Embassy News 2008

USAID Supports English Language Improvement in Primary Schools (12/19/08) 

Ambassador Yamamoto (right) with students and their new text books. (File photo)

Addis Ababa (U.S. Embassy) – December 19, 2008 as part of its ongoing commitment to support Ethiopia’s educational system, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the American Institutes for Research (AIR), launched today a new education training program to strengthen primary school teaching.  The Teach English for Life Learning (TELL) program will train 20,000 English language teachers from grades 6, 7 and 8 across schools throughout Ethiopia.   (more)

U.S. Grants Assist Community Development (12/11/08)

Ambassador Yamamoto and Archbishop Bitsue Abune Natnael signing the grant agreement for small-scale dairy and beekeeping project that will benefit an orphanage run by the Assela Dioces of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

Addis Ababa – December 11, 2008 U.S. Ambassador Donald Yamamoto emphasized the United States’ commitment to improving access to education for Ethiopia’s poorest children and supporting community-based development when he presented four new grants to community organizations under the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program (SSHP).  

At the ceremony held at the U.S. Embassy to present the grants, Ambassador Yamamoto said, “These projects will go a long way toward improving the quality of life for Ethiopians across the country.  (more)

USAID Contribution Strengthens WFP Urban HIV/AIDS Program (12/02/08)
Nutritional support helps people living with HIV celebrate life

USAID Mission Director Glenn Anders and WFP Representative and Country Director Mohammed Diab at the handover ceremony.

Addis Ababa (U.S. Embassy) – December 2, 2008, The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) celebrated their partnership today by highlighting a $22 million dollar contribution over the next three years from USAID to support WFP’s Urban HIV/AIDS Program.  The program will address the food and nutritional needs of thousands of malnourished people living with HIV and their vulnerable children living in urban and per-urban areas.  (More)

Poster Contest Celebrates Life on World AIDS Day 2008
Youth Encouraged to Join Fight against HIV/AIDS (12/01/08) 

Contest winner Elias Alemayehu explains his poster concept after accepting first prize from Mrs. Margaret Yamamoto (center) and Public Affairs Counselor Michael McClellan (right).

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – On December 1, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) hosted a World AIDS Day Poster Contest at the U.S. Embassy, where students created artwork reflecting the theme, “Celebrate Life.” 

In countless communities throughout Ethiopia, in partnership with the American people, courageous individuals are choosing life, saving the lives of their fellow countrymen and women, and creating hope for a future free of HIV/AIDS.   The involvement and mobilization of youth are essential to the success of the fight against HIV/AIDS.  (more)

Family Health Program Officially Launched  (11/25/08)

USAID Mission Director Glenn Anders (R) and State Minister of Health His Excellency Dr. Kebede chatting at the launch ceremony of the Integrated Family Health Program.

Addis Ababa – On November 25, 2008 the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with Pathfinder International and John Snow, Inc. (JSI), launched the Integrated Family Health Program.  The new US $50 million dollar health program, which focuses on family planning and reproductive health, maternal, newborn and child health, will improve the lives of more than 43 million Ethiopians in the next five years. The program will result in reduced population growth, improved maternal, newborn and child health; and reduced maternal, neonatal, and child mortality. (more)

Ethiopian Burial Societies Join Fight Against HIV/AIDS (11/21/08)

In May 2003, idir representatives met to share their experiences on how the best possible home-based care can be provided.

Burial societies, which have helped people through the expense and grief surrounding death for centuries here, are expanding their missions to keep people alive as the HIV/AIDS epidemic exacts its toll. Some 200,000 burial societies, known as idirs, are found throughout Ethiopia, and almost every Ethiopian is connected to one, either personally or through family. The Tesfa community association in western Addis Ababa, an idir that has adopted a new name and broader mission, helps 4,300 orphans and vulnerable children as well as the elderly people who have become their caregivers. (full article)

Ethiopia Upgrades Its High-End Coffee Sector (11/17/08)
U.S. government plays role in improving quality

Ethiopia is Africa's largest coffee producer and coffee is its largest source of foreign exchange." AP Photo

Coffee, as legend has it, was first enjoyed by goats that ate beans off wild bushes in the lush mountains of central Ethiopia.  A shepherd boy observed the animals cavorting and ate some beans out of curiosity.  He experienced the caffeine-induced energy that his goats displayed, and from that moment human consumption of coffee spread around the world. Today, Ethiopia produces just a small fraction of the world's coffee, dwarfed by coffee giants Brazil, Colombia and Vietnam, but that fraction holds a key to unlocking prosperity in one of Africa's poorest countries.  The lock can be opened if Ethiopia's producers deliver consistently high-quality beans, on deadline, to supply a global niche market for fine coffees. (full article)

Ethiopia Eyes a Big Role in Global Leather Industry (11/13/08)

Taytu bag on display in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — Well-heeled shoppers in New York, Paris, Tokyo and other global fashion centers are beginning to see a new name, Taytu, beside familiar Guccis and Chanels among the ladies' handbags in exclusive shops.

Ethiopia, home to the largest livestock population in Africa, produces and exports millions of hides annually, mainly in the form of semiprocessed leather.  Eyeing higher profits, Ethiopia is moving to develop its own trademarked leather products.  The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is helping Ethiopia develop its leather processing and branding sector; the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and other development groups are also assisting.  (full article)

Experimental Ethiopian Schools Energize Students, Empower Parents (11/10/08)

Children outside Gorasillingo primary school.

Inside a mud-and-grass-walled school in rural Ethiopia, students sit in horseshoe formations, some with their backs to the teacher, others sideways and some facing her. At the start of a class, the students look toward the teacher, who introduces a question or a problem.  Then the students turn and face each other and proceed to discuss the question or solve the problem.  At the end, the teacher solicits the answers that the students have reached. What is going on at the Gorasillingo primary school near Asallah, 180 kilometers south of Addis Ababa, is an educational experiment intended to reduce the role of the teacher and energize the students in the learning process.  The Ethiopian government is working to revamp teaching practices with the goal of creating a modern labor force capable of staffing an economy plugged into global markets. (full article)

Ambassador Donald Yamamoto Remarks at U.S. Presidential Elections Breakfast (11/05/08)

Invited guests listening to Ambassador Yamamoto’s remarks

Addis Ababa - (November 5, 2008) Today’s election is a historic moment.  It is an American story, but it is not a uniquely American dream.  It is a dream born out of the human spirit and shared by every person in every part of the world.  This election reaffirmed a dream defined by our Constitution and the vision of the founding fathers, and tempered through years of struggle.

Our new President is not only a President of the United States but also a son of Africa, and so this is truly an African dream as well. 

In his speech, Senator McCain -- an American hero, an American of great honor and grace -- called on all people to support President-elect Obama.  And as you heard President-elect Obama say, today there are no Republicans or Democrats, no red or blue, only the United States of America.  There must be no division anywhere in the world based on ethnic differences or religious intolerance or even division based on color.  All people must be judged by the content of their character.

Today is a great day, and now the hard work begins.  We must all join together to create a new tomorrow and a brighter future for our children and for all future generations.

Thank you very much for sharing in this great historic moment.

Ethiopia Launches Commodity Exchange to Develop Agriculture (10/31/08)

Eleni Gabre-Madhin, chief Executive of the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange

Ethiopia, a country of chronic food shortages and malnutrition, has launched an agriculture commodity exchange in a daring experiment to raise food production by creating a safe, transparent agriculture market. The idea to create a commodity exchange was hatched by a former senior economist at the World Bank, Eleni Gabre-Madhin, who was born in Ethiopia and educated in the United States.  Gabre-Madhin did her doctoral research on the role of markets in developing countries and refined her ideas while at the International Food Policy Research Institute.  She now is the chief executive of the exchange. (full article)

Jimma, Ethiopia, Gains Access to Global Information (10/28/08)

Public Affairs Counselor Michael McClellan cuts the ribbon with the Deputy Mayor of Jimma, Ato Shemelis,Kebede, and Yerusalem Ashenafi, Director of the U.S. Embassy’s Information Resource Center.

When Michael McClellan, spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, stepped off a plane in the Ethiopian highland city of Jimma on October 24 and walked toward the terminal, a throng of people dressed in their best finery was walking toward him. “This looks like a wedding procession,” a colleague of McClellan’s said. “It might be for us,” McClellan answered. He was right, in one sense.  A few seconds later, the welcoming party and McClellan met on the tarmac.  Women filled his arms with bouquets of tropical flowers.  The mayor, the police chief, the head of the tourism office and other dignitaries shook his hand and embraced him.  In the parking lot, McClellan and his welcomers piled into a 13-vehicle motorcade led by a police truck with its red and blue lights whirling silently.  (full article)  

American and Ethiopian Partners Dedicate Refurbished Abadir Primary School in Addis Ababa (10/16/08)

Deputy Chief of Mission Debora Malac addresses guests at the dedication ceremony.  (L—R) Col. Pierce from CJTF-HOA, Nancy Estes from USAID-Ethiopia and Ato Mohammed Ahmed  from Abadir School

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Ms. Deborah Malac, Charge’ d’Affaire of the United States Embassy in Ethiopia, praised the partnership between the Ethiopian and American governments that led to the refurbishment of the Abadir Primary School in Addis Ababa.  Speaking at a dedication ceremony at the school on October 16, Ms. Malac praised the American soldiers who spent the past eight months working a total of some 1600 man/days on the project.  Some 300 students will benefit from the reconstruction project, which cost just over USD $175,000.

With the support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section, two Naval Marine Construction Battalion detachments (“Seabees”) upgraded facilities at the Abadir Primary School by replacing the roofs on the classroom and administration buildings, rebuilding the latrine, refurbishing the buildings, providing a new cistern for water supply, and installing a covered area in the courtyard.  USAID provided new and refurbished school furniture, while the Embassy is contributing books to the new library. (more)

Taytu Puts Ethiopia in High-End Fashion Directory (10/03/08)

Tayitu's stand at the trade show

Friday, October 3, 2008 Addis Ababa (U.S. Embassy) – At a fashion trade show in New York this September, top international retailers, including Barneys New York, ordered more than 500 products from the Ethiopian leather goods and textiles consortium.  Taytu, a consortium of twelve leather, leather product and hand-woven folkloric textile-producing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) participated in the Designers and Agents International Fashion Trade Show in New York, September 13-15, with support from USAID's Agribusiness and Trade Expansion Program (ATEP). (more)

Embassy Hosts Media Roundtable on DV-2010 Program (10/01/08)

Public Affairs Counselor Michael McClellan introduces Acting Consul Heather Guimond (L) and Vice-Consul Brian Adkins (R) to journalists

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In an effort to help the Ethiopian public understand the rules and procedures of the new Diversity Visa 2010 program, the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section hosted a media roundtable with representatives of Ethiopia’s leading daily and weekly newspapers, as well as television and radio, on October 1, the first day of the new DV-2010 program.

Acting Consul Heather Guimond, and Vice-Consul Brian Adkins, explained in detail the new education rules that go into effect this year, as well as the need to complete all application forms accurately and completely.  Many past applicants have been turned down, she said, because of simple mistakes that could easily have been avoided.  While it is certainly not necessary for Ethiopian applicants to avail themselves of “visa services” or other private individuals or companies, there is certainly a need for some people to get help in translating the forms and supplying the information in English.  However, she warned, no one can guarantee the issuance of a visa or otherwise promise consular services for a fee. (more)

U.S. Embassy Celebrates Ramadan, Meskel with Bahir Dar Community (09/26/08)

Addis Ababa (U.S. Embassy) – United States Ambassador to Ethiopia Donald Yamamoto traveled to Bahir Dar on September 26-27 to celebrate Ramadan and Meskel.  The Ambassador’s visit was part of the U.S. Embassy’s ongoing outreach to faith communities, which play an important role in bringing development and a better tomorrow to Ethiopia. On the evening of September 26, Ambassador Yamamoto, in cooperation with the Selam Ber Mosque, hosted an Iftar dinner for 200 community members.  At the meal in the mosque compound, the Ambassador thanked the community for sharing the celebration, and said, “We are blessed this year to join Ethiopia in celebrating its rich faith traditions.  This shows us how much we all have in common and how much faith strengthens us and helps us all to be better people, better neighbors and better citizens.”   (more)

USAID Loan Agreement Increases Credit Access for Diaspora and Women Entrepreneurs  (09/26/08)

(L-R) Wzo. Aselefetch Mulugeta, President of Bank of Abyssinia, Glenn Anders, Mission Director of USAID/Ethiopia, and Amerga Kassa, President of NIB Bank at the signing.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2008 Addis Ababa (U.S. Embassy) – Two new loan guarantee agreements signed today between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Abyssinia Bank and NIB will allow these two banks to offer more short and medium term loans to entrepreneurs engaged in manufacturing, services, trade, export and agricultural related activities.  The agreements reduce collateral requirements to beneficiaries by 50%, amounting to more than $17 million USD in potential loans for Diaspora and women – two underserved groups of the economy who have little or no access to credit. (more)

United States Supports Ministry of Education Initiative to Improve Quality and Equity in Primary Education (09/23/08)

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2008 Addis Ababa (U.S. Embassy) – As part of its ongoing commitment to support Ethiopia’s education system, today the United States is donating school kits to 5,000 orphan and vulnerable children (OVCs) in 100 schools in Amhara, Oromiya and SNNP Regions.  The school kits contain notebooks, writing tools, a dictionary and a uniform.  The donation of school kits is part of a program administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and implemented through World Learning Inc. (more)

U.S. Government Provides Water and Sanitation Assistance to Ethiopia’s Somali Region (09/22/08)

On September 15, U.S. Ambassador Donald Yamamoto and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director Glenn Anders inaugurated a water system at a ceremony at the Kebridehar town high school.  The water system serves the Korahe Zone in Somali Region.  The water taps were installed by the non-governmental organization (NGO) Samaritian’s Purse.  The Kebridehar town water system, which serves the school and the town’s approximately 10,000 residents, was rehabilitated by the International Rescue Committee as part of a water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions project funded by USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance. (more)

USAID Health Project Shares Experience, Improves Health Care Service (09/22/08)

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2008 (Addis Ababa) – The American people, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), have supported child health services and strengthened the health care system through the Essential Services for Health in Ethiopia (ESHE) project.  Over the past five years, the project has improved the lives of over 15 million Ethiopians through health initiatives at the community and national levels.  (more)

 

USAID and MoFED Sign $151 Million in Agreements for Development Programs (09/22/08)

On September 22, 2008 the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development signed U.S. $151 million worth of Grant Agreements to continue mutually agreed-upon support for development programs in the areas of education, health, economic growth, and democracy and governance.  This commitment from the United States is the latest installment of a five-year development assistance agenda supporting Ethiopia.  To date, the total commitment under this five-year plan has reached U.S. $426 million, a 43 percent increase over the originally planned commitment of U.S. $297 million. (more)

Through USAID, the American People Provide Additional $60 Million in Food Aid for Ethiopia (09/18/08)

Mike Hess, USAID’s top official for humanitarian assistance, shows a map of hunger affected areas at a September 18 press conference in Addis Ababa.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2008 Addis Ababa (U.S. Embassy) – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced today that it is providing an additional contribution of nearly $60 million in food assistance to the Ethiopian people through the U.N. World Food Program.  The contribution consists of nearly 72,000 metric tons (MT) of food commodities, including approximately 33,000 MT of sorghum, 33,000 MT of wheat, 5,000 MT of corn soya blend (CSB), and 1,000 MT of vegetable oil. (more)

USAID Expedites Emergency Food Aid to Horn of Africa (08/19/08)

WASHINGTON, DC -- The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is expediting the shipment of nearly 24,000 metric tons (MT) of food aid to help the millions of people in need of assistance in the Horn of Africa. The shipment includes 9,390 MT of split yellow peas, 6,150 MT of vegetable oil, 6,320 MT of corn soy blend, and 1,400 MT of wheat flour. This is only one of multiple strategies USAID is implementing to alleviate impacts of the world food crisis in that region and elsewhere around the world. USAID's Office of Food for Peace plans to provide over 1 million MT of food, valued at more than $857 million, to Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Djibouti in fiscal year 2008 in response to the drought emergency affecting the Horn of Africa. (more)

Top-level Health Delegation Visits Ethiopia, Highlights Power of Partnership in Fighting Disease (08/10/08 - 08/13/08)

Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt (center) accompanied by CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding (right) meets Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Abune Paulos at St. Peter’s Hospital.

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt and a high-level delegation visited Ethiopia August 9-13 to witness the strong cooperation between the U.S. and Ethiopia in reducing the spread of diseases including HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria.  The visit, conducted in close cooperation with Ethiopia’s Minister of Health, Dr.  Tewdros Adhanom, showcased the power of partnerships between the American and Ethiopian people in promoting global health.

In Addis Ababa, the delegation met with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, Minister of Health Tewdros, and His Holiness Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Abune Paulos.  Secretary Leavitt joined Minister Tewdros and His Holiness the Patriarch for a tour of the U.S.-funded anti-retroviral therapy (ART) clinic at St. Peter’s Specialized TB Clinic.  The delegation also visited the holy water site on Entoto Mountain and a USAID-supported urban garden producing food for people living with HIV/AIDS.  (more)

U.S. Embassy Hosts Orientation for Ethiopian Students Studying in the U.S. (08/04/08)

Students chatting at the reception after the orientation

On August 5, the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy hosted a pre-departure orientation and reception for Ethiopian students leaving for the United States on student visas at the Ethiopia Hotel. This event, the first of its kind, aimed to help students prepare for their study abroad and to understand cultural, consular and legal issues relevant to being international students in the U.S. Opening the program, Public Affairs Counselor Michael McClellan said the Ethiopian students going to the United States would help strengthen people-to-people relations between the two countries.  (more)

USAID Provides Additional $112 million in Humanitarian Aid (07/23/08)

The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), have provided an additional $91 million in emergency food aid and $21 million in emergency humanitarian assistance in response to the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia’s revised June 2008 Humanitarian Requirement Report.   This new donation coupled with last month’s announcement of $80 million in emergency assistance brings the total U.S. assistance in response to the drought to nearly $200 million.  (more)

U.S. Embassy Employees Donate Blood, Help Ethiopian Red Cross Save Lives (07/16/08)

Ambassador Yamamoto and Arega Hussien, Public Affairs staff, donating blood at the blood drive held at the U.S. Embassy.

On July 16, the Ethiopian Red Cross held a blood drive at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa for the second year in a row.  Ambassador Yamamoto kicked off the drive, telling local media, “By giving blood, you help to ensure that blood is there when you or someone close to you may need it.”  He stressed that the blood donation procedure is sterile and safe and cannot give you HIV/AIDS or other infectious diseases.  The Ambassador explained that, contrary to popular belief, most people can spare blood periodically, because blood cells continually regenerate. (more)  

USAID Ecotourism Development Program Announced  (07/16/08)

Ambassador Yamamoto (L) and Minister of Culture and Tourism Mohamed Dirir at the workshop

On July 16, 2008 the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched its new multi million dollar ecotourism program, which will contribute to the development of Ethiopia’s unique and potentially very lucrative ecotourism sector.  The five-year Ethiopia Ecotourism Development Program will protect natural resources and cultural heritage sites, as well as improve the livelihoods and quality of life of local communities. (more)

PEPFAR Making Strides in HIV Prevention and Care (07/09/08)
USAID HIV/AIDS Care and Support Program highlights results at annual performance review

Nancy Estes, USAID Acting Mission Director, highlights the accomplishments PEPFAR has made in Ethiopia.

On July 9, 2008, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) HIV/AIDS Care and Support Program unveiled impressive progress and achievements at its first annual review meeting at the Sheraton Hotel.  Dr. Kebede Worku, State Minister of Health, and Nancy Estes, USAID Acting Mission Director, delivered remarks at the event. 

Since its June 2007 inception, the program has supported nearly 400 health centers that offer comprehensive HIV and TB counseling and testing services, including supporting life-saving antiretroviral treatment for more than 21,000 people and training approximately 1,500 health providers in HIV and TB counseling and testing curriculum.  Working in partnership with the Government of Ethiopia to rapidly expand services, the program has also provided HIV counseling and testing for over 934,000 people. (more)

U.S. Supports Antiretroviral Treatment for 1.73 Million Worldwide (06/27/08)

Management Sciences for Health, a PEPFAR-funded nonprofit, upgraded the pharmacy at Zewditu hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The hospital now offers free antiretroviral treatment paid for by the U.S. government. (Photo by Marina Walker Guevara)

The U.S. Government announced on Thursday, June 16, 2008 that, through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), it is supporting life-saving antiretroviral treatment for approximately 1.73 million men, women and children worldwide, including nearly 1.68 million people in sub-Saharan Africa. This represents a dramatic increase from the roughly 50,000 people on treatment in all of sub-Saharan Africa in 2003, when President George W. Bush first announced PEPFAR. This accomplishment, along with the similarly successful prevention and care programs supported through PEPFAR, is a testament to the commitment of the people of the countries in which the U.S. Government is privileged to serve. (more)

Ethiopia refugees’ clean stoves scheme wins international green energy award (06/19/08)

Milkyas Debebe (L) of Gaia Association in Ethiopia and Kenyan Nobel Prize laureate Wangari Maathai at the award ceremony

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London -- On June 19, 2008, the world’s leading green energy prize awarded £20,000 for a pioneering sustainable energy project to the Gaia Association, an organisation working with the UNHCR in the Kebribeyah refugee camp near Ethiopia’s border with Somalia. The Ashden Awards prize was presented to Milkyas Debebe, Managing Director of the Gaia Association, by Kenyan Nobel Prize laureate Wangari Maathai.

The Gaia Association in Ethiopia is transforming the lives of refugees by distributing stoves that use ethanol fuel, a by-product of the sugar industry. The area around the Kebribiyah camp, home to 17,000 Somalian refugees, has suffered severe deforestation and women were always in danger of attack when they went out to collect fuel wood. The new stoves are healthier and more efficient – and families can avoid using wood altogether. Now Ethiopian manufacturers are producing the stoves locally. (more)

USAID Provides $70 million in Humanitarian Aid (06/10/08)

USAID’s Glenn Anders (far left) introduces Ambassador Yamamoto, Mohammed Diab and Ato Simon Mechale at a press conference held on June 10, 2008 to announce the U.S. assistance.

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The United States Embassy and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced on June 10, 2008 that the American people, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided approximately $70 million in emergency humanitarian assistance to Ethiopia in the last two months. 

United States Ambassador Donald Yamamoto joined Mohammed Diab, WFP Representative and Country Director in Ethiopia, USAID/Ethiopia Mission Director Glenn Anders and Ethiopian Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency (DPPA) Director Ato Simon Mechale to highlight the donations. (more)

Ethiopian and American Partners to Share Progress Report at Global HIV/AIDS Implementers Meeting in Kampala, June 3-7, 2008 (05/29/08)

Partial view of the Implementers Meeting participants at the Sheraton Addis.

Ethiopia’s State Minister of Health Dr. Kebede Worku and U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Deborah Malac opened a meeting of President’s Emergency Plan for HIV/AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) implementing partners at the Addis Ababa Sheraton on May 29, 2008.  At the meeting, Ethiopian and American partners in the fight against HIV/AIDS reviewed their progress to date, discussed future plans, and prepared for a global meeting of PEPFAR partners next week in Uganda. (more)  

Ambassador Joins CJTF-HOA Team to Promote Ethiopian Livestock Health (05/14/08)

Ambassador Yamamoto vaccinating one of the animals assisted by veterinarians.

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On May 14, U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Donald Yamamoto visited a Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) veterinary civil action project (VETCAP) providing treatment and care to livestock at seven locations in Eastern Ethiopia.  The Ambassador joined visiting U.S. military specialists and Ethiopian veterinarians at Jeldessa, an hour’s drive outside of Dire Dawa.  At the site, he worked with the team to vaccinate several animals, and greeted the community members who had gathered with their goats, sheep, cattle, donkeys and camels. (more)

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U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative, Ethiopia Commemorate World Malaria Day (04/25/08)

USAID/Ethiopia helped support World Malaria Day in Ethiopia through a mobile van that traveled to communities to raise awareness of malaria.

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FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2008 Addis Ababa (U.S. Embassy) – Today marks World Malaria Day and a renewed commitment between the United States and Ethiopia to raise global awareness of malaria, to celebrate progress, and to reaffirm their commitment to fighting the disease. 

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) participated in a three-day annual review meeting in Awassa this week where government leaders, health experts, and development partners joined together to share knowledge and increase understanding of malaria.  USAID helped support the meeting by providing thousands of T-shirts and caps, as well as a mobile van that traveled to surrounding communities to raise awareness of malaria. (more)  

U.S. Equipment Donation Supports Ethiopian Peacekeepers' Deployment to Darfur (04/17/08)

Ambassador Yamamoto (right) signs agreement on the donated equipment with Major-General Gezae Abera, Head of the Logistics main department of the Ethiopian Ministry of National Defense

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On Thursday, United States Ambassador to Ethiopia Donald Yamamoto officially handed over equipment and supplies worth USD 2.1 million to Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) troops preparing to deploy to Darfur as peacekeepers.  This donation is part of a broad United States initiative to support African partners' participation in the United Nations-African Union Mission to Darfur (UNAMID).

At the handover ceremony, Ambassador Yamamoto said, "The United States remains committed to helping the people of Darfur.  We are proud to support the Ethiopian contribution to peacekeeping operations there.  Ethiopian troops have played a critical role in the success of recent peacekeeping operations in Burundi, Ivory Coast, and Liberia, and we commend their pledge to UNAMID." (more)

U.S. Equipment Donation Supports Ethiopian Peacekeepers' Deployment to Darfur (04/17/08)

Ambassador Yamamoto (right) signs agreement on the donated equipment with Major-General Gezae Abera, Head of the Logistics main department of the Ethiopian Ministry of National Defense

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On Thursday, United States Ambassador to Ethiopia Donald Yamamoto officially handed over equipment and supplies worth USD 2.1 million to Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) troops preparing to deploy to Darfur as peacekeepers.  This donation is part of a broad United States initiative to support African partners' participation in the United Nations-African Union Mission to Darfur (UNAMID).

At the handover ceremony, Ambassador Yamamoto said, "The United States remains committed to helping the people of Darfur.  We are proud to support the Ethiopian contribution to peacekeeping operations there.  Ethiopian troops have played a critical role in the success of recent peacekeeping operations in Burundi, Ivory Coast, and Liberia, and we commend their pledge to UNAMID." (more)

United States Support Improves Primary-School Education (04/16/08)
More Than One and a Half Million Textbooks Donated Through African Education Initiative

Ambassador Yamamoto officially handed over new English language textbooks to H.E. Dr. Sintayahu Woldemichael, Minister of Education.

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As part of its ongoing commitment to support Ethiopia’s educational system, and an example of the extraordinary collaboration between educators in the United States and Ethiopia, the American people donated today over one and half million English language textbooks to Ethiopia.  The donation is part of President George W. Bush’s Africa Education Initiative, which increases access to quality basic educational opportunities in Africa. The English language textbooks were developed specifically for Ethiopia and are for use in primary schools for grade 5, 6, 7 and 8.  (more)  

Education in a Changing World: From Vision to Action (04/14/08)
United States Holds Africa Regional Education Workshop in Addis Ababa

(L-R) Dr. Thomas Corts, U.S. Coordinator of Basic Education, Dr. Sarah E. Moten, USAID Chief of the Education Division, USAU Ambassador Cindy L. Courville, Dr. Sintayehu Worldemichael, Minister of Education, FDRE President Girma Worldegiorgis and U.S. Ambassador Donald Yamamoto

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The United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Africa Regional Education Workshop entitled ‘Education in a Changing World: From Vision to Action’ will take place in Addis Ababa from April 13 – 18, 2008.  The Honorable President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, President Girma Woldegiorgis, will address over 200 participants at the opening of the workshop. He will be joined by Dr. Sintayehu Woldemichael, the Minister of Education, Ambassador Cindy L. Courville, the U.S. Ambassador to the African Union, and Ambassador Donald Yamamoto, the U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia.

The USAID Africa Regional Education Workshop provides a unique opportunity for educators and policy makers to share knowledge and to create a collective agenda for future education programs in Africa with the shared goal of creating education systems that produce results in, and for, Africa.  Twenty Sub-Saharan African countries will be represented at the workshop by well over 200 participants.  Additional invited guests include leaders and experts of education sector development in Africa. (more)

Education Advisor and Consular Section host media roundtable on student visas (04/03/08)

Press and Information Officer Darragh Paradiso (far right) introduces Consular Chief Paul Cantrell (C ), Consular Officer Scott Driskel (L), and Education Advisor Yoseph Shiferaw (R) to journalist

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As part of our ongoing public outreach to explain our visa procedures, the U.S. Embassy invited Ethiopian journalists to a roundtable discussion.  Consular Section Chief Paul Cantrell explained that to qualify for a student visa, a person must demonstrate that he or she is a legitimate student and is able to fund tuition and other expenses associated with studying abroad.  He noted that the number of student visas issued by the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa has been increasing steadily over the past few years. 

Consular Officer Scott Driskel outlined the documents needed for a student visa interview at the Embassy.  These documents included an "I-20" form from the school where the student has applied and been accepted, a SEVIS fee receipt, and the Electronic Visa Application Form found on our Embassy Website (http://ethiopia.usembassy.gov/how_to_apply_for_niv.html).  Mr. Driskel, who interviews student visa applicants every day, said, "One of the best parts of my job is being able to issue student visas to qualified applicants." (more)

Cultural Envoy, Public Affairs Counselor Share Experience with Photojournalists (04/01/08)

Cultural Envoy Frank Day

On April 1, the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa hosted a workshop for Ethiopian photojournalists.  American Cultural Envoy and fine art photographer Frank Day opened the workshop.  Mr. Day shared his own photography from Ethiopia and other countries.  He showed examples of famous American photojournalists' work to illustrate the power of visual storytelling.  In his talk, Mr. Day emphasized the different kind of shots photographers use to present an event or situation.  He also touched on the difficulties of night photography and portraiture.

U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Counselor Michael McClellan gave a presentation on the "Composition Basics" of photography.  Mr. McClellan talked about and showed examples of basic photographic concepts including line, balance, contrast, movement and framing.  He illustrated the power of a single frame to tell a story and affect public opinion with examples of photos from American historical events like the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement. (more)

American Cultural Envoy Presents "Faces of Mercato" Photo Exhibit (03/25/08)

Chargé d’Affaires Deborah Malac (R ), Frank H. Day, American Cultural Envoy, and Dr. Solomon Ali, Head of Information and Public Relations of Ministry of Culture and Tourism, cutting the ribbon at the exhibition

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Deborah R. Malac, U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires a.i., opened "Faces of Mercato," a photo exhibit by American Cultural Envoy Frank Hallam Day in the Mercato on March 25.

Chargé Malac said at the opening of the exhibition, "Perhaps no other place in Ethiopia highlights the rich diversity of Ethiopia as the Mercato does, and Frank Day’s images convey that rich diversity very well." 

Struck by the beauty of the people and the rich visual contrasts in the market environment, Mr. Day started photographing merchants in Addis Ababa's Mercato in November 2006.  He shot hundreds of portraits and shared copies with the subjects.  The resulting exhibit depicts not only an American view of Addis Ababa's famous market, but also the beauty and diversity to be found in Ethiopia's everyday life. (more)

U.S. Ambassador Donald Yamamoto Presents “International Women of Courage Award for Ethiopia” to Meaza Ashenafi (03/21/08)

U.S. Ambassador Yamamoto awarding Woizero Meaza Ashenafi with certificate of the “International Women of Courage Award for Ethiopia”

U.S. Ambassador Donald Yamamoto presented the “International Women of Courage Award for Ethiopia” to Woizero Meaza Ashenafi, founder and former director of the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association, in a ceremony at the U.S. Embassy on Friday, March 21.

Amb. Yamamoto, quoting the U.S. Secretary of State, said, "women of courage are standing up for freedom and human dignity, and the United States stands with them. We must not forget that the advance of women's rights and the advance of human liberty go hand in hand."

As part of the celebration of International Women's Day and Women's History Month, American Embassies around the world nominate “women of courage” in their respective countries each year for this prestigious award.  The award celebrates exceptional courage and leadership in advocating form women's rights and advancement. (more)

USAID Provides Education Services to 1,800 Schools in Ethiopia (03/13/08)

Ethiopian school girls  (Photo by Paul Whitney)

The American people, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Community-School Partnership Program, have awarded a $10 million contract to the non-governmental organization, Save the Children (USA).  The three-year program will provide support to 1,800 schools in predominately pastoralist communities and remote areas in eight regions of Ethiopia.  (more) 

U.S. Actress, Jessica Lange visits Save the Children PEPFAR Program in Ethiopia (03/09/08)

Actress Jessica Lange

U.S. Actress, Jessica Lange visits Save the Children PEPFAR Program in Ethiopia Over 60 children from Save the Children’s PEPFAR-funded program in Debre Zeit, Ethiopia were on hand to welcome actress and Save the Children Ambassador, Jessica Lange to the community center on Sunday, March 9, 2008.

The children, part of the Positive Change – Children, Communities and Care (PC3) program representing communities hard hit by HIV/AIDS gave their own dramatic performance in a short play demonstrating how to integrate orphans and vulnerable children into communities and families.  (more)

Ethiopian Exports to United States Nearly Double in Two Years (02/28/08)

Ethiopian flower growers display their products at a flower trade show in Miami, Florida, thanks to the support of USAID.

Exports have soared the past two years under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which offers tangible incentives for African countries to continue their efforts to open their economies and build free markets.

USAID VEGA Ethiopia AGOA+, the only bilateral AGOA trade program in Africa, announced that Ethiopia has been making steady gains in its efforts to break into the U.S market.  The AGOA+ project has been working directly with local businesses to increase Ethiopia’s exports to the United States through the AGOA and has seen significant progress so far. (more)

Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation Project Completed (02/13/08)

AFCP fund replaced the roof of the Sheikh Hussein Shrine in Bale

The 2005 project of the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation was the rehabilitation and conservation of Dirre Sheikh Hussein shrine in Bale, Oromia.  Although the project was dedicated at the Millennium Arafa celebration at Dirre Sheikh Hussein on December 19, 2007, the crowd of pilgrims prevented documentation of the completion of the work.  On February 13 Omar Sheikh Aliyu showed the restoration and conservation work to Cultural Attaché Patricia Johnson and Cultural Affairs Assistant Lensa Mekonnen. He expressed his appreciation to the U.S. Embassy for its support for the shrine.

Ambassador Yamamoto Visited MARCH CDC’s Program and the ARC (02/11/08)

Ambassador Yamamoto speaks to Federal Police officers

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On February 11, 2008, Ambassador Yamamoto visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Modeling and Reinforcement to Combat HIV/AIDS (MARCH) program at the Ethiopian Federal Police as well as the AIDS Resource Center (ARC).

MARCH uses models of positive behaviors that reduce the risk of HIV infection through entertaining serial dramas. MARCH reinforces these positive behaviors through peer-to-peer activities that initiate discussion and dialogue around HIV prevention, treatment, stigma, and discrimination. CDC/Ethiopia is currently supporting an innovative program working with the military, the Federal Police and university students to prevent the spread of HIV among these high risk groups. (more)

Cultural Attaché gave lecture on Islam in America (02/09 & 11/08)

Cultural Attaché Patricia Johnson speaking to Dire Dawa University Students

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Cultural Attaché, Patricia Johnson, presented her lecture on “Islam in America: An Historical Perspective,” to 100 students and faculty at Dire Dawa University on February 11, 2008, and to 35 secondary School students, teachers and the media at the Harar Teachers Training College on February 9, 2008.   Mrs. Johnson discussed early Islamic contact with the Americas, including the arrival of Muslims through the slave trade, the development of Islamic-inspired groups such as the Moorish-American Science Temple, immigration of peoples from the Ottoman Empire in the late 19th century and more recent immigration policies that have permitted the immigration of many Muslims to the United States, including many Muslim Ethiopians as immigrants and refugees.  She touched on possible early Muslim Ethiopian contact with the Americas and concluded with a discussion of the post 9/11 climate for Muslims living in the United States.  Participants asked thoughtful questions including what the political views of American Muslims were.  The Cultural Attaché responded with a discussion of the results of the Council of American Islamic Relations’ recent survey on the topic, mentioning that, according to the survey, anti-Americanism abroad affects the lives of Muslims living in the U.S.  Other members of the audience wondered why history emphasized Columbus as the discoverer of America when evidence suggests earlier Muslim contact with the Americas. This was followed by a discussion of the limited impact of early Muslim contact between the New and Old Worlds. 

Photo Exhibition “Building Islam in Detroit” Shows in Ethiopia  (02/06/08 -03/29/08)

Invited guests at the opening ceremony of the photo exhibition in Harar

A photo exhibition documenting the growth of Muslim communities in the American city of Detroit showed in Harar on February 6-8 at Amir Abdullahi Hall, and in Dire Dawa on February 10-11 at the Municipal Library, and will show in Addis Ababa on Fevruary 25-29 at the Municipality Theater.  The photo exhibition, “Building Islam in Detroit,” looks at the diversity of Muslim American life and explores the architecture of the public and private spaces Muslims have built in Detroit since they first began to arrive in the 1890s.  An interdisciplinary team of architects, historians, sociologists and anthropologists from the University of Michigan prepared a multi-media presentation from many traditions in greater Detroit including African-American, Albanian, Syrian, Iraqi, Yemeni and, most recently, Bangladeshi.  Today, roughly 150,000 Muslims live in greater Detroit and worship in over 50 mosques.  (more)

 

Ethiopians Discuss Faith and the American Civil Rights Movement (02/01-13/08)

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It is not every day that one gets the chance to talk with a person who lived, worked, prayed, and struggled with Dr. Martin Luther King, but thousands of Ethiopian students, religious leaders, and ordinary people got to do just that with the Rev. Dr. Elbert Ransom who visited Ethiopia from February 1 – 13.  A pioneer in the American Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Ransom was born in the segregated South of the 1930s where African-Americans had to sit at the back of the bus, drink from separate water fountains, eat in separate sections of restaurants,wait for trains and buses in separate waiting rooms, and speak and act toward police in ways that Whites did not have to act.  Inspired by Dr. King, who Ransom met as a teenager in Montgomery, Alabama, and the example of Mrs. Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her bus seat to a white man, Dr. Ransom became an enthusiastic participant in the Civil Rights Movement, working for and with Dr. King right up until his assassination.  In doing so, he became a living link for today’s new generation of young people around the world who want to learn from the American struggle to advance the rights of African-Americans to live in peace, dignity, and with equal rights before the law. (more)