Supporting children’s education and making meaningful connections within the communities it serves, Emirates has engaged with 6 entities across Africa to provide more than 1,300 handmade schoolbags and essential stationary supplies to young students. Each schoolbag is a piece of history – a limited-edition bag from Emirates’ Aircrafted range, made from the fabrics and parts of Emirates’ iconic aircraft. The distribution across Africa kickstarts a larger initiative by Emirates to repurpose and upcycle materials for the benefit of children across the globe.

In Zimbabwe, Emirates collaborated with St Marcellin’s Children’s Village Trust and Rose of Sharon, two not-for-profit entities that care for vulnerable children, and provide a nurturing and inspirational space for children’s education. In Zambia, Emirates partnered with the Kucetekela Foundation, supporting academically promising, financially disadvantaged children, and the Alliance for Children Everywhere (ACE) Zambia, protecting families and vulnerable children and strengthening communities through economic empowerment and education. In Ethiopia, Emirates worked with Bravehearts Ethiopia, an NGO devoted to empowering vulnerable children with a focus on quality education, and also with Roots Ethiopia, which focuses on supporting several aspects of children’s education, specifically in rural areas. Through the Emirates Airline Foundation, Emirates has a long history of supporting children’s welfare programmes, and Aircrafted Kids is an extension of this work.

The Russian Red Cross Hospital named after Dejazmach Balcha in Addis Ababa received a shipment of modern Russian-made medical equipment for diagnostics, surgical intervention and resuscitation. The delivery, which took place within the framework of the Agreement between the Ministry of Health of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Russian Red Cross, was an important step in the modernization of the medical institution. The equipment was handed over during the visit of the Minister of Health of the Russian Federation Mikhail Murashko.

The list of equipment includes stationary and mobile artificial ventilation devices for adults and children, anesthesia breathing systems, diagnostic ultrasound systems, mobile X-ray machines, as well as a number of other medical devices essential for the diagnosis and treatment of patients. The equipment of the health facility shall foster the opportunities for Russian and Ethiopian specialists working at the Hospital to provide high-quality and prompt assistance as well as increase the availability of medical care for citizens of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

The Ministry of Finance and Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the African Trade Insurance Agency (ATIDI), a leading pan-African multilateral trade and investment insurer. This milestone agreement is designed to accelerate Ethiopia’s transition to clean energy by attracting foreign investment into renewable energy projects through ATIDI’s Regional Liquidity Support Facility (RLSF).

The MoU establishes a framework for collaboration between Ethiopia and ATIDI, ensuring that Independent Power Producers (IPPs) or Public Private Partnerships can leverage RLSF, a liquidity support mechanism developed by ATIDI in partnership with KfW Development Bank and Norad. RLSF provides financial protection to IPPs/PPPs by availing and accelerating payments owed by state-owned utilities, addressing a key challenge in the energy sector by enhancing payment security and financial stability.

“We are honored to partner with the Government of Ethiopia and Ethiopian Electric Power to support the development of the country’s renewable energy sector. Through our liquidity support, this collaboration will not only reduce financial risks but also attract more investment into Ethiopia’s energy infrastructure. We believe that this partnership will help accelerate the growth of Ethiopia’s renewable energy capacity and contribute to the broader goal of sustainable development across the African continent,” said CEO, ATIDI Manuel Moses,

Twelve grants are available for up to £10,000 each (local currency equivalent) – 6 in Uganda, 3 in Kenya and 3 in Ethiopia to implement clean energy projects in displacement settings.

The grants will be administered by Ashden – a climate solutions charity which supports community-led renewable energy solutions in the Global South and the UK.

Ashden’s new ‘Inclusive Investment Pilots’ will support clean energy projects, such as solar power, clean cooking technology, and productive use renewable energy solutions which are delivered by, and serve, refugees and displaced people. The work builds on Ashden’s Powering Refugees and Displaced People Award which was launched in 2020.

Successful applicants will also receive technical assistance and communications support to build their projects into revenue generating energy delivery models. Isona Shibata, Head of International Programmes at Ashden and author of a report on Refugee-led Energy Access, says: “Ashden are pleased to expand our work on humanitarian energy access with grants to earlier stage renewable energy and clean cooking projects led by and for refugees and displaced people.