Tech Tools Offer Digital Lifeline to Refugees

May 4 , 2024


[ssba-buttons]

  A digital platform that aims to connect skilled refugees and potential employers within the host communities was launched in a partnership between the UNHCR and Gebeya Inc. The project has onboarded 300 refugees into the system since its inception five months ago and hopes to reach 2,000 individuals across Gebeya's system soon. Ethiopia is currently the third largest refugee and asylum seeker hosting country in Africa, with close to one million individuals. The country also has an additional mass of nearly four million internally displaced individuals. The surge of conflict in neighbouring Sudan over the past year, along with the lingering impacts of the two-year conflict in the North, have tested the limits of Ethiopia's economic limits. Margaret Atieno, deputy representative of UNHCR, said matching skilled refugees with dignified work increases their role in the country's economy.


Radar

Ethiopia Unveils Consortium to Insure Millions of Farmers

Ethiopia has launched its Agricultural Insurance Consortium (AICE), pledging to protect three million farmers by 2026. Announced on July 3, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency, the initiative is backed by Pula Advisors and five major Ethiopian insurers. AICE plans to promote climate resilience through insurance bundled with the government's input voucher system. Leveraging AI platforms like Mavuno and PIE, it plans to standardise products, lower costs, and expand coverage to over 200 woredas. With agricu...


Radar

New Coopbank Partnership Targets Youth Economic Empowerment

The Cooperative Bank of Oromia (Coopbank) has signed a strategic agreement with Melka Ethiopia to provide loan services to over 120,000 young men and women nationwide. The partnership plans to promote youth economic empowerment by expanding access to finance and creating jobs, with a strong focus on rural and underserved areas. Both institutions held joint discussions to explore ways to improve youth livelihoods and financial inclusion. By closing access gaps, the partnership is expected to help...


Radar

Ethiopian Netpreneur Program Training Kicks Off

The Ethiopian Netpreneur 2025 Training Program has officially launched its first cohort in Addis Abeba with 64 entrepreneurs beginning their first round of training. Organised by the Global Digital Talent Academy, the initiative plans to empower local business owners, startup founders, and digital sector players with global-level e-commerce skills. At the launch event, Innovation and Technology Minister Belete Mola (PhD) urged participants to leverage the opportunity to build networks and shape...