Total as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility Program, supported durable access to safe drinking water and sanitation project for the vulnerable population of Kacha Kalayo kebele, Boreda woreda – Gamo Gofa Zone –Southern Ethiopia
The objective of the project is to contribute towards the Millennium Development Goals and improve the sanitary conditions by facilitating and supporting access to potable water and basic sanitation facilities for rural communities.
This project has been initiated and financially supported by Total Ethiopia and implemented by Inter Aid France. Total Foundation supported Inter Aide France for the water project in the Scheme of “You act, we help!” Employee projects. With these support, 1722 remote families and 350 indirect beneficiaries have a permanent access to safe drinking water through the construction of 6 water points, as well as 2700 cattle heads.
During the past four years, Total Ethiopia and Total Foundation also supported over a million Birr to durable access to safe drinking water and sanitation for the vulnerable population of Mida Zalo kebele, Loma Wereda – Dawro zone and constructed six water points. With this support more than 4000 people are getting potable water service.
Total supports durable access to safe drinking water in Southern Ethiopia
New taxi app service seeks to empower women, disabled
Another ride sharing app company is joining the market with a focus on attracting employees with disabilities by offering them a chance to purchase the cars at a lower interest rate. Women and owners of the old blue Lada taxies will get priority when it comes to purchasing the cars as well.
Hello Taxi, is a sister company of Cloud Worldwide Trading PLC and has been working for three years to develop the platform which will utilize GPS and Google Map to help monitor the cars and for drivers to locate customers’ destinations.
“The entire system really helps to prevent crime and gives confidence to the clients,” said Daniel Yohannis the General Manager of the company.
The service can work on offline by using a call center for a small cost.
The company has already agreed to work with Prince -import -Export Company and Marathon Motor Engineering to deliver the vehicles which will be 2016 Toyota Yaris and 2019 Hyundai cars.
To purchase the vehicles and work with Hello Taxi, a person needs to fork over 30 percent of the purchase price for a down payment fee. The rest is covered by a loan with Abyssinia Bank, which they must pay off in five years at a normal interest rate. People who have disabilities are an exception to this rule, they are entitled to interest free loans.
Both the imported and assembled cars will cost around a million birr.
Daniel says 250 vehicles have been transferred to drivers this week.
The vehicles will have a code 1 plate and be painted yellow in accordance Transport Authority regulations. Their price will be based on the meter taxi rates set by the Authority.
The cars are safe, fuel efficient and minimize their carbon footprint.
The company offers training in customer handling, and technology to its employees.
Marathon Motor engineering, which is one of the top car assembly in Africa will expected to deliver the latest Model of Hyundai before the year ends.
Riders can obtain silver, gold and platinum cards which offer incentives for repeat customers.
The company plans to expand and offer service in Bahir Dar, Adama, Mekele, Hawassa and other parts of the country.
Since March 2017 at least six taxi hailing services have entered the Addis market.
100 years for kids
In a Centenary celebration event that brought virtual reality experience to the fore, Save the Children in Ethiopia marked the 100th year anniversary on November 3, 2019 at the Hilton Hotel.
On the occasion, Inger Ashing, Save the Children International CEO, made a keynote address. Inger said that as a country where Save the Children has worked for a long time and runs one of its biggest Country Offices, “Ethiopia is the first country I chose to visit at my current position as CEO of Save the Children International, and I am delighted to be here and be able to celebrate the 100 years with you.”
Inger also spoke of the bravery of Eglantine Jebb, the founder of Save the Children, who she quoted as saying “We are at war with Germany, but we are not at war with German Children.” Inger said Jebb even went to prison for making that statement which was not a popular thing to say in the UK in 1919, and she expressed her commitment to helping children in need.
Jebb’s determination to work for the wellbeing of children manifested itself in more ways than one, and Inger reminded event attendants that Jeb drafted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1923 which was later adopted by the United Nation to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In her speech, Inger also highlighted Save the Children’s work in Ethiopia in Health, Nutrition, WASH, Child Protection and Child Rights Governance and Livelihoods and Resilience.
This event brought together officials of the Ethiopian government and representatives of multilaterally and non-government organizations, as well as representatives of multilaterally and non-government organizations and embassy.
United Insurance inaugurates new HQ
The 25-year-old United Insurance inaugurates a 300 million birr building five years after the groundbreaking ceremony.
The new high rise sits on a 2,000 sqm plot around ‘Tewodros Square’. The 12-storey building has three basements which can be used to park 500 cars.
The design and construction of the office was done by Geretta Consult and Zamra construction Plc.
United Insurance leased the land to build the headquarters from a third party 20 years ago however as Tesfaye Desta, deputy operational manager of the Insurance Company told Capital, at the time United was looking for more land from the government to make a bigger building. However, when they were unable to secure more they decided to begin building on the plot they had. “Even though we waited for a long time for permission to build a better building than this we didn’t get it so we decided to start the building.”
United also had three other buildings one at Bahirdar and Bole Medhanialem which they rent out for extra income and use as a branch office and another at Kality which is used for similar purposes as well as storing damaged equipment.
United was headquartered in a rented space at the Ethiopian Workers Association building when it started operating, and after merging with Lion Insurance, United moved to Alta Awlo building near ‘Beklobet’.
The United Insurance Company SC, better known as, “UNIC-ETHIOPIA” was established by 87 Ethiopians (individuals and enterprises) in November 1994 with an authorized capital of 25 million birr and an initial paid up capital of 8.073 million birr. Following the merger with Lion Insurance Company SC in 2002, the company is currently owned by more than 500 shareholders.
Currently, the Company’s authorized capital is 600 million birr and 1.6 billion birr in assets with 50 branches all over the country.
Meseret Bezabeh, CEO of United Insurance said “UNIC-ETHIOPIA’’ aims to be the best insurance company in Ethiopia, the most professional, most commercial, and most responsible by providing complete insurance coverage at economic rates, honest, prompt, and courteous claims services, to fully satisfy all its constituencies: customers, shareholders, employees, society and the environment.
In its 25 years, United has been building its capacity, said Meseret.
United sells motor insurance, travel insurance, funeral insurance, fire insurance and political violence insurance, which has been put in place due to the instability in the nation. The CEO said the insurance paid over 1.7 million birr to one customer who have a political violence insurance. Many customers have been asking to purchase the insurance but United has not offered it to them. Meseret says that because of the insecure situation they may have to pay out more in compensation than they are able to.
