Health Foundation Assists Youth Causes with $18m

Oct 31 , 2022

A Nairobi-based foundation funnelled over 18 million dollars to support education and empowerment for Ethiopia's young people. The African Medical Research Foundation (AMREF) has been in service for 65 years, channelling funds mobilised from international donors such as USAID and aid agencies like UKAID. Last week, the Foundation marked its two-decade presence in the Ethiopian health sector in the company of Lia Tadesse (MD), minister for Health, at the Hilton Hotel. Representatives from the Embassy of the Netherlands, which has funded the WASH project that has provided education and sanitary services for three years, were in attendance. One of the initiatives the Foundation supports in Ethiopia is the KEFETA project, funded by USAID. It has allocated over 10 million dollars through the youth empowerment fund targeting youth groups, higher education institutions, and community challenges. It also disburses low-interest loans for the youth engaging in startup businesses through saving and credit cooperatives. Entering Ethiopia in response to the AIDS epidemic in 2002, the Foundation has expanded its reach by addressing health insecurities and human capital development. It helped establish youth federations in the capital and the regional states.