International Charity Pledges $1m for Education in Tigray

Apr 24 , 2021


A global fund dedicated to education in emergencies has donated one million dollars to benefit out-of-school children in Tigray Regional State, where an estimated 1.4 million students have been without access to education for around a year now. Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the fund providing the financing, targets to reach 2,000 pre-primary, 12,000 primary, and 6,000 secondary school learners, as well as 250 teaching personnel in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Save the Children and the Ethiopian government. Schools in the country were closed in April last year due to the state of emergency declared following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing an estimated 26 million students to stay at home. However, although schools were reopened across the country in the final months of 2020, education in Tigray has not been resumed because of ongoing military conflict in the region. Approximately 2,500 schools remain closed in the regional state, where many educational institutions are currently being used as shelters for internally displaced persons (IDPs). ECW is looking to improve equitable access to learning opportunities. Enhancing school and community engagement, training teachers to address the unique psychosocial needs of girls and boys displaced by violence, and strengthening education services and coordination taking place in the region are the fund's main objectives.


Radar

Sovereign Fund Reviews Mid-Year Performance of Line Companies, Calls for Strategic Improvements

Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH) launched its mid-year performance review for its portfolio companies, displaying mixed results for the first half of the fiscal year. Ethiopian Sugar Industry Group (ESIG) reached 95.3pc of its sales goal, selling 64,190tn of sugar for 6.1 billion Br—a 132pc year-on-year growth—despite capacity and supply issues. The Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise (EPSE) met 92pc and 97pc of its purchase and sales targets, respectively, stating it has benefitt...


Radar

Digital Pay Uptake Booms Among SMEs, Visa Study Finds

Over 80pc of surveyed small- and medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) have started accepting digital payments in the last two years, according to a new Visa report titled, ‘Value of Acceptance: Understanding the Digital Payment Landscape in Ethiopia'. Citing increased convenience, the report indicates reduced fraud risk and improved efficiency as factors in the uptake. A substantial 66pc of these SMEs believe that investing in digital payment technologies will support future business growth. The...


Radar

ILO Tackles Agricultural Wage Gap

The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the Setting Adequate Wages in Agriculture (SAW-A) Project last week, with support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation & Development (BMZ), seeking to promote fair wage policies, enhance collective bargaining, and support the establishment of minimum wage mechanisms to improve the livelihoods of agricultural workers. The sector employs over 80pc of Ethiopia's workforce, making it the country's largest employment sec...