Worancha ወራንቻ

(globalvoicesonline.org) It takes a great deal of time to travel anywhere in Addis Ababa. The traffic requires you to be enormously patient. Using Ethiopia’s telecom services requires a similar level of patience. You send a text message to someone you’re supposed to meet, to let her know you’re running late, likely because of a traffic jam. But you might well arrive long before the message shows up on your friend’s phone, which could be hours or even days later. In Ethiopia, more than 40 percent of text messages are not delivered on time, or simply never reach the recipient. Calls often drop in the middle of a conversation, and the airtime on pre-paid mobile phone cards is usually less than what’s advertised. During the rainy season, it’s not unusual to experience extended network outages for hours at a time, even in the capital. In the first half of 2014 alone, state media reported that more than 25 network outages occurred nationwide. And when the networks are up, they’re pai

DENVER--( BUSINESS WIRE )-- Marley Coffee  (OTCQB:JAMN), the sustainably grown, ethically farmed and artisan-roasted premium coffee company, is announcing its support for the non-profit  Water Wise Coffee ™  program with a  new documentary and crowdfunding campaign  created in conjunction with strategic partner Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee, as part of their broader commitment to sustainability. “Coffee connects us in so many ways – to each other, to our senses and to the earth that provides for us” Launching today, International Earth Day, consumers can view the documentary featuring Rohan Marley, son of legendary musician Bob Marley [Robert Nesta Marley O.M.] and Founder of Marley Coffee, which highlights the economic and human impact of coffee production and the importance of long term sustainability. Additionally, supporters can contribute to the crowdfunding campaign to support Water Wise Coffee in cleaning the Sidama region’s wet mills in Ethiopia, the birthplace of

The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), in cooperation with Julie Ward MEP (S&D), Soraya Post MEP (S&D), Ana Gomes MEP (S&D), Jordi Sebasti à MEP (G/EFA), Bodil Ceballos MEP (G/EFA)  and the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), will be convening a high-level conference entitled ‘Cartoon Democracy – Authoritarian Rule and Elections in Ethiopia’ at the European Parliament in Brussels on 23 April 2015 from 09:00 to 12:30. Taking place ahead of the Ethiopian National Election on 24 May 2015, this timely conference will analyse the current political climate in Ethiopia and the deeper structural issues shaping it. Bringing together Ethiopian minority and opposition leaders as well as international experts and politicians, it aims to offer a platform for dialogue where existing challenges can be openly addressed and possible opportunities for democratic change explored. In May 2010, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) wo

More than 20,500 up-to-date textbooks and recent scholarly journals – that’s over 33,000 pounds of materials packed into 641 boxes – are on their way to Hawassa University in Ethiopia, thanks to a dedicated group of volunteers and a generous commitment from Colorado State University. CSU and Hawassa signed a memorandum of understanding to develop collaborative relationships between the two universities’ colleges of agriculture and natural resources in 2012. When CSU President Tony Frank visited the natural resources college at Hawassa University three years ago, he said, “I came away from our visit to Ethiopia feeling very enthusiastic about the possibilities, large and small. So much of the credit for our strong ties in the country and with Hawassa University lies with (Natural Resource Ecology Lab research scientist) Paul Evangelista, whose personal passion and research interests have laid the groundwork for an enduring partnership around areas of real strength at CSU: wildli

It was in 1939, during Ethiopia's brief occupation by Italy that the first garment factory was established. Since then, the sector has come a long way and 130 medium and large scale textile factories have opened, of which 37 are owned by foreign investors. Hawassa Textile S.C. is one of the oldest companies, which was established in 1989 under state ownership but as of 2011, the ownership was transferred to Dukem Textile Plc at a cost of 37 million Br. The company produces bed sheets and foam mattress covers, school uniforms, workers uniforms and thread. Of all its products, only thread has made it to the international market, said Eyasu Atnafu, general manager of Hawassa Textile S.C. According to Amanuel Girma, branch manager of Almeda Textile, just like Hawassa Textile S.C., his company also exports only 20pc of its total production, the rest being sold in the local market. Almeda Textile Plc, established in February 1996, by the Endowment Fund for the Rehabilitation of Tig