CHRISTMAS-What Not to Eat

People living in the northern hemisphere have celebrated Christmas, braving both the harsh cold weather and the financial crisis that has swept over the whole of Europe. Family reunions and enjoying Christmas pudding, turkey and ham are significant features of the festive celebrations.

Every time the Christmas tradition of gathering friends and family together draws near, many parents make long-distance calls and send text messages to their children, or other kin, living in the Diaspora. Foreigners, who might happen to be here in Ethiopia, try to celebrate Christmas together, in hotels and resorts.

I will never forget an incident, whenever this holiday arrives, that took place in Gambella, exactly 45 years ago. Among the Peace Corps volunteers, serving as school teachers, in Ethiopia, there were two friends, one of whom was assigned in Asmara, with the other in Gambella. The one, who was assigned in Asmara, flew all the way to celebrate the Christmas holiday with his friend, in Gambella.

Ethiopian Commodity Exchange Seat Sells for 1.3 Million Br

Seller Cites Large Volume of Oversights by the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange Authority

The auction of a full membership seat at the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) attracted a 1.3 million Br offer from a single bidder last week.

The seat, which belongs to Oral Agro Industries, was put up for auction on December 7. This was after Oral expressed interest in selling the seat, which it acquired for 50,000 Br, in 2008, when the ECX was first founded.

Oral, run by owner and manager Fasil Tsegaye and his wife, is an agricultural company that has farms in the Southern Regional State, where it grows sesame, rice and maize. Fasil says he is selling the seat because there were too many oversights from the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange Authority (ECEA).

A punishment of 8,000 Br, by the ECEA, for failing to report on a monthly basis was the final straw, which led him to decide to leave the ECX, according to Fasil.

Ethiopia Gearing up for Africa Cup 2013

Ethiopia is returning to the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in thirty years. (Getty Images)

Johannesburg (TADIAS) – Preparations are underway for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, and Ethiopia’s national team (The Black Lions), that qualified for the tournament for the first time since 1982, is also gearing up for the continent’s most prestigious soccer competition, which kicks off on January 19th in Johannesburg.

By all accounts the past year has been very productive for Ethiopia. The website SouthAfrica.info noted, their games included a 1-1 draw against the host South Africa, which led to the dismissal of the country’s coach Pitso Mosimane after a string of unconvincing results.

The Black Lions also advanced past Benin and Sudan on “the away goals rule” after a draw with Benin followed by victory over Sudan, against whom they lost 5-3 in Khartoum and then beat 2-0 in Addis.

Chief Ombudsman Calls for Improved Good Governance At Regional Level

The Chief Ombudsman, Fozia Amin, speaking at the good governance mobilization forum held in Jijjiga at the weekend, urged regional state administrators to address problems of good governance in order to ensure continued economic growth.

Ombudsman Amin emphasized a lot needed to be done to identify administrative gaps and foster improved good governance in states that needed special support despite encouraging economic growth.

The Deputy Chief Administrator of the Somali Regional State, Abdihakim lge, echoed these sentiments. He said in spite of encouraging results in areas of development, good governance, and democratization in past years, many regional states were far from ensuring good governance in all areas.

He praised the good governance mobilization forum for providing a platform where states could learn lessons and share experiences to contribute to an improved practice of good governance.

allafrica.com

Ethiopia Acquiring Nine New Ships This Financial Year

Ahmed Tusa, General Director of the Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics Enterprise (ELSE) has announced that Ethiopia will acquire nine new ships within the current Ethiopian fiscal year.

The vessels which are now under construction in China at a cost of 4 billion birr are expected to be handed over in June. Ato Ahmed said the new vessels will make a significant contribution to strengthening the nation's maritime transport capacity and will help increase the amount of cargo carried by Ethiopian vessel from 20% to 50%. ESLE received also two vessels last December from China.

In related news, Director Ahmed Tusa outlined the ELSE's efforts to resolve the problems associated with the newly introduced multi-modal transport system. He said that the recruitment of a foreign consulting company "which will have the task of charting procedures that [will] enable the Enterprise to offer efficient and effective service is now competed ".

Apart from the Mojo Dry Port and Comet Transport facilities which have the capacity of holding 9,300 containers, a new terminal at the Adama Bekelcha Transport premises is underway. At completion, the terminal will be able to handle another 2,500 containers. The ELSE has been able to lower the number of containers stacked up in Djibouti Port which at one point reached over 25,000, to just over a thousand through the implementation of new procedures and coordinated efforts with other relevant government departments. It is now working on reducing the numbers of containers at the Dry Ports.

allafrica.com

Ethiopia and Sudan negotiating for energy trade balance

December 31, 2012 (ADDIS ABABA) – Ethiopia and Sudan are in negotiations to balance the revenues earned from Ethiopia’s sale of electric power to Sudan with the equivalent expenditure of oil imported from Sudan to Ethiopia, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Addis Ababa.

After the completion of the Ethiopia-Sudan transmission line Ethiopia has, in a test run, started exporting 100 MW of hydro-power generated electricity to Sudan. Ethiopia imports most of its fuel from Sudan, spending over 50 percent of its total export earnings to meet nation’s fuel demand.

Sudan was already a large importer of Ethiopian agricultural products before the electricity deal. Ethiopia also supplies 80 percent of Djibouti’s electric power.

Ambassador Dina Mufti, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the power deals Ethiopia is making with neighbouring countries “will also have an important role in supporting the African Union’s efforts towards continental integration”.

The Horn of Africa nation is spending billions of US dollars constructing power plants including the dams on the Blue Nile, which have proved controversial with Egypt and to a lesser extent Sudan.

As part of the country’s five year Growth and Transformation Plan, Addis Ababa is aiming to boost its power production capacity from 3,000 MW - its current level - to 10,000 MW by 2015.

www.sudantribune.com

2 nabbed in Fujairah for allegedly raping Ethiopian maid

FUJAIRAH: Two young suspects were arrested for raping an Ethiopian maid in Fujairah during the past week.

The arrested duo had recently been released after serving a jail term for stealing contents of 30 cars in Fujairah.

The details in the alleged rape date back to the past week when security bodies in Fujairah received a tipoff from an Ethiopian maid reporting that she had been raped by two young men.

Based on the descriptions provided by the victim, the police began looking for the suspects. Suspecting two youth, HA and AG, who had been recently released and who matched the descriptions, the police arrested them. The duo is being interrogated in preparation for referring the case to court.

gulftoday.ae

Comparing HIV prevalence estimates from prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission programme and the antenatal HIV surveillance in Addis Ababa

In the absence of reliable data, antenatal HIV surveillance has been used to monitor the HIV epidemic since the late 1980s. Currently, routine data from Prevention of Mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) programmes are increasingly available.

Evaluating whether the PMTCT programme reports provide comparable HIV prevalence estimates with the antenatal surveillance reports is important. In this study, we compared HIV prevalence estimates from routine PMTCT programme and antenatal surveillance in Addis Ababa with the aim to come up with evidence based recommendation.

Methods: Summary data were collected from PMTCT programmes and antenatal surveillance reports within the catchment of Addis Ababa.

The PMTCT programme data were obtained from routine monthly reports from 2004 to 2009 and from published antenatal HIV surveillance reports from 2003 to 2009. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics.

An Ethiopian hero of the Korean War

By Alex Last
BBC World Service

Mamo Habtewold: Outnumbered 20 to one

Sixty years ago, Ethiopia was at war. Not in Africa, but thousands of miles away in Korea. This is the story of one Ethiopian officer who won a US gallantry award.

In 1951, the Ethiopian Emperor, Haile Selassie, decided to send thousands of troops to fight as part of the American-led UN force supporting South Korea against the communist North and its ally, China.

They were called the Kagnew battalions and were drawn from Haile Selassie's Imperial Bodyguard - Ethiopia's elite troops.

Capt Mamo Habtewold, now 81 years old, was then a young lieutenant in the 3rd Kagnew Battalion. He clearly remembers a send-off from the Emperor himself, as he was about to leave for the other side of the world.

"Always when a battalion went to Korea, he came himself and made a speech and he gave each battalion a flag - and he ordered us to bring that flag back from Korea," Mamo recalls.

When Ethiopia had been invaded by Italy in 1935 Haile Selassie had condemned the League of Nations for its failure to act. Now, as a staunch ally of the US, he was eager to practise what he had preached.

Selling Organs of Ethiopian , Eritrean & Sudanese in Sinai

AFCON 2013: Five Players Dropped

Coach Sewnet Bishaw has dropped five players from the provisional team. 31 players had been included in the team and had been training together for the last two weeks. Four of the dropped players are home based while the fifth is a professional.
The dropped players are:
1. Fitsum G/mariam (St. George, Ethiopia)
2. Fitsum Teferi (Commercial Bank, Ethiopia)
3. Mulualem Mesfin (Arba Minch City, Ethiopia)
4. Medhane Tadesse (Defence Force, Ethiopia)
5. David Beshah (TSC Euskirchen, Germany)
The move means there are 26 players remaining in the preliminary squad. However, the number will increase to 27 when Egypt based striker Saladin Said joins the team. Coach Sewnet will still have to drop three more players to make the final 23-man squad. The final team will be known after the friendly matches against Niger, Togo, and Tunisia.

www.ethiopianationalteam.blogspot.com

Cardiovascular Diseases Becoming Major Health Threat in Ethiopia

By Seble Teweldebirhan

Addis Ababa, December 27, 2012 (Ezaga.com) - Cardiovascular diseases (a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels) were mainly considered the problem of the developed world just a few decades back. However, currently, reports suggest that it is becoming a primary health concern for middle and low income countries. The reports show that the proportion for the epidemic in developing countries already accounts for almost 10% of the cases and it is likely to become the developing world’s leading cause of death. According to World Health Organization (WHO), if the current trend continues, by 2015, 20 million people will die because of cardiovascular disease.

Unbalanced nutrition, reduced physical activities and tobacco and alcohol consumption are among the behaviors most commonly associated with the increased risk of cardiovascular disease. In Ethiopia health complications related to cardiovascular, especially for the urban communities, is becoming the major health threat. This threat is mostly manifested with obesity, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, heart diseases and diabetes.

Can Tsgabu Grmay win a first Tour de France for Africa?

By Ed Harry
BBC Sport in Burkina Faso

Tsgabu Grmay dreams of becoming the first African winner of the Tour de France and the 21-year-old Ethiopian's impressive showing at the African Cycling Championships suggests it is far from an impossible dream.

Grmay won gold in the under-23 individual time trial in Burkina Faso and also finished second overall in the senior standings.
And while he said his silver medal in the seniors came as a major shock, many of his coaches and team managers told me they were not surprised.
Grmay is a product of the World Cycling Centre, a body which receives the majority of its funding from the sport's world governing body, the UCI, and the Olympic movement.
Think of it as a training college for riders with the potential to step up to the professional ranks - they're invited from across the continent to the centre's African base in Potchefstroom, South Africa.
Jean-Pierre van Zyl, a former Olympian, is the centre's director. Part of what he does is to prepare young riders for life on the European circuit.

Sports pundits predict Ethiopia’s readiness to overturn the tables at CAN 2013

The pundits have noted that this is the first time that Ethiopia has qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations after 31 years, opening a new chapter in its football history.

Most recently, the under-rated national team proved that football is not played through careless talk and predictions, but rather by the mental state of players and their agility to express themselves on the pitch.

Already, the Ethiopians have advanced in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) group stage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in to be played in Brazil with a 5-0 aggregate victory over Somalia and as a result, they have joined South Africa, Botswana and Central African Republic (CAR) in Group A.

Ethiopia tied with South Africa away from home and beat CAR 2-0 at home to top the group after the first two games.

The Ethiopians are one of the three original teams (along with Egypt and Sudan) to participate in the inaugural Africa Cup of Nations in 1957 and they finished second.

Azerbaijani embassy to open in Ethiopia

A document on opening of Azerbaijani embassy in Ethiopia has been approved at the session of Milli Majlis.

The statement came from chairman of the Parliament's international and interparliamentary relations committee Samad Sayidov, informing the MPs about the draft law, Gun.Az reports.

According to the committee chairman, up to now, Azerbaijan has diplomatic missions in nearly 70 countries.

"Azerbaijan generally tries to expand diplomatic ties in all continents. This is very important for us. Therefore, opening an embassy in Ethiopia is commendable."

Addressing to speaker Ogtay Asadov, MP Fazil Mustafa noted that nearly 20 MPs want to initiate the establishment of the Northern Cyprus Parliamentary Working Group.

"In any case, we want to consult this issue. Anyway, we think it's important to form this working group."

After a short discussion, the MPs approved the document on opening of an embassy in Ethiopia.

www.news.az

Sneakers and Hope for a Single Mother

Faven Weinu, 31, with her daughter, Savanah, 7.
 Ms. Weinu has been receiving support
 from Brooklyn Community Services
 to buy clothing and to help her cope with
single motherhood.

The biggest clue might have been her right sneaker. The young mother had worn those Nikes every single day for six years, and now her big toe protruded through a hole in the front. As Faven Weinu walked through the rain or snow in Brooklyn, people would “freak out,” but she did not listen to them — she was, as she put it, “disconnected.”
Enlarge This Image

Over the past few years, she had gained more than 100 pounds and had stopped showering regularly; she had all but given up — on the outside world, on herself.

“It’s tough to talk about, even now,” Ms. Weinu, 31, said slowly about the crippling depression. Her current form of identification, a United States passport from 2002, reveals a slim and bright-eyed woman who was, she said, “active and outgoing” and who had, as an immigrant, shown a determined resourcefulness in adapting to her new country.

Though her parents had divorced when she was 2, she describes having a “beautiful childhood” in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. At 15, she flew solo to join her mother in New York. She was nervous on the long flight, and though she spoke only Amharic, she laughed throughout the movie being shown, despite not understanding a single word delivered by the actor, Jim Carrey.

Saladin Said to join Ethiopia on deadline day

Saladin Said

Ethiopia striker Saladin Said is set to join the team 10 days before the 2013 Africa Cup in South Africa.

The striker is presently on a pre-season tour in Belgium with his Egyptian side Waldi Gelda.

“He (Said) is currently on tour in Belgium with his club and will join the national team 10 days before the tournament per FIFA guidelines,” Ethiosports reported.

The striker would therefore miss Ethiopia’s first three friendlies.

Ethiopia hosts Nigeron December 30 before facing  Togo on d January 3  in Addis Ababa and will round up preparations against Tunisia on January 7 in Qatar.

Ethiopia are drawn in Group C with Nigeria, Burkina Faso and defending champions Zambia.

en.starafrica.com

CNN NAMES THE LATE ETHIOPIAN PRIME MINISTER, MELES ZENAWI, AMONGST “NOTABLE PEOPLE WE’VE LOST IN 2012″

CNN names former Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi amongst “notable people we’ve lost in 2012″.

According to CNN, PM Meles was a strongman in the troubled Horn of Africa. Meles Zenawi dedicated his life for the development of Ethiopia and firmly stood for African interests.

He was a man of the people who had always been at the forefront in the long and arduous journey to uproot the repressive regime and put in place a democratic order that guarantees equality and prosperity to the people of Ethiopia.

The Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP) was massive blue print produced under his leadership to ensure a faster economic growth that saw millions lifted out of poverty even at the time of economic meltdown elsewhere in the world.

news.yehabesha.com

Sleep quality and its psychological correlates among university students in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Sleep is an important physiological process for humans. University students in most resource limited countries often report poor sleep quality due to changing social opportunities and increasing academic demands.

However, sleep quality among university students has not been studied in Ethiopia. Thus, this study assessed sleep quality and its demographic and psychological correlates among university students.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in two universities in Ethiopia.

Multistage sampling procedures were used to enroll 2,817 students into the study. A self-administered structured questionnaire including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and selected modules of the World Health Organization STEPS instrument was used for the study.

This research included 2,551 students. Frequency, median, mean with standard deviation and 95% confidence interval were used to characterize sleep quality and other variables.

Ethiopia to host Niger in friendly

Ethiopia is set to host a friendly with Niger on Sunday and have also confirmed friendly with Togo and Tunisia in preparation for the 2013 African cup of nations.
According to Ethiopian media sources, Ethiopia will host fellow 2013 Africa Cup finalists Niger in Addis Ababa on Sunday. The Walia Antelopes will also host Togo at home on January 3, and four days later they will fly to Qatar to face Tunisia. They also have unconfirmed January dates away with Tanzania and Morocco.


The Walia Antelopes are drawn in Group C along with Zambia, Nigeria and Burkina Faso.
Ethiopia’s opening game is on January 21 against defending champions Zambia in Nelspruit.

www.ethioabay.com

Ethiopia will win Nations Cup, boasts coach

Ethiopia coach Sewnet Bishaw  has set a bold target to win next month’s Africa Cup of Nations, 51 years after their last triumph.
Sewnet told Aljazeera that Ethiopia’s s qualification to the Africa Cup after a 31-year absence was no fluke.
“We won’t go to South Africa to be defeated,” Sewnet boasted.
“Our aim has always been to bask in glory and we will go to the tourney to do nothing but win the title.
“We have given the youth a chance to prove themselves in this regional outing CECAFA and whoever impresses me in the process will make the team.”
The 1962 champions last Africa Cup appearance was at the 1982 finals held in Libya where they failed to advance from the group stage.
Ethiopia are in the group phase of the 2014 World Cup qualifying tournament along with South Africa, Botswana and Central Africa Republic.
They qualified for the 2013 Nations Cup after they eliminated Benin and Sudan.
They lost the first leg qualifier in Sudan 5-3, but won the reverse fixture 2-0 at home to go through to South Africa on the away goal rule.
Ethiopia are in Group C at next year’s tournament that contains Burkina Faso, Nigeria and defending champions Zambia.
The Walia Antelopes face Zambia in their opening game on January 21 at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.

www.codewit.com

Ethiopia to Standardize Checks

The National Bank of Ethiopia is preparing to introduce a standardized check system which will require banks across the countryto use the same type of checks with enhanced security features, starting from January 2013.

The new checks to be printed under the control of the NBE are expected to be coded so as to make them more difficult to forge according to a source. It is expected that banks will cover the cost of the new checks to be printed electronically and will be differentiated for the different banks by the bank logos that will be placed on them said the source.

The details of how the new checks will go into operation are yet to be divulged although the central bank is expected to offer trainings soon added the source.

Means of standardizing checks in Ethiopia have been under discussion for more than a year by members of the Ethiopian Bankers Association. The standardization of the checking system is expected to support a more reliable business transaction to take effect between banks and their customers.
It is to be remembered that the NBE introduced an interbank payment system, Swift Check Value Transfer, in 2011 to ensure prompt exchange and transfer of checks of more than 200 thousand birr.

Source: Capital

Ethiopia: Academic Sexuality

My memories of university life contain lots of adventures. They encompass both good and bad experiences. I would say, however, that it was the most apolitical phase of my life. I was somewhat dormant, in terms of analyzing economic, social and political issues.

There is one front, however, that I remember with an abundance of pain, and that is the topic of sexuality. There is a rampant culture in Ethiopian universities to consider sex as an instrument of both subjugation and liberation, and women are the main actors in both cases.

Ethiopian universities are barely mediocre, in terms of intellectually approaching sexuality, and thus fail in ridding it from daily activities. They fail to sexually neutralize themselves. Hence, the issue of sexuality is, by and large, a dominant issue in the over 31 campuses of the nation.

Two separate cases that I heard last week made me remember the rather popular experience swarming the institutions.

One involves an instructor friend of mine who teaches development in one of the regional universities. His was a case where lazy female students used their sexuality as a tool to pass exams. These students, according to his account, use every opportunity to flirt with their teachers and take advantage of the ensuing relationships. For they know that they will not manage to pass exams on their own, unless they use their sexuality as leverage to make it happen.

AFCON 2013: Ethiopia's Foreign Based Players

The Walya Antelopes will be celebrating a return to the biggest continental showpiece after a 31 year absence. Ethiopia, who last qualified for the Nations cup in 1982, has started preparation for the 2013 AFCON to be held from January 19 in South Africa. A total of 31 players are currently in camp at the Addis Intercontinental Hotel.

The football federation has been planning extensive activities to take advantage of the football awakening in the country that came as a baggage of the qualification. The federation has budgeted a whopping 80 million birr ($ 4.44 million) for the campaign. It has recently signed a two-year sponsorship agreement with Bedele Beer, which is one of the two breweries in Ethiopia that are run by Heineken. The deal will see the federation receiving a sum of 24 million birr through the course of the agreement.

The Walya Antelopes are out to improve their disappointing showing when they last took place at the tournament in 1982. At their last appearance in Libya, they finished last from their group with only one point. They lost 3-0. They were then beaten by Zambia 1-0, which was followed by a goalless draw with Algeria.

Designs for Five City Stadiums Complete

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Addis Ababa City Administration Sport Commission received final designs for the five zonal stadiums to be built by 2015.
Ultimate Plan Plc, which won the contract four months ago, has designed two 30,000-seat capacity and three 25,000-seat capacity stadiums, for a total fee of 1.8 million Br.
The Commission will pick contractors in a month’s time, according to Daniel Darge, Deputy Commissioner and head of sport promotion and development. The City Administration has released 100 million Br to cover the construction costs for the current fiscal year.

Ethiopia PM in Khartoum to push Sudan, S.Sudan peace

KHARTOUM: Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn arrived in Khartoum on Wednesday to bolster peace efforts between Sudan and South Sudan, official media said.

“The Ethiopian prime minister's visit comes in the context of the Ethiopian endeavours to push ahead the peace process between Sudan and South Sudan,” Khartoum's presidential press secretary Emad Sayed Ahmed told the Suna news agency.

Desalegn will travel to South Sudan on Thursday, Suna reported.

Khartoum and Juba have failed to implement crucial security and economic agreements they signed in September and hailed as ending conflict.

The deals, reached after African Union-led talks in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, called for a jointly-monitored demilitarised buffer zone and a resumption of South Sudanese oil exports through northern pipelines.

Ethiopian kills employer, seriously hurts son

An Ethiopian housemaid murdered her Saudi employer by stabbing him in the neck and other parts of his body before attacking his little son and inflicting serious injuries on him, a newspaper in the Gulf kingdom reported on Wednesday.

The unnamed man was at his house in the western Red Sea port of Jeddah on Tuesday when the maid lunged at him with a kitchen knife and stabbed him in the neck, the upper part of his head and his belly, killing him instantly.

She then stabbed his little son several times before police arrived in the scene and overpowered the maid, Ajel newspaper said.

“The man died instantly while the child was rushed to the hospital in critical condition…the other members of the family escaped unhurt,” it said.

www.emirates247.com

2012 in Review: Ten Arts & Culture Stories

The late artist Afewerk Tekle speaking at Stanford University on March 7, 2004. (Photo: Tadias Magazine File)

New York (TADIAS) – In 2012 we lost Ethiopia’s most famous painter, Maitre Artiste Afewerk Tekle, who died last Spring at the age of 80 and was laid to rest at the cemetery of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa on April 14th. Speaking about his life-long dedication to the fine arts, Afewerk Tekle once said: “At the end of the day, my message is quite simple. I am not a pessimist, I want people to look at my art and find hope. I want people to feel good about Ethiopia, about Africa, to feel the delicate rays of the sun. And most of all, I want them to think: Yitchalal! [It's possible!]” Our coverage of Afewerk’s passing was one of the most shared articles from Tadias magazine this year: (In Memory of Maitre Artiste Afewerk Tekle: His Life Odyssey).

Below are other arts and culture stories that captured our attention in 2012.

Wishing You A Merry Genna!

The Ethiopian name given to Christmas is Ledet or Genna which is also conceded world-wide by Rastafarians

ANCIENT: The water tower of Africa

NOT LONG after followers of the Gregorian calendar finished celebrating Christmas and New Year, the energetic horns of east Africa and the rhythmic sounds of nyabinghi drums echo to commence the celebration of Genna.

Ethiopia, the second oldest Christian nation in the world, still follows and acknowledges the ancient Julian calendar, where Christmas falls on January 7.

The Ethiopian name given to Christmas is Ledet or Genna (also spelt as Ganna), which is also conceded world-wide by Rastafarians who view Ethiopia as their spiritual homeland and a place to which they want to return. The name comes from the word Gennana, meaning "imminent" to express the coming of the Lord and the freeing of mankind from sin.

On the eve of Genna, Ethiopians fast all day; however some believers start fasting 40 days prior to Christmas. This pensive fasting period is known as the fast of the prophets or as Tsoma Nebiat. The fast of Advent is carried out to cleanse the body and soul in preparation for the day of the birth of Christ.

In Ethiopia, the day before Christmas thousands of pilgrims flock to Lalibela from all parts of the country and globe to prepare for Genna’s thanksgiving celebration, which simultaneously falls on the anniversary of the birthday of the ancient King Lalibela, who reigned in the 12th century.

Nat Geo's “Out of Eden” to start trek in Afar region

By Kaleyesus Bekele

The National Geographic Channel, the world's number one documentary channel, in collaboration with freelance journalist Paul Salopek are to launch an exploration project in the Afar region dubbed “Out of Eden.”

Early next month, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Salopek will embark on a foot journey that retraces the route of the first anatomically modern humans to disperse across the world. Starting in the Great Rift Valley of Africa, this immense narrative journey spans 60,000 years of human history, about 34,000 kilometers of the planet’s surface and roughly seven years of the author’s life. Guided by the latest fossil and genetic evidence, the route will lead from Ethiopia into the Levant; eastward through the steppes of Central Asia to the Chinese coast, and then north into Siberia; after crossing the Bering Strait by ship to Alaska, the final leg of the trek proceeds down the western flank of the Americas, to our species’ continental “land’s end” in Patagonia.

Westin Hotels to Manage AU Hotel in Ethiopia

Westin Hotels and Resorts is currently negotiating with MIDROC Ethiopia to manage the new African Union Grand Hotel. The hotel is currently under construction in the compound of the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa.

Westin is in the final stages of discussions as part of the process of taking over the management of the new grand Hotel being built by MIDROC. The Hotel is expected to launch operations staring from 2013. The opening of the Hotel is intended to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the African Union, it was said.

The speed of the construction project has been helped by a recent loan granted of 850 million birr, by the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia. The total expense of the construction of the hotel is estimated to require about 1.2 billion birr.
The design of the hotel calls for a complex, multipurpose and standard construction that is designed for presidents, diplomats and business travelers. It is expected to include meeting rooms, suites and rooms, swimming pool and spa, restaurants and bar, grand club, multipurpose ballroom, business center and parking.

Westin Hotels and Resorts brand is an international hotel brand, part of Starwood’s Hotels and Resorts Worldwide since it was acquired by Starwood in 1994. Recently Westin has focused on expanding global market, owning 160 locations in 37 countries last year.

www.2merkato.com

Couple looks to adopt Ethiopian boys

READING — Nestled amongst the multi-colored Christmas ornaments and homemade paper chain that circles Jared and Randi Bignell’s Christmas tree are hand written gift tags this holiday season. The gift tags have a special meaning to the Bignells and their 2-year-old son Corban this Christmas season. Each tag simply says: To my big brothers. The messages that follow are things Corban can’t wait to share with his two new big brothers. The family has been working on the tags each night during family time. The Bignells are in the final stages of adopting two boys from Ethiopia. Jared, an associate pastor at Sonlight Community Church in Angola, Ind., and Randi, a stay at home mom, have had aspirations of adopting children since high school. They became more serious about adopting after Randi traveled to Ethiopia in February. Randi and her friend Crystal Gingerich of Helmer, Ind., and her mother-in-law Janean Bignell of Coldwater made the trip. The three women traveled to Ethiopia to visit many of the children that Crystal sponsors through the Welcoming Angels orphan hosting program through America World Adoption Agency. “Once you meet the kids in the orphanage, you fall in love with them,” Randi said. She said they began to look into adopting after she returned home in February. “The gift that Corban has been to us made us want to adopt,” she said.

Ethiopia welcomes Chinese manufacturers to take on a larger presence

Seyoum Mesfin, Ethiopian ambassador to China, says his country prefers the non-intervention policy that Chinese investors follow when doing business there.

As China's labor, manufacturing and resources costs continue to rise, Ethiopia, one of the least-developed countries in the world is hoping Chinese companies will consider opening more factories there.

"China is one of our country's main donors in building infrastructure, a big constructor and a major technology provider," said Seyoum Mesfin, Ethiopian ambassador to China. "But China will also be a major factory owner in Ethiopia and a big market for products made in Ethiopia in the future.

"Chinese companies are assembling goods in Ethiopia to ship back to China, which is more profitable than producing in China today."

Mesfin said a good labor supply, low energy costs and high-quality materials support development in his country.

High hopes for Ethiopia’s rising classical music stars

Mengistu and fellow Yared students deal with last-minute nerves in the dressing room.

One evening last month, the sounds of classical Spain could be heard in an unlikely place: the Ethiopian National Theatre in Addis Ababa. Onstage were the talented students of the Yared School, Ethiopia’s only institute of higher learning for music; directing them was Silvia Sanz Torre, conductor of the Metropolitan Orchestra of Madrid. And in more ways than one, the performance ended on a high note.

By Borja Santos Porras, Addis Ababa

“This concert has encouraged the students to continue studying and working a lot,” says Yared School director Tadele Tilahun. “In Ethiopia, there has not been an orchestra concert in the last 30 to 40 years purely formed by students or teachers of Ethiopia.”

Ethiopia Earns $1 Billion from Exports

Ethiopia earned one billion US dollars from the export sector in just the last five months according to an announcement by the Ministry of Trade.

The revenue earned over this period has exceeded the revenue raised over the same period in the last fiscal year by 108.6 million US dollars said Amakele Yimam, Head of Publications and Communications with the ministry

A significant portion of the revenue raised came from the export of gold and coffee according to Amakele. Cereals, oilseeds, flowers and live animals were also significant contributors to the increased export revenue he added.

The export of manufactured and processed goods such as leather and leather products, textile and garment, vegetables and fruits, spices and meat alone raised an estimated 140 million US dollars according to Amakele.
It is to be remembered that the Ministry of Trade is expecting to earn 5 billion US dollars from foreign exports in the current fiscal year according to the projections it announced at the beginning of the budget year.

Ethiopian News Agency

Rebel faction in Ethiopia says it wants peace talks

This Jan. 21, 2008 file photo shows women performing a traditional dance in Ethiopia's troubled Ogaden region. REUTERS/Barry Malone

* ONLF representative seeks talks in Addis Adaba

* Further sign of rebel weakening, splits

* Ogaden region has oil and gas potential

By Aaron Maasho

ADDIS ABABA, Dec 23 (Reuters) - A faction of a separatist rebel group said on Sunday it was seeking peace talks with the Ethiopian government, a development that could help stabilise a region with potential reserves of oil and gas.

The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) has fought since the mid-1980s for independence for the mainly ethnic Somali province of Ogaden in southeast Ethiopia, bordering lawless Somalia.

Abdinur Abdulaye Farah, the group's representative in east Africa, said his faction was in the Ethiopian capital hoping to have talks with the government. There was no immediate comment from the authorities.

The initiative pointed to weakened secessionist activity in Ogaden, where rebels have not mounted a major attack since 2007. Several companies, including Chinese firms, are exploring for oil and gas in the area.

"More and more people want peace. There are very few people supporting the rebels now," Farah told journalists upon arriving at Addis Ababa's airport.

Athletics: The little and large show

In his wildest dreams, Haile Gebrselassie never imagined the race he founded 11 years ago would become Africa's largest mass-participation running event.

More than 3500 children, aged from three to 11, took part in races in the
Ethiopian capital Photograph: Paul Gains

The man known as the Little Emperor fired the starter's pistol for the 2001 Great Ethiopian Run, then jumped into the fray to become the first winner. There were 10,000 runners registered that day, along with thousands more "bandits", who didn't sign up.

Driven by his enthusiasm, the 2012 edition set off last month from Addis Ababa's Meskel Square with more than 36,500 eager participants. Gebrselassie could hardly contain his pride.

"What I expected was a normal race, a race that is organised by the Ethiopians, nothing else," he says of the prestigious 10-kilometre event that winds through the hilly streets of the Ethiopian capital. "We started small and thanks go especially to Newcastle's Great North Run organisers. They helped this event. I am really happy now. We are very close to the big international events like the London Marathon and the New York Marathon."

Gebrselassie befriended Brendan Foster whose company, Nova International, organises the Great Run series across the UK. Along with former British international marathoner Richard Nerurkar and a local organising committee, they helped launch the annual event a year after Gebrselassie won his second Olympic 10,000m gold medal in Sydney.

ምርጫ ቦርድ ለመድረክ ግንባርነት ዕውቅና ሰጠ

በዮሐንስ አንበርብር

የኢትዮጵያ ብሔራዊ ምርጫ ቦርድ መድረክ በሚል ስያሜ ሲንቀሳቀስ ለነበረው የስድስት የተለያዩ ፓርቲዎች ስብስብ ላቀረበው የግንባር አደረጃጀት ጥያቄን በመቀበል ሕጋዊ ዕውቅና ሰጠ፡፡ የኢትዮጵያ ፌዴራላዊ ዲሞክራሲያዊ አንድነት መድረክ (መድረክ) ሐምሌ 14 ቀን 2004 ዓ.ም. በጠራው ጠቅላላ ጉባዔ መድረክ ከፓርቲዎች ስብስብነት ወደ ግንባር አደረጃጀት ለመሸጋገር መወሰኑ ይታወሳል፡፡

በዚህም መሠረት መድረክ ለግንባር ምሥረታ የሚያበቁት ዝግጅቶች አጠናቆ ለብሔራዊ ምርጫ ቦርድ ያቀረባቸው ሰነዶች በፓርቲዎች አዋጅ ቁጥር 573/2000 መሠረት የተሟሉ በመሆናቸው፣ ቦርዱ ከታኅሣሥ 5 ቀን 2005 ዓ.ም. ጀምሮ ወደ ግንባርነት መሸጋገሩን በመጥቀስ፣ የሕዝብ ግንኙነት ኃላፊው ፕሮፌሰር በየነ ጴጥሮስ በላኩት መግለጫ አስታውቀዋል፡፡

የምርጫ ቦርድ የሕዝብ ግንኙነት ኃላፊ ወ/ሮ የሺ ፈቃደ ቦርዱ የግንባርነት ዕውቅና መድረክ ላቀረበው ጥያቄ መስጠቱን ለሪፖርተር አረጋግጠዋል፡፡

በፓርቲው ጠቅላላ ጉባዔ የፀደቀ መሆኑን፣ የፖለቲካ አጀንዳውንና የገንዘብ አቅሙን በመገምገም ብቁ ሆኖ በመገኘት መድረክ ያቀረበው ጥያቄ በቦርዱ ተቀባይነት ማግኘቱን ወ/ሮ የሺ ገልጸዋል፡፡ ቀደም ሲል በመድረክ ሥር የነበሩ ፓርቲዎች ስምንት ሲሆኑ ሁለቱ ባለመስማማት በመውጣታቸው ወደ ግንባር ለመሸጋገር የወሰኑት ስድስት ፓርቲዎች ናቸው፡፡

በመሆኑም የግንባሩ አባል የሚሆኑት ፓርቲዎች ዓረና፣ ኦፌዴን፣ ኦሕኮ፣ አንድነት፣ ኢሶዴፓና የደቡብ ኅብረት ናቸው፡፡

የመድረክ የፓርቲ ፕሮግራም አለመቀየሩን የፓርቲው ከፍተኛ አመራር የሆኑት ዶ/ር ነጋሶ ለሪፖርተር ገልጸው፣ ጋራ በግንባር ለመሥራትና ባልተስማሙባቸው ጉዳዮች ላይ ወደፊት ለመነጋገር በመወሰኑ የዕውቅና ጥያቄው ለምርጫ ቦርድ ሊቀርብ እንደቻለ ተናግረዋል፡፡

በሕገ መንግሥቱ አንቀጽ 39 እና መሬት የመንግሥትና የሕዝብ ብቻ ይሆናል በሚሉት ጉዳዮች አባል ፓርቲዎቹ የማይግባቡባቸው ቢሆኑም፣ እነዚህ ልዩነቶች ቢኖሩም ዲሞክራሲያዊ ሥርዓትን በማስፈን ነፃና ሰላማዊ ምርጫ በሚፈጠርበት ሁኔታ ላይ ያለ ልዩነት ለመሥራት ስምምነት መድረሱን ዶ/ር ነጋሶ ገልጸዋል፡፡

ዲሞክራሲያዊ ሥርዓት ከተፈጠረ የተለያዩባቸው ነጥቦች ሕዝብ የሚያነሳቸው ጉዳዮች በመሆናቸው፣ ወደ ሕዝብ በማውረድ ወደፊት መነጋገር ይቻላል ብለዋል፡፡ ስምምነት ከተደረሰም ግንባሩ ተዋህዶ አንድ ፓርቲ እንደሚሆን ጠቁመዋል፡፡

www.ethiopianreporter.com

U.S. College Students for Ethiopia Internship Application for 2013 Now Open

(Photo courtesy of The Ethiopian Global Initiative)

New York (TADIAS) – The Ethiopian Global Initiative (EGI), a Cambridge, Massachusetts- based nonprofit organization that promotes youth led projects in Ethiopia, has announced the launch of its application process for Summer 2013 participants of U.S. College Students for Ethiopia (USCSE) internship program.

The internship provides college students from the United States an opportunity to work with organizations that are headquartered in Ethiopia.

“USCSE also engages U.S. college students in a service project designed to involve local high school and college students in civic engagement and empowering themselves,” the organization said in a press release. “USCSE’s ability to provide unmatched internships in Ethiopia for college students from the United States has made it an exciting opportunity that has garnered a lot of interest in Ethiopia and the United States.”

“We are very excited to operate USCSE for the third consecutive year,” Samuel Gebru, the program’s founder said in a statement. “EGI functions based on the generosity of donors. These crucial contributions provide a minimal budget that we must maximize. We have increased the value of USCSE and look forward securing the necessary support to expand and develop.”

Hope and Ethiopia

A little boy becomes the catalyst for a project that grew from a single donation to changing an entire community

This is a story about how one small boy has helped make a big difference in two communities half a world apart.

In October 2009, Patric and Holly Campbell traveled to Ethiopia to adopt their youngest child, Miles, who is now 4 years old. They also have a 7-year-old daughter, Lauryn.

To better understand where their son came from and to help answer questions he might ask later, the Eugene couple traveled to his home village and later toured a clinic that Holt International, the Eugene agency that arranged the adoption, is expanding in Shinshicho, near Miles’ birthplace.

“It was in a very, very poor state,” Patric Campbell said. “We got there early in the morning and within hours there were multitudes of people coming in on donkey carts, on hand-held stretchers, coming in from villages sometimes 10 kilometers away.

“They had one doctor. It was an overwhelming experience to see that many people and that much need.”

With the exception of a couple of outposts staffed by nurses, the clinic was the only provider of health care in an area with about 250,000 residents — roughly the population of Eugene-Springfield, said Phillip Littleton, president and CEO of Holt International.

After he returned to Eugene, Campbell couldn't shake that image from his head. He called Holt and asked how he could help. The agency was raising money to build a small hospital at the clinic site, so Campbell made a donation, “and that was that,” he said.

Ethiopia: The GERD – Transforming the Nile from fixation to cooperation

Nile dam project a hydropower hope, but regional sore point

Ababiya Nemera

Ever since the April 2011 official launch of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) Project, there have been various reports, whether tangible or not, insinuating military attacks against Ethiopia by lower riparian countries. Rumors of Egypt trying to support opposition military groups and even working towards acquiring an airbase in western Sudan have all been extensively covered by a number of media outlets.

The construction of the GERD has been depicted by some as a move by Ethiopia to cut the one and only life line of Egypt – the Nile. Such depictions coupled with historical flashbacks have fueled rumors of a violent engagement between the two countries.

The fact, however, remains that the river is a life line for all upper and lower riparian countries. It gets even harder to understand such rumors when one considers that the dam would not cut the river’s discharge. Ethiopia has time and again reiterated its hydro-electric power generation schemes over the river but they always seem to be viewed with suspicion by its biggest users. It is perfectly rational for a state to make the most of its resources to push its people into the lime light of prosperity. It is very friendly and futuristic, however, when such a move is considerate of the interests of other nations.

For a country like Ethiopia that has until recently been the face of poverty in the world, it is only suicidal to keep not using its biggest of resources. With the 8th fastest population growth rate in the world and over 90 million people, a qualitative and quantitative increase in the use of resources does not demand rethinking. The country is at a critical point at which the use of its resources could help take recent development achievements to an even higher level. The realization of such a boost has tremendous sector crossing benefits for the state to overlook.

2013 Africa Cup of Nations: Never underrates Ethiopia – Katogo

Zambia’s captain Christopher Katongo kisses the African Cup of Nations trophy as Gabon President Ali Bongo, right, applauds, after Zambia beat Ivory Coast in the tournament final soccer match at Stade de l’Amitie in Libreville, Gabon Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Zambian midfielder Felix Katongo has warned his team mates that Ethiopia will be a tough nut to crack at the 2013 Orange Africa Cup of Nations.

The reigning African Champions will begin their title defence against the Ethiopians on January 21 in Nelspruit and Katongo has called on his team mates not to be complacent.

“We do not need to look at say this is (just) Ethiopia because football nowadays is complicated,” Katongo said.

“You never know what will happen. I will give you an example of Cape Verde; they eliminated Cameroon.”

Ethiopia are returning to the tournament for the first time since 1982 after beating Sudan on away goal rules (5-3, 2-0) to qualify.

indepthafrica.com

Ethiopia's first women's bank, Enat opens for business

Ethiopia's first women's bank plans to commence operations in the next few months in Addis Ababa.

Africa's first commercial bank founded, run and owned by women started a soft launch in November.

Women have bought around 70% of the more than 7,000 shares sold since 2009 in Ethiopia's Enat Bank – which means 'mother' in Amharic.

Enat plans to start taking its first deposits once the the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) awards its final licence before a full launch early in 2013.

"We will provide services like any other bank, but what makes us different from any of the other banks is that we are providing capacity-building services to women," says Nigest Haile, one of the six women on the 11-member board.

Haile, who also runs the Center for African Women Economic Empowerment in Addis Ababa, explains that women in Ethiopia struggle to access finance, especially when they have difficulty borrowing against collateral.

"It had been the culture that most women have not been aggressive [enough] to face a loan officer," she says.

Its initial plans are to offer traditional banking services through three branches based in Addis Ababa before launching a range of services targeted at women in 2013.

Enat raised 75m birr ($4.1m) in start-up capital, and narrowly avoided legislation in September 2011 that requires new banks to have start-up capital of 500m birr. It will now have until 2016 to raise the cash.

After the NBE turned down a couple of original nominations, it agreed in May that Fasika Kebede, former vice-president of the state-run Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, would be the bank's first female president.

www.theafricareport.com

Ethiopia moving to address doctor shortage; critics say corners being cut

Dame Endalew is in his final year at St. Paul’s Medical College
in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Photo by Anders Kelto.)

Ethiopia has struggled with a shortage of qualified doctors for years. In an effort to resolve that, it's vastly increased the sizes of existing classes and opened 13 new schools. But critics say Ethiopia is training a generation of woefully unqualified doctors.

The pediatrics wing of St. Paul’s Hospital in Addis Ababa is a busy place. Nervous parents move in and out, waiting for their kids to be seen.

There aren’t a lot of doctors here, but there is one group of people that seems to be everywhere: young, white-coated medical students.

Until recently, Ethiopia had just one physician for every 100,000 people, but now the country is dramatically increasing the number of doctors it produces.

This year, the government opened 13 new medical schools, which more than doubled the number in the country. Ethiopia has also been increasing enrollment at existing schools.

“This year, for the first time, we enrolled 3,100 medical students, which is almost tenfold compared to what we used to enroll five, six years ago,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom, Ethiopia’s foreign minister, who until recently served as minister of health.

ETHIOPIA: Jemmal Ahmed, “I survived a deadly trip to Yemen"

Many young Ethiopians migrate in search
of economic opportunities in Yemen (file photo)

ADDIS ABABA, 21 December 2012 (IRIN) - Jemmal Ahmed, 21, was recently deported back to Ethiopia after a nine-month stay in a prison in Yemen for illegally entering the country a few months earlier. His intention had been to cross over into Saudi Arabia to find work.

He shared his experience with IRIN:

“I dreamed of going Saudi Arabia since the moment my neighbours, in my home town, told me of the possibility of getting out of poverty after someone went there and worked for a year.

“I was broke within days of arriving in Yemen, as I paid most of [my money] to the people who took me from Ethiopia to Yemen and [spent] the remainder of my money on those who briefly hosted me in Yemen. They threatened to report me to the police if I didn’t.”

But he was still handed over to the police.

What Is Hope?

Courtney Walker

How many times in your life have you wondered, been gnawed at by the desire to effect some sort of positive change in this world? Often, you say? You are not alone. How many times do you listen to that desire? Give in to it?

I've worked unfulfilling jobs, where the only thing keeping me there was the money or the great people I worked with. I've done the grad school thing, where I watched my classmates and I become more and more hopeless, wanting to make a difference (it's why we were in the program in the first place) but not being given the tools to do so. Just being beaten over the head, day after day, with what was wrong -- not how we could change it. I've co-run the family small business; we had to close it. Between dwindling business practices, the great struggle wasn't worth it.

Through all of this, that desire became a frequent visitor. And while trying to figure out what I wanted to do next, I came across the story of the Selamta Family Project. The Selamta Family Project is an organization in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia that has for six years successfully served orphaned and abandoned children and marginalized women who have lost their families to AIDS or other circumstances by creating stable, secure, life-long families around them. The most important thing here is that Selamta creates families.

Ethiopia: Dr. Tewodros Affirms Ethiopia's Continued Support to IGAD

Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Tewodros said Ethiopia would remain resolute in strengthening the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD). The Minister made his remarks at a meeting with IGAD's Executive Secretary, Mahboub Maalim, on Thursday (December 20th).

Dr. Tedros noted that Ethiopia attached great importance to IGAD's effort to boost regional integration and would always remain supportive of efforts to strength IGAD. Ethiopia would further intensify its efforts in connecting neighboring countries through infrastructural links, he added.

Executive Secretary Maalim said that IGAD had carried out tremendous activities under the leadership of Ethiopia, and called on the Ethiopian government to continue its support to improve and strengthen the regional body. The Minister and the Executive Secretary agreed on the need for the international community to provide timely and effective support to the new government in Somalia.

allafrica.com

Ethiopia gets US financial support to fight malaria

The United States has given the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) a $100 million grant to help Ethiopia control the spread of malaria.

The grant will be used to support the country's National Strategic Plan for Malaria Prevention (2011-2015) through the provision of life saving anti-malarial drugs, diagnostic kits, and long lasting insecticide treated nets.

US ambassador to Ethiopia, Donald Booth said: "22 million Ethiopians living in malaria risk areas will benefit from life-saving insecticide treated bed nets, rapid diagnostic tests, and medicine".


The funds will help to buy and distribute 11 million long lasting insecticide treated nets, which will protect 22 million people living in malaria risk areas, procurement of 12.6 million courses of Artemisinin Combination Therapies (ACT) and 16.5 million multi-species Rapid Diagnostic Tests and other anti-malarial drugs.


Official data shows that results regarding malaria prevention and control to date have been encouraging with outpatient malaria illnesses declining by more than 48 percent.
Severe malaria illnesses decreased by more than 62 percent, since 2004.
Ethiopia still records five million clinical cases of malaria every year and the disease accounts for most outpatient visits, hospital admissions and inpatient deaths, according to USAID.


UNICEF representative in Ethiopia Peter Salama said the grant will be disbursed over the next five years.
"The goal is to consolidate the achievements made so far and to contribute to a further reduction of malaria morbidity and mortality in Ethiopia," he said.


Ethiopia's Health minister Kesetebirhan Admasu said: "people know that you can die if you do not treat malaria, but importantly, malaria unnecessarily taxes our population by causing avoidable illness and loss of productivity and limiting our overall economic potential".


"Fighting malaria is a critical investment and we are grateful to our partners the United States government and UNICEF for helping reduce the number of deaths and illness related to malaria in our country," he added.

www.theafricareport.com

Welcome to NYC Party for Miss Universe Ethiopia Helen Getachew – December 22

22-year-old Helen Getachew represented Ethiopia at the 2012 Miss Universe pageant held in Las Vegas on Wednesday, December 19, 2012 . (Photo credit: Miss Universe)

New York (TADIAS) – Last night women from over 80 countries participated in the 61st Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas. The new Miss Universe is Miss USA Olivia Culpo, a 20-year-old beauty queen from Rhode Island and the first American to claim the coveted title since 1997. Olivia was crowned Miss Universe 2012 by Miss Universe 2011 Leila Lopes of Angola at the annual international event held this year in the U.S. and televised around the world. Over the next year Olivia will hit the road on behalf of her cause alliances, namely HIV/AIDS prevention as mentioned on her official pageant profile.

After years of absence from the global competition, Ethiopia was also back on the stage yesterday represented by 22-year-old Helen Getachew.

A ‘welcome to NYC party’ is being organized for Helen this weekend when she arrives here for post-pageant activities. Organizers say the event at Lalibela Restaurant in Midtown Manhattan on Saturday, December 22 will be a relaxing dinner affair that includes champagne, music and, of course, a chance to meet, chat and be photographed with Miss Universe Ethiopia 2012!

www.tadias.com

Giving Birth on the Side of the Road With Two Cans of Dirty Water

 by David Winder

One of the joys of my work is the direct connection to inspiring individuals and amazing stories of life around the world. My colleague Emily, who just returned from Ethiopia, shared a story that is really sticking with me: that of some courageous mothers who have faced being pregnant and giving birth without access to safe water.

One of these moms was Tewabech Kutambo, who recently gave birth to her daughter alone on the side of the road.

Thirty-year-old Tewabech is from the village of Lahyte in Konso, about 370 miles south of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa. The village has no access to clean and safe water and Tewabech's community is forced to dig for dirty, contaminated water from the Orbole riverbed, a two hour walk away.

Even when heavily pregnant, Tewabech had to make the arduous and long journey to the riverbed in order to collect water for her family. She had no other choice.

"It takes a few hours to collect water. We go before the sun rises and come back when it is high in the sky. I cannot stop going to the river even if I am pregnant."

Tewabech told Emily that the walk became increasingly difficult as her due date approached. One day, carrying two heavy cans of water back home, she felt pain. She knew her baby was coming.

Saladin Said: The household name in Ethiopian Football

Saladin Said

Ethiopians are returning to the local football stadia after years of apathy that saw them switch to European and English Football League for consolation. Apart from the world beating Ethiopian Athletes led by Gabre Haille Sellasie, the name Saladin Said is regarded as the most celebrated symbol in Ethiopian football.

The Wadi Degla FC forward has emerged as an instant household name and poster boy after his decisive goals in the two World Cup qualifiers. Said, 24, is Ethiopia’s top scorer this year with three goals from six qualifiers, including a 1-1 draw against South Africa in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match.

Said is however happy with football progress in Ethiopia.He say’s many football players in Ethiopia are currently enjoying improved financial status as compared to their predecessors in the 1090’s. Despite Ethiopia falling narrowly to feature in subsequent Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, Said say’s he does not regret any single day spend in the National team as he has so far achieved things he probably would have not outside the National team.

All I Want for Christmas is Sammy Ethiopia

by Laurel Pantin

How cute are these little tie dyed and animal beaded pouches from Sammy Ethiopia?! I flipped when I saw them in our fashion closet!

The brand, which also makes these gorgeous hand-woven scarves, is based (obviously) in Ethiopia, and is committed to providing employment and a steady market for artisans in Addis-Ababa. The country is one of the world's largest leather producers (who knew!) which they use throughout their collections to make the softest ever leather pouches, all tie dyed with chrome-free reactive dyes. The founders, Sammy Abdella and Holly Hikido are committed to providing comfortable working conditions for their employees throughout the entire year, not just in the workshops, but also in the Sammy retail store in Addis-Ababa, and now the line is one of the few self-sustaining businesses in Ethiopia.

Each piece is totally one of a kind, hand made, and super SUPER cute. I have a blue tie dyed pouch that I wear ALL the time. They're not cheap, but it feels good to splurge on something that's doing so much good, and they're pretty perfect holiday gifts. You can pick them up at Barney's and a few things online at Asos.

Glamour Magazine

A long journey from Ethiopia, a storybook ending at Pearson

Tiffany Gillespie (in black shirt) watches as her newly adopted daughter Edan (in pink) greets her new sisters Cristiana (in purple) and Aliya (in white) at Pearson airport Wednesday. Tiffany was returning with Edan after adopting her from an orphanage in Ethiopia.

The text to her partner came from the immigration line on the other side of sliding glass doors at Pearson airport’s Terminal 1.

“You’d better have Kleenex for me.”

Tiffany Gillespie was puddling up again. Inching closer and closer to one last border officer, the tears were flowing more frequently now. Soon, the 5-year-old at her side, the one with the trusting eyes, gap-toothed smile and colourful beads braided so perfectly into her hair, would officially be a landed immigrant.

Gillespie’s daughter, her new child, would be home. The adoption process, a five-year emotional odyssey of hope and red tape that brought them from Ethiopia, would be over.

“It’s been a very long journey. It’s almost like giving birth,” said Gillespie, on the verge of crying again. “She’s so beautiful.”

Technically, this is not a story about a reunion but rather a union.

Ethiopian Journalist Fights Terrorism Charges in Court

Ethiopian blogger Eskinder Nega during a press conference televised on
ETV (Ethiopian television), Sept. 19, 2011.

ADDIS ABABA — Ethiopian journalist Eskinder Nega appeared in court on Wednesday as the prosecution had to re-explain the charges against the prominent blogger.  Eskinder also got the chance to defend himself before the court.

Eskinder made his court appearance with opposition leader Andualem Arage and two other opposition members.  They are all imprisoned on terrorism charges as they were found guilty earlier this year of having links with the outlawed group Ginbot 7 and trying to start Arab Spring-type demonstrations in Ethiopia.

The blogger was sentenced to 18 years in prison and Andualem was given a life sentence.

Eskinder Nega defended himself while lawyer Abebe Guta defended the others as they tried to appeal their sentences on Wednesday. Abebe said the prosecution was asked to justify the terrorist charges to the Federal Supreme Court after Eskinder and the others appealed their sentences last month.

KENENISA BEKELE’S FIELD OF DREAMS

5 December, 2012 – Sululta, Ethiopia – Some men build a basketball court in their driveway or convert their garage into a recreation room but Kenenisa Bekele has gone to another extreme.
The 5000m and 10000m world record holder has built a six lane all-weather track in the picturesque district of Sululta, which lies just 25 minutes outside the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa and at an altitude of 2750m.

Across the road he has also constructed a 30 room hotel that will house athletes wishing to take advantage of Bekele's ‘field of dreams’.

Another 80 room hotel will be completed within the next six months. This one stands a few hundred metres away and is another part of a vision that Bekele, a three-time Olympic champion, has for supporting athletics in his native Ethiopia.

“I am so happy and proud of this,” said Bekele, during a tour for foreign visitors of the impressive facilities.

Agency fights to maintain standards during HE expansion

The Ethiopian government’s Higher Education Relevance and Quality Agency, HERQA, is to implement new measures designed to raise standards in universities. The initiative comes amid major concerns about the state of the country’s fast-growing tertiary education sector.

The number of public universities in the country has grown from two to 34 over the past 12 years, and there are now seven private universities and 52 polytechnic colleges. Each of Ethiopia's nine regions, apart from Gambela, now has at least one university.

Such rapid expansion has brought with it growing doubts about the quality of teaching and other resources, as well as the employability of graduates.

Dr Tesfaye Teshome, director general of HERQA, told University World News that a new quality assurance programme is set to be introduced, focused heavily on measuring the specific skills and other attributes being attained by graduates.

Tanzania Tourist Board and Ethiopian Airlines Sign MOU

The Tanzania Tourist Board and Ethiopian Airlines have signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding.
 The MoU was signed with the intention of increasing the number of visitors to both Tanzania and Ethiopia, increase the presence of Tanzania tourism in key international markets, as well as enhance the business profile of Ethiopian Airlines.
The MoU ceremony took place in Tanzania at Uhuru Hotel in Moshi near Kilimanjaro and was signed by Dr. Aloyce Nzuki, Managing Director for Tanzania Tourist Board and Mr. Hailemelokot Mamo, Sales Representative for Ethiopian Airlines.
Dr. Aloyce Nzuki, Managing Director for Tanzania Tourist Board said, “Ethiopian Airlines currently provides extensive airlift to Tanzania’s three major gateways (Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar) and the new joint promotion agreement will expand the already strong partnership that we have with Ethiopian Airlines, especially in the North American market.”

The Taste of Ethiopia — Berbere

By Ronit Treatman

When the Ethiopian Jews began arriving in Israel with Operation Moses in 1984, they brought with them a spice mixture called berbere — the mix gives Ethiopian cuisine its distinctive flavor. The fiery taste of berbere evokes my early childhood, as my family lived in Ethiopia from 1969 to 1973.
Berbere is the food of my infancy. My father was an Israeli diplomat, sent to Ethiopia to help improve its agricultural output. My family lived in the Rift Valley, south of Addis Ababa. We lived on an experimental farm called Abba Dir.

At this time, the Ethiopian Jews were a myth. Before we left Israel, the Foreign Ministry informed my dad that there was a group of people called falashas in Ethiopia. He was told that some people considered them Jews.

MEPs urge Ethiopia to release journalist

Sixteen members of the European parliament have called on Ethiopia's prime minster, Hailemariam Desalegn, to free the jailed journalist and blogger Eskinder Nega.

He was arrested in 2011 and sentenced in July this year to 18 years in prison under the country's broad anti-terrorism proclamation. An appeal hearing is scheduled for tomorrow (19 December).

He had written online articles and also spoken publicly about the possibility of an Arab spring-like movement taking place in Ethiopia. After his trial, the government initiated proceedings to seize his assets, including the home where his wife and young son live.

The letter from the MEPs, who are drawn from across the political spectrum, begins by registering "our grave concern" at Nega's detention.

It notes that the Ethiopian government has an obligation to uphold the right to free expression, and it tells the newly-elected prime minister that he has "the unique opportunity to lead Ethiopia forward on human rights and bring the country fully within the community of nations."

It closes by urging Desalegn to take all measures within his power "to facilitate the immediate and unconditional release of Mr Nega."

Among the signatories are three British MEPs - Charles Tannock, Conservative (London); Fiona Hall, Lib-Dem (north east England) and David Martin, Labour (Scotland).

www.guardian.co.uk

EEPCo To Supply Power To Kenya, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda And Rwanda

Five East African countries are expected to become beneficiaries of the Eastern Electricity Highway project which is expected to see these countries using Ethiopia’s surplus electric power for their domestic uses.

The five countries expected to be connected in this power pool are the east African economic powerhouse Kenya, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda.

This was revealed at the occasion of the USD 243 million loan agreement signed on December 14 between the Ethiopian government and the World Bank for the financing of a section of Eastern Electricity Highway project connecting Ethiopia’s electrical grid with Kenya.

The project is also expected to enable electric power sharing between the two countries so as to reduce energy costs, promote sustainable and renewable power generation as well as paving the way for more dynamic regional cooperation between the countries of Eastern Africa.