Tracing the Journey Behind the Creation of the Monument

Families of victims, Ethiopian officials, and aviation representatives gathered on March 10, 2026, at the ET-302 Memorial Park near the crash site to mark the seventh anniversary of the tragic crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. The ceremony honored the 157 lives lost in one of the deadliest aviation disasters of the past decade.

The remembrance included the laying of flowers and wreaths, moments of silence, and prayers at the memorial site in Gimbichu Woreda of the Oromia Region, where the aircraft crashed in 2019. For many relatives who travel from around the world, returning each year has become both a tribute to their loved ones and a reminder of the ongoing call for accountability and stronger aviation safety standards that followed the tragedy.

A day after the anniversary, on March 11, a special commemorative event was organized by Prologue Communications as part of its Culture Talk program. Held at the memorial site, the event featured a guided tour tracing the story behind the creation of the ET-302 Memorial Park. Ambassadors, dignitaries, architects, representatives of the victims’ families, and professionals involved in the project attended the gathering.

The number seven holds particular significance in the Orthodox Christian faith, adding symbolic meaning to the commemoration. Moments of silent reflection were accompanied by hymns performed by Ermias Haylay using the Begena, a traditional instrument closely associated with Ethiopia’s Orthodox religious heritage.

The remembrance was followed by a panel discussion and question-and-answer session with individuals closely connected to both the tragedy and the development of the memorial. Participants included Dumisani Sibandze, Director for Africa at Blake Emergency Services and one of the first responders at the crash site; Samira Yaser Eissa, representing families who lost loved ones; Yasser Bagersh, founder and CEO of Prologue Events; Alberto Elmi, Director at Elmi Olindo Contractors; and architect Alebel Desta, founder of Alebel Desta Consulting Architects and Engineers and ZigZag Space. The discussion was moderated by architect Maheder Gebremedhin, founder of Yema Architects and The Urban Centre.

The forum offered visitors deeper insight into the complex and emotional process of creating the memorial park—an enduring space for remembrance, reflection, and healing.

During the discussion, Samira recalled the devastating events of March 10, 2019, when Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, crashed just six minutes after departing from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport en route to Nairobi. All 157 people on board—149 passengers and eight crew members—lost their lives when the aircraft went down near Bishoftu, about 45 kilometers southeast of Addis Ababa.

Samira, who lost both her father and sister in the crash, spoke about the difficult years that followed. She became one of the prominent advocates for victims’ families through the ET-302 Families Foundation memorial committee. According to her, the initial uncertainty surrounding the cause of the crash deeply affected many families. Over time, however, the collective effort to seek accountability and preserve the memory of those who died became an important part of her personal healing journey.

Subsequent investigations found that the crash was primarily caused by a malfunction in the aircraft’s Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), which repeatedly pushed the plane’s nose downward. The disaster led to the worldwide grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX fleet while safety improvements were implemented. The accident remains the deadliest in the history of Ethiopian Airlines.

Reflecting on the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, Dumisani described arriving at the crash site within hours of the disaster. He coordinated with local and international teams to assist in recovery operations, including the painstaking process of collecting and identifying remains before arranging their return to families across 35 countries and four continents.

Yasser explained that his involvement began in early 2020, just months before the first anniversary of the tragedy. His role, he said, was largely one of service—helping facilitate dialogue between the victims’ families and stakeholders, including the aircraft manufacturer Boeing.

Designing the memorial presented its own challenges, according to architect Alebel Desta. His firm’s proposal was selected through an international architectural design competition. The project had to represent victims from diverse cultures, religions, and nationalities while creating a unified and dignified space of remembrance.

Located at the crash site, the memorial park was developed through extensive consultations with the victims’ families and financed by Boeing. Alebel explained that the design symbolically follows the aircraft’s final trajectory, guiding visitors through the landscape toward the crash site.

The memorial features four inclined monument structures representing the continents from which the victims came. Constructed by Elmi Olindo Contractors using materials intended to harmonize with the surrounding landscape and endure over time, the park includes landscaped pathways leading visitors through spaces designed for reflection and mourning. Bronze plaques engraved with the names of all 157 victims line the monument walls, ensuring their memory is permanently honored.

The project has also received international architectural recognition. The ET-302 Memorial was named Popular Choice Winner in the Religious Buildings and Memorials category at the Architizer A+Awards and was selected as a winner at the ArchDaily Building of the Year Awards 2026 in the Best Applied Product category, chosen from more than 3,000 projects worldwide and voted on by readers from over 100 countries.

During the discussion, moderator Maheder asked participants how they hope the memorial contributes to remembrance and healing.

Yasser said the experience reinforced the importance of empathy and service, emphasizing the goal of creating a space where families feel represented and respected.

Alebel added that the memorial was designed to transcend cultural and religious differences, bringing together victims from four continents and more than thirty countries in a shared place of remembrance.

Representing the construction team, Alberto Elmi said building the memorial carried a profound responsibility. “We understood that we were not simply constructing a physical structure,” he said, “but helping create a lasting tribute to the victims.”

Speaking on behalf of the families, Samira said the memorial provides a place where loved ones are remembered together. While the pain of loss remains, she noted, the park offers a sense of connection and recognition, ensuring that the memory of the 157 victims will continue to endure.

Families involved in the initiative also expressed hope that the memorial will remain open and accessible, eventually becoming a self-sustaining site where visitors from around the world can come freely to reflect and remember.

Ethiopia has launched a new Research-to-Policy Hub aimed at strengthening the link between academic research and government policymaking, in an effort to ensure that development strategies are increasingly guided by evidence.

The hub was officially inaugurated on March 11, 2026, and is expected to serve as a collaborative platform connecting research institutions with government agencies responsible for economic planning and policy implementation.

Among the key partners involved are global research organizations including CGIAR, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), which will work closely with national institutions such as the Ministry of Planning and Development (Ethiopia).

Officials say the initiative seeks to address a long-standing gap between research production and policy implementation. While numerous studies have been conducted by local and international researchers over the years, many have had limited influence on policy decisions due to weak institutional linkages and limited access to timely data.

At the same time, policymakers often face challenges obtaining reliable and up-to-date information needed to address complex development issues.

Alemayehu Seyoum, a senior research fellow at IFPRI, said the hub aims to foster closer collaboration between researchers and policymakers.

“Our objective is to ensure that policy recommendations are grounded in tested evidence,” he said. “By working together on data generation and analysis, we can strengthen the country’s capacity to develop practical and effective policy solutions.”

In a context where Ethiopia faces wide-ranging development needs—from infrastructure expansion and agricultural productivity to health services and fertilizer supply—while operating with limited resources, the hub is expected to provide analytical support to help prioritize investments.

Officials say the initiative will help policymakers identify sectors where public spending and reforms can deliver the greatest social and economic impact.

The program also aligns with several of Ethiopia’s major policy frameworks, including the Homegrown Economic Reform Agenda 2.0, the Ten-Year Development Plan (2021–2030), and the country’s Food Systems Transformation strategy.

As policymakers contend with challenges such as rapid urbanization, climate change, technological disruption, and global economic uncertainty, demand for evidence-based decision-making has become increasingly urgent.

The launch of the hub also marks the beginning of a broader policy dialogue platform expected to run over the next two years. Through collaboration with national institutions, the initiative aims to develop research agendas tailored to Ethiopia’s priorities, provide analytical support for major investments and legislative reforms, and strengthen the analytical capacity of local institutions.

The initiative forms part of the broader CGIAR Policy Innovation Program, which is currently being implemented in Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Malawi, and Nigeria.

The program is aligned with CGIAR’s 2030 strategy, which focuses on transforming food, land, and water systems through science-based solutions, particularly as climate change increasingly affects agricultural and development outcomes.

Banks Accused of Squeezing Industry Amid Financing Shortages

Manufacturers are raising concerns over tightening access to credit and rising borrowing costs, accusing private banks of failing to adequately support Ethiopia’s productive sectors.

At a recent consultative forum organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations, industry representatives expressed frustration with what they described as a “suffocating” financial environment that is constraining production and investment.

Participants said many private banks are turning away manufacturing clients early in the fiscal year, often citing lending limits imposed by the National Bank of Ethiopia.

“A manufacturer cannot simply stop production and wait until the next budget cycle,” said Ayicheluhim Kebede, a representative of the Chamber, noting that some companies report being denied loans as early as September, just months after the fiscal year begins in July.

The central bank recently raised the annual credit growth ceiling for banks from 14 percent to 18 percent, with some institutions permitted to expand lending by as much as 24 percent. However, stakeholders say the demand for capital in the manufacturing sector continues to far exceed available financing.

Manufacturers argue that limited access to credit is preventing them from purchasing raw materials and maintaining production levels, potentially slowing industrial growth.

Interest rate volatility was also raised as a major concern. Several participants said loans initially issued at rates of 14 or 15 percent are often revised upward within months, sometimes reaching 23 to 24.5 percent.

For industries with longer production cycles—such as textiles and leather—such fluctuations can significantly disrupt business planning and cash flow.

“A manufacturer should be focused on production and innovation,” Ayicheluhim said. “Instead, many are preoccupied with managing rising financing costs.”

Participants also pointed to what they see as a disconnect between the banking sector’s financial performance and the struggles of the real economy. While banks continue to report strong profits and expand their physical presence in Addis Ababa, manufacturers say access to finance remains a persistent challenge.

Strict collateral requirements further complicate borrowing. According to industry representatives, securing a 20 million birr loan may require property collateral valued at 50 to 60 million birr—a threshold that many small and medium-sized manufacturers cannot meet.

The concerns were raised during a public–private consultative forum titled “Efficient and Reliable Supply of Finance and Workspace for Rapid Investment and Development,” held on March 12, 2026.

Speaking at the event, Zehara Mohammed, president of the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations, said the Chamber organizes such forums to address key constraints facing businesses, particularly access to finance and land.

Hassan Hussein, CEO of the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of Ethiopia, also highlighted land and finance shortages as major barriers to business expansion and entrepreneurship.

Experts at the forum noted that banks’ lending capacity is influenced not only by deposits but also by the availability and quality of borrower information. Fragmented and incomplete financial data, they said, can complicate credit assessment and slow lending decisions.

To address these challenges, some participants suggested establishing an integrated financial data management system to improve transparency and streamline credit evaluation processes.

On the sidelines of the event, the Chamber signed a memorandum of understanding with the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of Ethiopia, the Addis Ababa Trade Goods Enterprise, and Awash Bank.

The agreement aims to improve access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises, promote job creation and skills development, and strengthen the role of the private sector in stabilizing product supply and prices.