global challenges such as urbanization, climate change, and social inequality continue to grow, the story of BuraNEST and the individuals involved offers a glimpse of hope and a blueprint for sustainable development. This inspiring documentary and the ensuing discussions not only entertained and informed the audience but also left a lasting impact, encouraging each of us to play our part in creating a better world for all.

Sleepwalking Into a Global Recession

Posted on by Tizita S.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank held their Spring Meetings in Washington this month amid growing fears of a prolonged worldwide recession and following a series of reports predicting that global economic growth will continue to slow.

Earlier in April, a World Bank book estimated that global GDP growth would fall below two percent this year and increase to three percent in 2024, before weakening to 2.2pc by 2030, down sharply from the 3.5pc average rate in the 2000s. The Bank foresees a “prolonged period of weakness” for the global economy following further investment and productivity decline.

The IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook warned of historically low growth, increased financial risks, and a “rocky recovery” ahead. The current wave of monetary tightening has slowed inflation and popped several asset bubbles, triggering an interest-rate risk shock that wounded borrowers and fragile financial institutions. In one extreme (but plausible) scenario examined by the authors, higher interest rates and credit-supply shocks will pull down global growth to one percent this year.

The OECD`s predictions are slightly more pessimistic than the IMF’s, projecting that the world economy will grow by 2.6pc this year and 2.9pc in 2024, largely thanks to post-pandemic recoveries in China and India offsetting slower growth in the United States, Europe, and Japan. Given the escalating Sino-American rivalry, former US Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers puts the chances of a recession in the US at 70pc.

When the US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank began hiking interest rates last year, developing economies worried about the adverse effects of monetary tightening and a strengthening Dollar on the global economy. The current economic slowdown and the looming bifurcation of global supply chains have compounded those concerns.

In March, however, following months of quantitative tightening (QT), the Fed injected 300 billion dollars in liquidity into cash-strapped banks to shore up confidence in the financial system following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. The move led capital markets to speculate that the Fed may soon revert to quantitative easing (QE) and loosen monetary policy to maintain domestic financial stability.

But QE is a double-edged sword.

Since the 2008 global financial crisis, the G7 countries’ loose monetary and fiscal policies have led to more than a decade of relative stability for the world’s advanced economies. But they have also led to near-negative nominal interest rates and higher debt levels, fueled speculative asset bubbles, and encouraged investors to forsake long-term investments to chase short-term yields.

In addition to these trends, the massive monetary expansion that followed the 2008 crisis led to structural changes in the global financial system. It changed the composition of assets and liabilities on central banks’ balance sheets, commercial banks, and non-bank financial intermediaries (NBFIs) such as pension funds. According to the Financial Stability Board, the G7 countries’ share of global financial assets fell from 75pc in 2008 to 62pc in 2020, reflecting the rapid growth of the G-20’s other members (the G-13).

The QE decade dramatically expanded central banks` balance sheets. G7 central banks’ assets more than tripled, rising from 5.7 trillion dollars in 2008 to 23.5 trillion dollars in 2020. By contrast, G13 central banks, which could not launch their own versions of QE because their currencies do not have global-reserve status, expanded their balance sheets from 6.7 trillion dollars to 16.2 trillion dollars over the same period, mostly due to their growing foreign-exchange reserves.

The post-2008 financial reforms encouraged banks to engage in regulatory arbitrage. As a result, the share of total G-20 financial assets held by lightly-regulated NBFIs increased from 42pc in 2008 to 47pc in 2020.

America’s net international investment position (NIIP) – the difference between foreign assets owned by US residents and US assets owned by non-residents and foreign entities – deteriorated. By 2020, Americans owed 14.7 trillion dollars more to the rest of the world than the world owed the US, up from four trillion dollars in 2008. Meanwhile, rich countries increasingly borrowed from non-G7 countries. Consequently, the G7’s NIIP deficit widened sharply, from 1.7 trillion dollars to nine trillion dollars.

The result is an unbalanced financial system in which the G7 still manages global monetary policy despite being deeply indebted to the rest of the world and controlling a declining share of international finance. The economic sanctions imposed on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine have effectively weaponized the reserve currencies of G7 countries, spurring other countries to seek ways to boost their resilience through de-dollarization and alternative trading and payment regimes.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have further exacerbated the fragmentation of the global financial system. Similarly, governments’ efforts to achieve economic security through self-sufficiency have accelerated deglobalization in energy, food, and technology markets, with the unintended effect of hampering international efforts to fight climate change.

The difference between today’s financial contagion and that of 2008 is that back then, the G-20 stepped up to lift the world out of the crisis. China, for example, launched a 586.7 billion dollars stimulus package – then the world’s largest – amounting to 12.5pc of its GDP. But the Chinese government is not expected to repeat that this time, given that the 2008 program led to a debt binge, with local governments borrowing as much as 14 trillion yuan by 2010 and creating huge imbalances that took nearly a decade to unwind.

Any G-20 agreement to revive the global economy would be conditional on finding a satisfactory resolution to the US-China conflict.

Without multilateral cooperation and global coordination on fiscal and monetary policies, the world economy could sleepwalk into a recession that would likely trigger more debt and financial crises, as well as proxy wars. The current situation is reminiscent of the run-up to the global recession of the 1930s, which also led to increased military expenditures and set the stage for World War II. With so much at stake, the world’s largest economies have only one good option.

A Beacon of Hope in the Battle against Malaria’s Deadly Grip

Posted on by Tizita S.

Over the past three years, the COVID-19 pandemic has dominated headlines and spurred scientific research, with experts around the world focusing resources and any potentially useful technology on the problem.

While the spotlight on COVID-19 has dimmed slightly, it remains a high global priority, sometimes to the detriment of infectious diseases linked to poverty and primarily affecting the Global South. For example, Malaria killed an estimated 619,000 people – most children in Sub-Saharan Africa – in 2021, when there were 247 million cases worldwide.

Malaria is an entirely preventable and treatable disease, and researchers have made great strides on both fronts. In March, for example, the World Health Organization (WTO) recommended two new dual-ingredient insecticide-treated bed nets to protect against malaria-transmitting Anopheles mosquitoes, one with a more lethal cocktail of insecticides and the other able to disrupt mosquito growth and reproduction.

Cost-effective antimalarial medicines are another important tool. In 2021, seasonal malaria chemoprevention was administered to around 45 million children aged three months to five years, who received monthly doses of therapeutic drugs at less than four dollars per person. The recent news of a groundbreaking vaccine, GSK’s Mosquirix (also known as RTSS), offers some hope, although the cost is still relatively high, at around 40 dollars a child for the first year.

Despite these efforts, malaria continues to pose a threat to public health.

Even after an investment of 26 billion dollars to tackle the disease in Sub-Saharan Africa, the number of cases increased slightly between 2000 and 2019 (although the number of deaths decreased). New prevention measures – tailored to children, in particular – are needed. Further innovation should take a page from the pandemic playbook: one benefit of the flood of COVID-19 research is that it demonstrated the enormous potential of monoclonal antibodies.

These drugs are laboratory-made copies of the proteins that a person’s immune system produces to attack specific foreign invaders. Historically, monoclonal antibodies have been a powerful weapon against cancer and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. While not often used as a prophylactic, the deployment of monoclonal antibodies to prevent COVID-19 and the respiratory syncytial virus has shown great promise.

Moreover, their exquisite selectivity enables them to discern between closely related molecular targets, resulting in fewer off-target effects. This makes it a medication with an appropriate safety profile for children (as well as other at-risk populations).

A research group at the United States National Institutes of Health, led by Robert Seder, has identified two antibodies against CSP-1, the malaria parasite’s protein, to invade liver cells where it first establishes infection. Blocking CSP-1 should thus prevent infection. The more advanced of the two antibodies, L9LS, is currently being tested for its safety and efficacy in children in Mali and Kenya.

The Mali study assesses its success in a setting of seasonal malaria, whereas the Kenya study focuses on an area where year-round infection is possible.

Monoclonal antibodies could be a game-changer for preventing malaria and advancing the long-sought goal of eradication.

The current generation of antimalarial antibodies has been modified so that a single dose can protect a child for at least three months – possibly longer. The clinical trials will determine the extent and exact duration of protection, and provide useful guidance on how much improvement is needed to achieve a dosage that can be injected once per year.

Although antibodies have a reputation for being expensive, with those used to treat cancer priced at over 20,000 dollars a month in Europe and the US, increasing the potency of this cutting-edge treatment could significantly decrease costs. Some believe an injection as small as one millilitre of the antibody drug being trialled in Mali and Kenya could protect children at the cost of only five to 10 dollars per person.

Demand for monoclonal antibodies primarily comes from high-income countries; Africa accounts for only one percent of global sales. This disparity highlights the need to work with national regulatory agencies to ensure that submitted product data adequately address public health concerns and, in the longer term, involve affected countries in producing these biologics.

Although manufacturing antibodies is a complex and highly regulated process, investing in the technology now would be a boon for developing economies burdened by endemic malaria.

Monoclonal antibodies may be the new frontier in the fight against malaria, but getting the word out won’t be easy: stakeholders from government, academia, and industry must come together to coordinate advocacy efforts and raise awareness. (The same groups should encourage the development of these biologics for all infectious diseases.)

We are embarking on a long road: the first generation of antimalarial antibodies will not be deployed until 2027. They offer tremendous promise as one of many weapons to fight this child killer, alongside bed nets, medicines, and emerging vaccines.

The clinical trials will tell us whether this potential can be realized, but we would be wise to begin preparing for success now.

Overlooked Hygiene Crisis Seizes Public Hospitals

Posted on by Tizita S.

Medical practitioners at Zewditu Memorial Hospital are struggling with a scarce water supply. The unhygienic restrooms remain locked most times. They usually leave the hospital compound in search of toilets and water to wash in cafés, restaurants or mosques.

The burden is significant on women. They are compelled to retain sanitary pads for long hours risking infections especially when on duty for 24 hours. Pregnant women suffer as they need to use the bathroom frequently.

This is all happening in the centre of the capital city.

A person who has set foot in public hospitals is familiar with the unhygienic restrooms. The foul odour due to lack of water makes it uncomfortable for patients and attendants to stay around. However, it is overwhelming that the toilets come in short supply even for medical practitioners who are forced to use one unsanitary restroom per ward that may remain locked. The wards with barely functioning washrooms deny their colleagues from other wards access.

The scene of the restrooms is sickening to describe let alone use it. Medical professionals are forced to share the equally dirty lavatories of admitted patients or avoid eating and drinking so that they are not pressed to use one.

I believe that public hospitals in Ethiopia are far from being a place patients go to get free of infections rather increase the possibility of getting one. The sight of uncleaned bloody floors amidst the chaos in the emergency ward is not rare. Mice and bed bugs are inhabitants in the wards to the point of forcing patients to install mice catchers and bed bug repellants.

World Health Organization (WHO) puts hand hygiene as the most important measure to prevent healthcare-associated infections. Something public hospital care providers fall short of, exacerbating the avoidable infection.

The scarce water supply leaves medical practitioners to wash with alcohol after using toilets or eating. The risk of cross-contamination is real. Practitioners say lack of hygiene is a drawback on patients’ recovery that worsens underlying conditions and reduces the quality of life after being discharged from hospitals.

One does not need to be a medical practitioner to imagine the magnitude of the problem. A visit to public hospitals proves how much the institutions are neglected. The biggest hospital in the country Black Lion Hospital is not immune to these nuances where the lack of functioning toilets turned the corners of the large compound into one. Being at the compound is almost as disturbing as one can experience inside the hospital due to the foul smell.

The bedrooms both genders of medical doctors share during their 24-hour duty hours are tainted. It is unimaginable how medical doctors who are aware of the health hazards sleep on them. Their justification is marred by a lack of better choices following a 20-hour shift.

These problems are not new to medical practitioners. They have grieved the administration for decades and are still revving decades later. Unless infection control is dropped off the Ministry of Health agenda they should not be complacent and ignore the critical problem that can affect the health of medical professionals, patients and attendants.

Those in the medical sector emphasise the importance of infection prevention and control as one of the critical priorities for medical institutions. When ignored these health hazards lurk in hospitals and increase the risk of infections, complications and death.

In Africa, the chance of being harmed in a hospital setting is much higher and the risk of acquiring a healthcare-associated infection is as much as 20 times higher. A high proportion of patients are infected with harmful germs, bacteria and viruses, which continually jeopardise their health. There is a one in 300 chance of healthcare-induced injury that equates to thousands of premature deaths daily, according to WHO. The organization says the developed nations are not immune to harm although putting the number at a much smaller scale to one in 10 patients.

The government has ambitions to make Ethiopia a medical tourism destination. However, its own citizens are losing faith, travelling to other countries even for simple checkups. Addressing these catastrophic problems should come first. The alarm has been ringing for a long time seeking the attention of authorities and ignoring it further only aggravates the damage.

Dearth of Honor in Market Places

Posted on by Tizita S.

I recently witnessed a fight in a grocery store where a customer and one of the staff were trying to jump at each other’s throats. People stood there watching as some tried to avert the brawl. I wanted to mediate but their rage had me wanting nothing but to disappear from the scene.

The customer was loudly complaining that he refuses to be treated in a particular way when he paid to get service. I presumed the fight was about mistreatment.

While one of the employees at the store was trying to calm the situation, another salesperson came from behind, escalating the situation to the point of attempting to throw things at each other. I left the supermarket at that moment, returning a few minutes later to buy an item that was only available there. Everyone was still in shock.

I had first-hand experience with a  salesperson in the same store who was too conceited to handle customers courteously. He is nice only to someone buying more than five kilos of fruits and vegetables on the shelf.

One time he tried to replace my order since the bananas I chose were in a larger bunch and he wanted to save it for someone who would purchase the whole. I understand that sometimes bananas are too flimsy and taking a few from the cluster might break the other ones. I usually cooperate when the employees air out their concerns about the outcomes of my choice so long as they present it in a nice manner. But when it is substituted with a service refusal, I am inclined to opt out of making the purchase and find an alternative.

The customer is not king in some places. Some treat service providers like they do not matter but other times integrity while doing business is off sight.

I despise that salespeople withheld information about their product to get it off their shelves. If the product is high copy then I would want to know. I appreciate it when I am presented with the truth and know what my options are.

The other day I went to a nearby store to buy a mini stove as the old one failed to heat up quickly because of power fluctuations. I wanted something relatively affordable and got the small ones made of bricks. The salesperson gave me options for the price I was willing to pay with the assurance that it was a legit item.

I knew the stove was not going to last considering the price but I hoped to use it for a few months. I even offered to get another one that seemed better by adding a few extra Birr but the man convincingly insisted that my first choice was good enough.

It gave out in less than an hour. As it turned out the wires used were thin and the plugs cheap. The handyman I was acquainted with changed it to thick ones which were not that expensive. The manufacturer used the least-lasting materials to cut production costs. Salespeople pretend like it is a work of art to convince customers to buy phoney products, considering it a win-win but not to customers. Consumers spend double the price on maintenance alone if they make a decision to buy it in the first place.

Some sellers forget the long-term effect their untruths have on their businesses. A disappointed customer sees it as an ultimate act of betrayal and deceit and never set foot in their shop.

Being honest about the condition of the items builds trust with the customers. People appreciate it when they know exactly what they are getting out of a purchase.

Salespeople must know about the items they offer the market. Selling products for an appropriate price is the best way of convincing customers to buy. The next time customers want to make a purchase they are most likely to go to that salesperson that saved them from buying substandard products.

SHUNNED FIELD

Posted on by Tizita S.

A remote view of the Addis Abeba Stadium which is currently undergoing a lengthy renovation process. Another stadium being built by China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) has also been under construction for close to a decade without seeing the light of day. Inflation in construction inputs like cement which has tripled in the last few years has seen the 20,000 nationally registered contractors struggle to deliver projects on time. The Ministry of Urban & Infrastructure has been working on a project to create up to 40,000 new contractors and increase the number of locals that can compete on international bids.

 

BOUNTIFUL PROSPECTS

Posted on by Tizita S.

A building around the Qera area gleams with freshly painted murals by Birhane Ethiopia giving the area a cultural glint. The painting depicts a renaissance of the country symbolized by stretched-out arms warmly embracing a new horizon. The European Renaissance which means rebirth had Davinci, Copernicus and Montaigne gifting the continent coming out of the dark ages a cultural resuscitation. The Ethiopian Renaissance, a term popularised as aspirations to build an eponymous dam on the Nile River gained traction twelve years back. The 50 million people in Ethiopia without access to electricity look on in hope as the dam nears completion.

DOUR DEALINGS

Posted on by Tizita S.

Remote control vendors around the ‘Gojam Berenda’ area lay back on a slow day waiting for customers. The vendors check the utility of the remote by checking if it flashes on a camera phone. Television was introduced to Ethiopia in 1962 while regular transmissions only came about 15 years later. Electricity access in Ethiopia reaches about half of the population according to data from the international energy agency (IEA), rendering television programs a rarity in most areas of the city. Several development partners like the UNDP have indicated the setting up of Public Private Partnerships (PPP ) to finance the country’s energy demands.

Logistics Enterprise Battles Unsettled Payments

Posted on by Tizita S.

Several government institutions hold over 7.5 billion Br unpaid bills on Ethiopian Shipping & Logistics Services Enterprise. Ethio-Engineering Group, formerly known as Metals & Engineering Corporation (METEC), takes the 1.5 billion Br share.

The Enterprise is currently in a lawsuit with three banks which delayed payments for its services. This was revealed as the newly appointed CEO of the Enterprise, Berisso Amalo (PhD), presented his first report on Friday at the company’s headquarters on Gambia Street (La Gare).

The state-owned Enterprise has earned 32 billion Br in revenue while incurring costs of 26 billion Br in the nine months of the fiscal year. It had also purchased 185 new freight trucks raising its fleet to 609 along with ownership of 15 buildings and 465hct plots.

Mihertab Teklu, who manages ports and terminals for the company, quelled rumours of the suspension of Kombolcha port construction by revealing that the half a billion Birr in compensation required for relocated households in the site was stalling the construction. Executives indicated that foreign currency shortages arising from half of the payment in dollars for their services to importers being withheld by the central bank had been a setback.

Association Puts Notice on Unhealthy Lifestyle

Posted on by Tizita S.

Over 31.4 billion Br loss is recorded from direct and indirect costs of non-communicable diseases annually, according to a study presented by Health Development and Anti-malaria Association.

Panellists in the medical field presented their papers on the growing threat and how to address the problem at a workshop organized by the Association at the Inter Luxury Hotel on Guinea Conakry Street last week.

Mussie GebreMichael (MD), a participant from the Ministry of Health, said the health burden of non-communicable diseases is growing at a breakneck pace accounting for 34.2pc of the total number of deaths recorded in 2019. According to Mussie, heart and artillery diseases take the lead at 14pc while chronic respiratory disease follows at 2.5pc and sugar and kidney failure account for four percent of the death toll.

He stressed that diseases related to high concentrations of sugar, salt and saturated fat should not be overlooked as unhealthy foods are the factors accounting for 18.3pc of premature deaths.

 

Editors’ Note: This article is updated from its original version on August 30, 2023.