Slippery Locks


Slippery Locks

Rows of slippers are hung in the locker rooms of employees at a horticulture farm in Koka, Oromia Regional State. Ethiopia has experienced significant success in flower exports, doubling in eight years to around half a billion dollars last year. Concerns over employee safety and wages have coincided with the industry's growth. Recent regulatory changes have entailed codes for sustainable flower farming that include the safe use of pesticides, water management, and social justice. This stems from the global notoriety of the industry for poor working conditions, health risks and low wages. The government has also introduced a series of incentives to increase floriculture investments, like easy access to land at nominal lease rates and half a decade-long income tax exemptions.

[ssba-buttons]

In-Picture

NEIGHBORHOOD DAMS

Often overlooked in urban homes, jerrycans become priceless where water is a luxury. On the streets of Mekelle, they are hauled on wheelbarrows through neighborhoods that rely on pipes for long-awaited water, without the constant fear of running dry. Ethiopia's water supply struggles touch roughly 60 million people, about 43pc of the population, with rural communities bearing the heaviest burden. Even fast-growing urban centers, including Addis Abeba, face shortages, while several regions are cl...


In-Picture

PEACE TALK

Dawit Merhatsidk, CST Ethiopia Humanitarian Programme Advisor, and Abera Teferi of Adigrat University attend the National Peacebuilding Learning Symposium at the Intercontinental Hotel on October 14, 2025. CST Ethiopia, with support from the European Union, opened the symposium to media coverage, highlighting collaborative approaches to peacebuilding, recovery, and resilience in conflict-affected communities. Delegates from government, civil society, academia, and regional partners convene...


In-Picture

SWEET BASKETS

At Lafto Vegetable Market, young vendors sit among baskets brimming with ripe papayas and avocados, swapping stories as they display their vibrant produce. With the average Ethiopian consuming roughly 550 grams of food daily, mostly staple grains, the bursts of fresh fruit serve as a small, bittersweet reminder of life's flavor in a market navigating rising costs and sweeping reforms. Each basket tells a story, not just of fruit, but of dreams, hustle, and hope ripening under the sun...