Ethiopia

AGRICULTURE

• The Lorna Young Foundation: African Peer Partnering – Developing effective business and marketing learning for cooperative smallholders.
  This project has developed as a result of the LYF’s work with cooperatives in Nyeri, Kenya which discovered that; a) coffee cooperatives in Nyeri lack sufficient business, marketing, governance and organizational skills in order to be able to engage effectively within the ‘second window’ (liberalization) of the Kenyan coffee industry b) that women and young people are not effectively represented at secondary cooperative level and c) LYF's belief that a greater focus needs to be placed on South-South mentoring. This project will create 'Partner Peers' between Ambo University College (AUC), Ethiopia and the Nyeri Technical Training Institute (NTTI) Kenya, who are both willing to work together to develop new training courses tailored to the business/ marketing needs of the Nyeri regions coffee growing cooperatives. Following a training needs assessment, the AUC and NTTI will develop course materials that will also take into account the specific needs of youth and women.
  

MICRO FINANCE

• Addis Ababa Savings and Credit Cooperative Union – Strengthening member SACCOs’ capacity, performance and efficiency -(pdf file 2.25MB) .
  

  Addis Saving and Credit Cooperative Union (AASCCU) are the first Savings and Credit Cooperative Union (SACCU) in the country. It represents 160 primary Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCO) with an estimated 90,000 members. The main objective of the union is to provide financial and non-financial services to members. 
  
  The aim of this project is to conduct research studies on the problems faced by members of the union, train board members of 50 SACCOs on recommended solutions and products, increase women membership, ensure better SACCO governance and sustainable audit services and provide better awareness on the cause and the prevention methods of HIV/AIDS.  The study should also identify the principal risks faced by members and bring the SACCOs to form their own micro insurance programs. Women will be encouraged to join SACCOs and participate in the administration and decision making to address their social and economic needs.

HEALTH

• Ambo University College: Feasibility and organization of Health Coops - (pdf file, 418kb).
  The project responds to the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and other health issues such as malaria, malnutrition, and child mortality in Ethiopia. The Ambo University College is working towards the introduction of health cooperatives in the country. It is expected that such an initiative would benefit the weaker sections of the community and the rural population by providing basic medical facilities and revisiting the importance of environment and sanitation. The project will involve a feasibility study, including a field trip to a functioning health cooperative in India, as well as the design and construction of the health cooperative’s infrastructure.
  

OTHER

• Joshua Multi-Purpose Coop Society with Ltd Liability: Genuine & Accessible Consumer Goods Service Project - (pdf file, 216kb).
  The project will support members through the provision of consumer goods at reasonable local prices. In order to implement their objectives, members have approached and discussed a possible business partnership with the Oromia Cooperative union. A sustainable network with local agricultural producers unions including the Oromia Agricultural producer’s Unions located in Lume, Ada, Becho Arsi and Welega has been put into place. The project will be trading with designated factories and Ethiopia Merchandise Wholesale and Imported Trade Enterprise.
  
• Tigray Disabled Veterans Associations (TDVA) – Cooperatives development among destitute persons with disabilities in rural and semi-urban areas of Tigray region .
  Tigray Disabled Veterans Association (TDVA) is a local development organization promoting self-help income generating and employment creating schemes by forming different cooperative groups for people with disabilities (PWDs). Some of the services provided include the establishment of cooperatives, technical assistance, improved access to microfinance institutions (MFI) and training/capacity building. TDVA is a society where PWDs get the opportunity to develop their capabilities, and become active participants in all aspects of life, working towards equality with dignity. The aim of this project is to initiate seven new cooperatives in the Tigray region (three service cooperatives, (construction-materials-distribution), two vegetable producer and two dairy cooperatives) with the full commitment of their members, where each cooperative will have at least 10 PWDs in their membership.