French charity organization, Bleu Blanc Rouge Foundation launches the second phase of its Wubanchi project named after a girl killed by a drunken man who tried to rape her.
The foundation officially launched the project in a ceremony held March 23, 2023 at the Skylight Hotel in the presence of government officials and partners. As indicated on the launching event, Wubanchi Project is centered on supporting, improving and sustaining the lives of institutionally vulnerable children through community based services and was created directly by Bleu Blanc Rouge Foundation to support young people in and ageing out of the care system.
The project aims to take care of orphans by bringing them together through; building houses with a family setup, education including training, reintegration, and rehabilitation. As a result, the project envisions rebuilding the lives of children into the society by allowing them to become productive citizens with independent lives.
As indicated, the project is titled after the name of a girl named Wubanchi who was a victim of a poor care system, who left her orphanage when she was 15 when it got shut down and manage to live by sponsors together with her two friends. Wubanchi’s life tragically came to an end when she raped and brutally killed in Addis Ababa, seven years ago in 2016, at the tender age of 17.
The foundation has budgeted 206 million birr to implement the project which is said to stay for three years from 2023-2025.
“Wubanchi provides residential homes and wrap-around support to vulnerable young people who came out from orphanages which shut down due to certain reasons in Ethiopia, and provides physical, social, and psychological assistance, as well as education and training,” said Tsedey Tefera, Country Manager of Bleu Blanc Rouge Foundation.
The project will benefit a total of 750 citizens. Out of those 400 will be directly supported by establishing houses with family contents, and the rest will be youths in fostering centers under government institutions.
Bleu Blanc Rouge Foundation has been working in Ethiopia since 2019 after launching its Wubanchi project which supports teenagers who left orphanages and slowly adjusts and inserts the orphans back into society and assist them to be socially and economically independent.
Teen, young adult care project – Wubanchi launches a second phase
AENCon23 to fast-track renewable energy investment in Ethiopia, Tanzania
Bringing together projects, technology & financing in Addis Ababa
The AENCon23 Renewable Energy Investment Conference will be held at the Sheraton Hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 25-26 April 2023 to engage international financiers and technology providers on renewable energy investment opportunities in Ethiopia and Tanzania.
In partnership with the Ministry of Water and Energy of Ethiopia and the Ministry of Energy of Tanzania and their respective utility companies, African Energy Now is hosting AENCon23 to showcase concrete opportunities in existing and upcoming renewable energy projects, including in solar, wind, hydro and geothermal energy.
According to Moritz Weigel, Executive Director, African Energy Now “AENCon23 will allow participants to gain latest insights into the renewable energy sector of Ethiopia and Tanzania and to engage bilaterally with decision-makers through pre-scheduled 1-on-1 meetings throughout the two conference days. We look forward to welcoming financial institutions and technology providers in the beautiful and vibrant city of Addis Ababa”.
Ethiopia, with a population of 120 million and strong economic growth, has a rapidly increasing demand for electricity. The Government of Ethiopia aims to invest USD 40 billion over the next ten years to expand its hydropower generation capacity, while also increasing power generation from solar, wind and geothermal sources. Ethiopia has undertaken comprehensive reforms to attract investment into its renewable energy sector, including by restructuring its utility companies, introducing a new public-private partnership (PPP)/independent power producers (IPPs) framework, and paving the way for becoming a regional power supplier to neighboring countries as part of the Eastern Africa Power Pool.
Tanzania, with a population of 62 million and steady economic growth, is well endowed with solar, wind, hydro and geothermal energy sources. The Government of Tanzania is committed to the energy transition and entered into a series of new international partnerships for unleashing the country’s vast renewable energy potential. To facilitate investment in the sector, the government has converted debt of its utility companies into equity in a move to strengthen the companies’ balance sheets. At the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP 27 in November 2022, President Samia Suluhu Hassan presented a USD 18 billion investment case for powering the Southern African Power Pool with renewables. Tanzania is part of both the Eastern and the Southern African power pools and therefore holds great potential to serve regional and inter-regional power supplier.
African Energy Now (AEN) is a grant-funded programme that supports African governments to secure financing for investment-ready projects in the renewable energy sector. AEN provides expertise on technical and financial aspects of renewable energy projects and supports investments from the initial engagement of investors up to negotiated terms for financial close.
Kejelcha threatens world 5km record in Lille
Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha crept even closer to the world 5km record in Lille on Sunday (19), clocking 12:50 in the French city.
The two-time world indoor champion came close to Berihu Aregawi’s world record of 12:49 in Herzogenaurach last year, setting a PB of 12:53. One year on from that, Kejelcha took another crack at the mark and fell just one second shy of the record, but was still rewarded with a PB.
Compatriots Telahun Haile Bekele and Yasin Haji, as well as Kenya’s Jacob Krop, ran alongside Kejelcha as they passed through the first kilometre in 2:32. But Kejelcha soon started to make an early break, and by the time he reached 3km in 7:40, he had a seven-second lead over Bekele, Tesfaye Kidanu and world U20 1500m champion Reynold Kipkorir.
Kejelcha continued to pull away in the final two kilometres in a bid to finish inside the existing world record, but he stopped the clock at 12:50. Nevertheless, he now moves up to second on the world all-time list – one place above Joshua Cheptegei – after winning the race by 14 seconds.
Kipkorir finished second in 13:04 from Bekele (13:07).
The women’s race was even closer with Caroline Nyaga just getting the better of world steeplechase bronze medalist Mekides Abebe at the finish, both athletes clocking 14:35.
In other races in Lille, Gemechu Dida won the men’s half marathon in a tight race with Emmanuel Kiprop, 27:12 to 27:13. The women’s race was similarly close as Dorcas Kimeli finished two seconds ahead of fellow Kenyan Mercyline Cherono in 30:48.
Berihun goes No2 all times 10km race in Laredo
Worldcross country silver medallist Berihu Aregawi stormed to a 26:33 10km win in the northern Spanish town of Laredo.
In doing so, the Ethiopian 22-year-old achieved the second-fastest men’s 10km of all time behind Rhonex Kipruto’s world record of 26:24 set in Valencia three years ago. He also broke the Ethiopian record by 23 seconds.
Aregawi is the world record-holder for 5km, a feat he managed in Barcelona on 31 December 2021 thanks to a 12:49 run, and he had set his sights on the 10km world record since then.
Contesting only his second ever 10km race and wearing his usual orange and blue outfit, Aregawi overtook the pacemaker just before the first kilometre mark then went through the halfway point in 13:10, a world record on track.
Despite running without a pacemaker and being hampered by slightly rainy conditions, a brave final effort of 2:36 for the closing kilometre, he was just outside his goal.
“I have mixed feelings as the race was great but I had set the goal of breaking the world record,” he said. “Running on my own for almost the whole race was not easy but the main handicap for me was the tight turns as the road was wet and I was afraid of slipping at the zebra crossings. But anyway, I’m really satisfied.”
Wayback, the 22-year-old ethiopian-Irish Efrem Gidey beat his rivals in the chasing pack after a thrilling sprint to take the runner-up spot in 28:17 to Mortimer’s 28:18, while Spanish 3000m steeplechase record-holder Carro was given the same time in fourth.
