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3 Year / #33 / December 2021 ABYSSINIA BUSINESS NETWORK

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H ME

SWEETHOME

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Editorial Team MANAGING DIRECTOR Daniel Tiruneh

MANAGING EDITOR Getachew Alemu

EDITOR IN CHIEF Aklile Tsige aklile08@gmail.com +251 911 837 863

STAFF WRITERS Samuel Teka Mekdes Paulos Ketema Kebede

Teshome Fantahun

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Josephine Wawira Kamba Anthony Joseph Oduha

Designer Daniel Tiruheh Photo Sol Image

Daniel Tiruneh

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EDITORIAL

Edi

Welcoming

Diaspora

International migration has increased significantly since the early 1990s and is now an integral part of globalization. One of the main characteristics of this migration is the size of the youth involved. Indeed, the examination of the architecture of international migration clearly shows a strong dominance of the mobility of the active population. Africa, which is largely involved in this phenomenon, is characterized by high emigration to developed OECD3 countries. Moreover, the highly skilled emigration rate from Africa especially west and East Africa is among the highest in the world. Recently, the contribution of Ethiopian Diasporas has been increasing in every direction. The government also established the diaspora agency so as to create conducive environment for diaspora who would like to contribute to their nation. Hence, they are doing different activities that helps their county. Accordingly, the Diasporas have been contributing in all walks of life. Their contributions have been observed in health center, Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), education sectors and the like. Through the effective coordination and implementation of policy, governments are seeking to improve economic growth through increased investment and increased levels of remittances, the transfer of knowledge to the country of origin, enhancements in human and social capital, and a more skilled workforce, all of which can be

impacted by effective mobilization of the diaspora and return the economies to the "#nomore" of positive growth. The Ethiopian government invited its global diaspora and their friends to return to the first’s homeland over the holiday season, which it says would represent a Great Ethiopian Homecoming. This isn’t just a slogan but a policy of tangible substance aimed at bolstering the country’s “democratic security”. In line with this call various governmental and non-governmental institutions are expressing their commitment to providing reliable and encouraging services to the Diaspora. Ethiopian Airlines, for instance, has introduced a 30% discount from January 1 to January 31 for one million Ethiopian members of Diaspora invited to attend this year’s Christmas in their motherland. The diaspora is expected to share experiences from their trip on social media, which will show their non-Ethiopian friends that everything that they heard about that country from the Mainstream Media was a lie. They’ll see for themselves through their Ethiopian friends’ pictures and videos that Africa’s second most populous country is peaceful, people are enjoying their lives, and there’s no credible risk of it collapsing. The Great Ethiopian Homecoming is a democratic security masterstroke. It’ll help the country’s local businesses at a pivotal moment, embolden foreign investors to resist external fake news pressure to curtail and ultimately close their businesses there, and show Westerners that they’ve been egregiously lied to by their own governments about everything related to this conflict. These outcomes will greatly strengthen the common cause of national unity, therefore dealing a powerful blow to the US-led West’s Hybrid War destabilization campaign. Through its Great Ethiopian Homecoming, Ethiopia might even pioneer a creative democratic security solution for other victimized African states to follow. We say ‘Home sweet home’ to all Diaspora coming to their homeland. Abyssinia Business Network / ABN / 2021

Aklile Tsige

Editor-In-Chief

Aklile Tsige is a journalist, a documentary script writer, director and narrator, movie subtitlemaker and Aviation English Language Rater. His work has earned him numerous recognitions and certificates from various film production companies in the country. Currently Aklile is engaged in freelance writing for different media houses, and also serves as Editor-in-Chief for Abyssinia Business Network/ABN/. He has studied English Language and Literature for his under graduate study and Journalism and Communications,Graduate School of Journalism and Communications Addis Ababa University.

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Diasporas Role in National Development

Overview

Diasporas are important parts of the world’s economies. According to the United Nations, there are at least 200 million people living outside their countries of origin. In fact, study from the World Bank found that diaspora communities around the world contribute to economic growth. This is because diaspora communities often inject funds into their home countries through remittances and investments. As a result, they provide jobs and help grow small businesses in their home countries. Diaspora 06

communities

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economic growth in a variety of ways. They increase trade, investment, and tourism. They also help to spread wealth from developed countries to developing ones. In addition, diaspora communities often have skills that can be utilized in development-related endeavors such as local microenterprises, hightech industries, entrepreneurship, and investment. The contributions these populations make through diasporic networks should not be underestimated. This article will explore how diaspora communities can help to attain development. Diasporas can and, in many cases, also do play an important role beyond sending remittances in their country of origin, they can promote trade and foreign direct investment (FDI), create businesses and spur entrepreneurship, and transfer new knowledge and skills. While some policymakers continue to see their nationals abroad as a loss, more and more are recognizing that an engaged diaspora can be an asset or even a counterweight to the emigration of skilled and talented migrants. Yet while some governments have worked with diaspora members on discrete projects, relatively few governments have succeeded in proactively engaging their Diasporas to find areas of mutual interest for practical collaboration. Governments of countries of origin also are increasingly recognizing their Diasporas as sources of knowledge, skills, investment, and business connections. In addition, Diasporas may bring new

ETHIOPIAN

The term Diaspora is used to describe populations that have migrated out of their home country for various reasons. There are currently over 200 countries with large populations living abroad. This includes both emigrants who have permanently left their home country, as well as temporary immigrants who have returned home after residing elsewhere for a certain period of time. There are many reasons why people migrate from one country to another. Some are seeking better opportunities, some are escaping conflict or poverty, and others are simply looking for a change of scenery. More commonly, people have always migrated to areas where they can earn a better living. The rise of the middle class in the 20th century was the result of globalization and immigration. More recently, many diaspora communities have contributed to the economic growth in their host countries.

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Getting Image attitudes, practices, and demands that jolt their homelands out of developmental inertia. While they are often highly motivated to invest in environments that others may find too risky, they also have the advantage of distance from the vested interests and, in some cases, dysfunctional systems of the country of origin. Diasporas also connect their countries of origin or ancestry with global networks of research and technology that are essential to development in the knowledge economy. Diaspora communities are becoming increasingly important to development. They are a part of society that has been largely underestimated. Many of these communities are now living outside their home countries, with some dispersing to more than 100 countries. Diaspora members are

also major actors in the global flow of investment, trade, and entrepreneurship. Their contributions can be found in all industries; for example, this includes international policymakers, CEOs of multinational corporations, and business executives across the globe. The diaspora development field is on an upward trajectory— in 2013 alone over $8 billion was invested by diaspora communities worldwide. As a result, dozens of countries have set up high-level governmental bodies, or even full ministries, to interact with their diaspora populations abroad, and both donor governments and international organizations have established programs to implement diaspora engagement strategies. Diasporas have also been both subjects and participants in

international discussions. In 2012, the African Union organized the first African Global Diaspora Summit, at which governments of member states of the African Union, along with governments from Caribbean, South American, and Latin American countries and representatives of the African diaspora signed a formal declaration to collaborate politically, socially, and economically. In 2013, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) held the first global conference of diaspora ministers, recognizing the importance of a policy arena that is new to many governments. Over 500 delegates attended the conference, with more than 30 governments represented at the ministerial level. Diaspora contributions to development have also been on the agenda of the annual Global Forum on Migration and Development since 2007, and the UN General Assembly’s HighAbyssinia Business Network / ABN / 2021

Level Dialogues on Migration and Development in 2006 and 2013. There are many countries who benefit from having a large diaspora around the world. Countries with strong Diasporas have an increased ability to develop their home countries because of the remittances that are sent back to their country of origin. A high percentage of people living in these countries also live outside of them, and this can create a sense of optimism for the future. The examples of particular developing economies that have benefited from diaspora engagement are too numerous to describe comprehensively here so let us take India. Most people are probably aware of the role of the Indian diaspora in helping to develop the information technology sector in India, led by the success of Indian engineers and entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. However, the story of India’s domination of the global diamondcutting and diamond jewelry industry, in which the diaspora based in Antwerp, Belgium played the key role, is less well known. By 2005, India accounted for 55 percent of global net exports of cut

and polished diamonds. These industries in India employ over 1 million people and generated more than $21 billion in export revenue by 2008 (about 13 percent of total export revenue) — up from $40 million in 1968. India currently has a 65 percent share of the world diamond market in terms of its value, an 85 percent share in terms of volume, and a 92 percent share of product. Without the penetration of the Indian diaspora into the closed world of diamond trading in Antwerp, the flow of rough diamonds to India would not have been possible. The private hospital sector is another area in which the Indian diaspora has stimulated growth, including in medical tourism. An Indian cardiologist practicing in the United States, Dr. Prathap Reddy, returned to India and opened a 150-bed private hospital in Chennai in 1983. Since then, his Apollo Hospitals group has grown to 8,500 beds in 50 hospitals (seven of which have Joint Commission International accreditation), and is one of the largest healthcare groups in Asia. The Apollo hospital network has pioneered telemedicine to take higher-

quality care to India’s villages, as well as robotic surgery and medical tourism. It has spearheaded the vertical integration of medical services, from health insurance to hospital administration to diagnostic services and many others. And it is also active in public health initiatives to promote heart health as well as many other philanthropic projects. In each of these areas of diaspora initiative, the government of India has been a secondary actor, although most of the enterprises took off once India began its economic liberalization program in 1991. Aside from countries of origin entities, government bodies in countries of diaspora destination or settlement have been slower to recognize Diasporas as partners in development programs, but projects to incorporate diaspora views, resources, and knowledge in donors’ development policies are becoming more common. Some destination countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United States, as well as the European Union, among other governments and institutions, are becoming more interested in working with the diasporas residing

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ETHIOPIA

in their countries, and are devoting resources to helping diasporas promote the development of their countries of origin. In our country's case, with more than 2.5 million Ethiopians living outside of Ethiopia, the diaspora community is not only large, but very influential. The country has secured 1.1 billion USD in the form of remittance during the past three months via legal channels, according to the Ethiopian Diaspora Agency. Recently, Prime Minister of the Democratic republic of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed (PHD) has invited one million Ethiopians in the diaspora to come home and celebrate Ethiopian Christmas (Genna). The call by the prime minister has many positive implications on the rebuilding a stronger country for Ethiopia is one of the richest nations in the world in terms of natural resources, millions of hectares of arable lands and abundant water with over 50 million active and energetic youth generation. In fact, giving priority to the Ethiopians in the diaspora to invest in these sectors within their country, Ethiopia, will have far much more impacts since they reinvest their profit in Ethiopia

and help building indigenous strong economy. The diaspora expected to come home for Ethiopian Christmas should ask the Government of Ethiopia to provide them a roadmap that allows them to collectively invest in the labor and skills, and natural respaces of Ethiopia mainly agriculture, mining and tourism. For instance, Ethiopians in the diaspora can each mobilize a small finance and collectively invest in lodges, agriculture, and fisheries around the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). From our government side, developing more of diaspora strategies is highly recommended. And the process has a number of critical ingredients. These include identifying goals, mapping diaspora location and skills, fostering a relationship of trust with the diaspora, maintaining sophisticated means of communication with the diaspora, and ultimately creating opportunities and clearing obstacles for Diasporas to contribute to national development. Government offices can also serve as a channel of communications between

Getting Image the diaspora and potential partners in the country of origin for example, linking diaspora investors and entrepreneurs with good business opportunities there. Governmental diaspora-focused entities in countries of origin whether ministries, departments, or special offices need to play a dual role, both facilitating diaspora contributions to the homeland, and serving the diaspora. Thus, as a conclusion, to extract the most out of current and future opportunities both the government of Ethiopia and Ethiopians in the diaspora need to think and act on mobilizing resource and expertise towards the ongoing sustainable development efforts in Ethiopia. Most importantly, we all need to stand in unison to reverse any foreign political and economic pressures against our sovereignty and national interest.

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Tamiru Ginbeto

Mohammed Indris (PhD)

Nega Wedajo

Lemma Wakeyo

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Kebour Ghenna

Feteh Woldesenbet /PhD/

Gezahegn Wordofa /PhD/

Leulseged Messle

Henok Tsegaye

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Ethiopian Diaspora Agency/EDA/

Bridging the Gap By Samuel Teka

Ethiopia has one of the fastest-growing economies in the world and is Africa's second most populous country. Many properties owned by the government during the previous regime have now been privatized and are in the process of privatization. However, certain sectors such as telecommunications, financial and insurance services, air and land transportation services, and retail, are considered as strategic sectors and are expected to remain under state control for the foreseeable future. The global experience shows that Diasporas of a given country have significant impact on building a nation by sending remittance legally and transferring knowledge, skills and technologies to the country; Ethiopian Government has recently engaged in bringing the attention of the millions of Ethiopian Diasporas residing in all corners of the globe. The role of Ethiopian Diaspora in accelerating the national economy has been a recent phenomenon that came into being after the formation of Ethiopian Diaspora Agency in October 2018 as a single entity; since its establishment the Agency has served as a bridge between the Diaspora and the Government, and managed to bring the attention of the Diaspora to the overall socio-economic and political endeavors. ABN approaches the Mohammed Indris (PhD), Ethiopian Diaspora Agency/EDA/ Deputy Director and discusses issues in line with the Great Ethiopian Homecoming and the roles his Agency plays in making bridges between the Diaspora and the Government. 12

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Mohammed Indris (PhD)

Deputy Director Ethiopian Diaspora Agency/EDA/

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ABN: When and why was the Ethiopian Diaspora Agency established? What are its main duties and responsibilities? Mohammed: It has been over three years since the Ethiopian Diaspora Agency /EDA/ has started functioning as an independent federal institution. Prior to that diaspora issues were dealt in Ministry of Foreign Affairs /MoFA/ at a department level. However, following the reform that took place over three years ago, the issue of the diaspora was among the top priorities that the government of Ethiopia has given special considerations. As a result, EDA was established in October 2018 to serve as a bridge between the diaspora and the homeland. The Agency is mandated, among other things, to facilitate diaspora issues; establish a system to facilitate knowledge and technology transfer opportunities; establish and administer financial and other contribution collection systems; and support institutional capacity of Ethiopian diaspora societies and organizations. “The diaspora has been a great source of hard currency whether in supporting national calls and projects or remitting billions of dollars and taking part in investment.” ABN: As we all know, there is what we call the “Great Ethiopian Homecoming” event in the next few weeks. 1 million Ethiopian Diaspora are expected to come back home to show their solidarity and national obligation to the country and their people in the fight against foreign pressure, and help victims of the unrest the Northern part of the country. What is the major role your office plays in receiving the Diaspora? Mohammed: As the Prime Minister made the call for Ethiopians, Ethiopian origins 14

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and friends of Ethiopia to come and celebrate the Gregorian New Year here, a national committee that could handle the event was formed. While MoFA is the chair and MoT, the deputy, EDA serves as secretariat and coordinator of the event. Considering the roles assigned to us, we are working in collaboration with pertinent federal, regional and private institutions to make the event a reality. ABN: What are your expectations from the Diasporas who are heading to their motherland right now? Mohammed: As we all remember, the past one year has been a time of extreme pressure on Ethiopia. The UNSC has convened over ten times to pressurize Ethiopia from exercising its legitimate right as a sovereign country using its natural resource and protecting law and order. In all those difficult times, the diaspora has been front and center in protecting Ethiopia’s interests by holding rallies, conducting digital campaigns and lobbying influential persons and institutions in the west to respect Ethiopia and its interests. Financially too, the diaspora has been a great source of hard currency whether in supporting national calls and projects or remitting billions of dollars and taking part in investment. As the diaspora comes home, we expect that political, diplomatic, social and economic objectives of the call will be met. Besides, the defamation, propaganda and speculations that were made against Ethiopia will be debunked. “The diaspora participation can be said multi-faceted and improving from time to time. Skill and knowledge

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transfer; supporting national calls and projects; remitting foreign currency and participating in philanthropic activities are some of the areas the diaspora’s role is improving.” ABN: What is expected from the people, service providers such as hotels, transport service providers and the like? Mohammed: As I have mentioned earlies, the diaspora has shown that it is as asset the country and a dependable force that protects Ethiopia’s interests abroad. As a result, all of us need to provide the most care we can afford to the diaspora. Even though hospitality is deep in our culture, the guest we are going to have deserves special care. So, all service providers are expected to serve the diaspora in all their power. 5. ABN: How do you evaluate or describe the magnitude or the development of Diasporas participation in the country’s socioeconomic development especially in multi-faceted investment? Mohammed: The diaspora participation can be said multi-faceted and improving from time to time. Skill and knowledge transfer; supporting national calls and projects; remitting foreign currency and participating in philanthropic activities are some of the areas the diaspora’s role is improving. Investing in Ethiopia is also an interesting area where the diaspora is engaging with the homeland. Last year alone, close to 2000 diaspora investment projects registering over 30 billion birr have been supported. 13 thousand individuals have got job opportunities out of the 84 diaspora projects that got operational in the stated period. Abyssinia Business Network / ABN / 2021

Getting Image ABN: What do you think are the challenges Ethiopian Diasporaface to engage in in their country’s overall socio-economic path? Mohammed: More than ever, Ethiopia is said to be in a position where it can accommodate its diaspora. It also believes that the diaspora is a partner in development. Enabling legal and structural frameworks have been laid for this. These are fundamental issues for positive diaspora participation. As a result of this, there is considerable growth in the way the diaspora is engaging with its home country. However, considering 16

the level of participation of the diaspora vis-a-vis its capacity and the opportunities available, one can see that there is a gap to be filled.As Ethiopia is a developing nation; sometimes it could be hard to fulfill minimum standards. Bureaucratic red tapes andshortage of infrastructuresare also things we have to deal with. Diaspora’s own expectation, lack of experience and the necessary capital are challenges we need to face in order to achieve maximum results from Diasporas engagement. ABN: What should be done to alleviate those challenges?

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Mohammed: First and fore most our bureaucracy needs to be efficient so that it can satisfy the needs of the diaspora. The diaspora also need to have the know-how of the project it wants to participate and the necessary capital to carry it out. ABN: Many argue that the bureaucratic system and poor governance mainly at regional level are the major bottlenecks that thwart the Diaspora from engaging in the nation’ s socio-economic development endeavors. What is your view on this this? Mohammed: It is true that we are not free from bottlenecks

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“The diaspora has been a great source of hard currency whether in supporting national calls and projects or remitting billions of dollars and taking part in investment.” that challenge the diaspora from engaging in the nation’s socioeconomic development endeavors. Whether we talk about regional offices or federal institution, the challenges mentioned earlier are there. ABN: There are a number of unions or associations established by the Diaspora, including Defend Ethiopia in Britain and Council forEthiopian Diaspora Action / CEDA/ operating in Canada, What is your relation with such establishments? Mohammed: Supporting diaspora association is among the duties and responsibilities mandated to EDA. As a result, the agency along with Ethiopian missions abroad, works in close collaboration with these associations. Whenever new initiatives arise as national calls or projects, these entities are the ones we work with before we go to the general diaspora. In a nut shell, diaspora associations are the bridges that connect us the wider polity. ABN: Many argue that Ethiopia does not make use of its high profile, renowned and globally

recognized Diasporas for various reasons. For instance, we can mention Liya Kebede (international supermodel), Wayna (singer), and many more. To what extent does the Agency make attempts to contact such personalities and make them participate in national agendas? Mohammed: In the past twelve months when Ethiopia was pressurized by some western powers to relinquish its sovereignty, it was the diaspora that stood against it. Among them there were many influential diaspora members. Involving others like the ones mentionedearlier can be taken as an assignment. ABN: What message do you convey to the Ethiopian Diasporas and the people at large in connection with the “Great Ethiopian Homecoming” occasion? Mohammed: To those diaspora members coming to Ethiopia in this time of need, I would like to say: ‘We are honored to welcome you in your beloved country. Ethiopia has been longing to see you. You are most welcome!’

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Reinvigorating

Pan-Africanism By Daniel Tiruneh Ethiopia is inviting one million Ethiopian Diasporas to come home and celebrate Ethiopian Christmas on 01/07/2022. The great homecoming challenge targets to demonstrate that Ethiopia prevails; its citizens deserve peace and send a message of unity to the international community. In addition, the homecoming challenge commends the country’s longstanding supporters’ contribution and unreserved support at this time of need. Various governmental and non-governmental organizations and private businesses are showing commitment to making this great event very colorful and memorable by providing efficient and one-stop services to home comers; The FDRE Immigration Nationality And Vital Events Agency /INVEA/ is a governmental office that is in charge of handling the issuance of passports, visas and other related affairs. Thus, it can be said that this governmental body is at the heart of “The Great Ethiopian Homecoming” event. Tamiru Ginbeto is the Deputy Director of the agency. ABN had the pleasure of discussing the preparations and other activities that the agency has been undertaking since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed made the open national call.

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Tamiru Ginbeto Deputy Director/INVEA/

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Getting Image Speaking of the activities and responsibilities that the agency has been undertaking in relation to the homecoming call, Tamiru, INVEA Deputy Director Tamiru Ginbetaw said that the Immigration and Vital Events Registration Agency is at the culmination of the necessary preparations. For this special event, there have been modifications to existing entry and visa issuance laws. The Immigration bureau has prepared special provisions for travellers with no travel document or no renewed passports. These people can have online access to renew and request for new passports and other travel documents. The system is swift in that after online requests are made it will deliver the passports and nationality IDs in less than 15 days. “Residents of some Caribbean countries wishing to travel to Ethiopia as per the homecoming call are also 20

being handed out on arrival visas. These countries stood with Ethiopia on the no more movement” Another effort by the Immigration and Nationality Affairs Department is the issuance of passport and IDs that were requested before Ethiopia closed some of its abroad embassies due to budget shortages. These prior requests are being handled and nearing completion at the time of this writing. Tamiru also said that online visa issuance is underway through its e-visa system. Applicants are guaranteed swift services with optimum delivery times and for those travelers who have not secured their visas through the online system can get on arrival visas at the Ethiopian airlines. The department is making sure that every diaspora gets on arrival

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visa without any obstacles through its effective system of operation. Residents of some Caribbean countries wishing to travel to Ethiopia as per the homecoming call are also being handed out on arrival visas. These countries stood with Ethiopia on the no more movement, Tamiru recalled. The agency also reached agreements with overseas consular offices, embassies and diaspora associations to work in collaboration so that the process of arrival and travelling can be done with no glitch. He said that the

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“Residents of some Caribbean countries wishing to travel to Ethiopia as per the homecoming call are also being handed out on arrival visas. These countries stood with Ethiopia on the no more movement”

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“

agency has made arrangements to avail a special entrance counter for on arrival visa services at Ethiopian Airlines.

Although large scale preparations are underway on the agency’s part, there have been some system shortcomings that are compromising the issuance of e-visa and passports through online system. This problem is directly associated with the nationwide internet connectivity problem. To solve this the agency has made sure that an alternative CDM system is operational. Also, since the servers of the online portal are busy during days, employees are working on the night shift to serve the diaspora community. Tamiru expressed his take on the national homecoming and what it means to the immigration and nationality affairs agency. In his remarks, the deputy director said that the great Ethiopian homecoming is a never seen before spectacle and a unique experience for the people of Ethiopia and the diaspora community. It allows for the different societies of Ethiopian from all walks of life to voice their agenda of solidarity and unity withstanding foreign pressures. “The 2nd impoundment of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam/ GERD/ through the involvement of both local and diaspora communities which is an instance that shows one of the most notable economic victories secured by the reformed government amidst the ongoing conflict and western pressures.” 22

The 2nd impoundment of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam/GERD/ through the involvement of both local and diaspora communities which is an instance that shows one of the most notable economic victories secured by the reformed government amidst the ongoing conflict and western pressures.”

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As can be expected, the first and foremost contribution of the diaspora in the homecoming is to stimulate the economy through foreign currency. Another frontline is through aiding war ravaged regions through humanitarian efforts. The deputy general specifically mentioned the actions of some Diasporas by bringing in medicines and other pharmaceuticals to mitigate the widespread social and humanitarian crises especially in the Amhara and Afar regions. Another humanitarian effort is donation of clothes and other basic necessities. This actions show that unity and solidarity are the basics to solving national crises. In connection to this, Tamiru underscored the 2nd impoundment of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam/GERD/ through the involvement of both local and diaspora communities which is an instance that shows one of the most notable economic victories secured by the reformed government amidst the ongoing conflict and western pressures. Speaking of some of the glitches encountered during arrival, Tamiru mentioned of some instances where applicants arrive at the airport with reference numbers for their visa applications but have not been able to get their respective visas. Such cases are handled by a section availed at the Ethiopian airlines and such glitches are be solved in a matter of minutes. For Diasporas with spouses and children having different nationalities, they are served with special arrangements with the bureau well organized to handle such cases adeptly. The homecoming call is made for

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Getting Image non-Ethiopians also. The government of Ethiopia has called on other African countries nationals to come to Ethiopia in a bid to broaden the event and give it a panAfrican context. The diaspora community on the other hand, is urged to invite at least one foreigner to the homecoming call and such foreigners responding to the call will also receive instant visas. The deputy director has also stressed that all forms of bottlenecks have solutions since the department is wellprepared. There is also a special arrangement for Ethiopian asylum seekers whose citizenships had previously been revoked. Since these asylum seekers, have expressed their resentment towards

western pressures and skewed propagandas they have also been invited to the homecoming event. Tamiru also conveyed a message for the diaspora community. While lauding the diaspora community’s victory in expressing its objections to westerners’ imposing ideologies, he added that the great homecoming call by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is a culmination of this national victory. As such the diaspora must come to Ethiopia to celebrate and revel in victory.

the incoming diaspora travelers, the Ethiopian nationality and vital events agency is on standby to assist and help with all necessary means. Tamiru mentioned that directives are sent to embassies and concerned bodies and has urged the diaspora to prepare for their trip as per the instructions of these bodies of government and join the homecoming event.

Through the united and organized actions of both local and Diasporas, Ethiopians have been able to come out as victors in successfully averting western propaganda. To assist Abyssinia Business Network / ABN / 2021

Cherishing New Attractions in Oromia

By Daniel Tiruneh The national economy of a country is, in fact, based on small and medium industries. These are the fundamentals, the foundations of all national economies. There is already a change we can see in the ecosystem in Ethiopia.

National economies are linked to the expanding global economy. Short-term benefits of economic growth seem obvious: The more businesses and nations that profit, the more individuals have jobs and resources and the higher their standards of living. More people with jobs and resources consume more goods and services. More goods and services consumed feed the economic machine and the cycle continues. In addition, Worldwide Tourism aka smokeless industry has been playing vital role in a given country’s economic development. The tourism sector in Ethiopia is believed to remain untapped due to various reasons. The different tourism values such as historical, natural and cultural heritages in Oromia Regional State were neglected for decades. Now a new day has come to unveil the mesmerizing and breathtaking tourism destinations across the region. ABN’s Daniel Tiruneh sat down with Nega Wedajo, the Oromia Tourism Commission Deputy Commissioner to discuss the tourism and travel sector in the region. Nega earned diploma in Language before earning his bachelor’s degree in leadership and development studies from Mekane Yesus Management and Leadership College. In 2015 and 2021, Nega obtained his MA in Social Work and Public Policy and Management from Addis Ababa University respectively. He first started his professional career as a teacher and later worked as a communications expert. He also had stints in nongovernmental NGOs as program development officer, monitoring and evaluation expert and program director. 24

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Nega Wedajo

Deputy Commissioner Oromia Tourism Commission

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Oromia is a nation consisting a third of Ethiopia’s total land size and the largest contributor to the national GDP of Ethiopia. The region has also a number of tourist attraction sites such as national parks, reserves and captivating natural wonders. Despite this fact, “Efforts to promote the existing natural riches of the Oromia region have not been proportional to the potential,” conceded Nega. However, recent promotional efforts in digital and social platforms have returned encouraging results. The regional commission has promoted tourism efforts under the Visit Oromia slogan, and has also used mainstream media such as radio, TV, and newspapers for its cause. “The tourism commission reached agreements with 9 educational institutions, to carry out researches on tourism development within the vicinity of the universities’ locations so the local community can benefit through job creation and existing knowledge gaps can be filled.” The Oromia Tourism Commission is a newly organized regional government entity currently operating under the leadership of chief commissioner Lelise Dugha while Nega Wedajo serves as the Deputy Commissioner 26

of commission bureau. Destination site development is also another area of interest for the Oromia tourism commission. Several amenities that are necessary for tourist such as lodges, hotels, resorts and other accommodations need to be properly developed. To this end, motivating the local community to encourage participation in the sector, drawing investment, and service enhancement of longserving hotels, and other works have been carried out over the past year, as Nega highlighted. Though considered as one of the pillars of the Ethiopian macro-economy, investment efforts and infrastructural developments in the sector are still at their infant stages. In order to make the tourism sector successful in the Oromia Region, the contribution of higher educational institutions and government organizations is of paramount importance. However, trends of collaborative research work by governmental and research institutions have remained lamentable thus far. This cycle needs to be broken, and actionable researches need to be conducted on the tourism sector. To this end, the tourism commission

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reached agreements with 9 educational institutions, to carry out researches on tourism development within the vicinity of the universities’ locations so the local community can benefit through job creation and existing knowledge gaps can be filled. As such, the first research forum is inaugurated and initial studies are underway. Additionally, the tourism commission bureau has planned to create jobs through collaborative ventures by partnering with various nongovernmental organizations. The strategic plan has set out to create 500,000 direct and indirect jobs within the next 5 years. Direct job opportunities are being created by mobilizing partner institutions. One such example is the collaborative project with a consultancy firm named first consult backed by the aid of the MasterCard foundation. The project has a finance of 10.6 million birr and aims to create 3000 job opportunities in 8 different tourist destination sites in Sof Oumer, Borena national

park, Arsi mountain national park, Errer and Suba forest conservations, Abiata, Shala and Batu. Another joint project with an NGO called IDH in Batu aims to create 150 jobs with 3 million birr. A collaborative work with Google Arts and culture to digitize the tourism sector in the Oromia region is also underway and the pilot project to showcase different touristic assets of Oromia in the center has commenced. The project has a finance of 20,000 USD and it also incorporates other sub-projects besides digitization. One of the major destination development projects being developed is the Wenchi-dandi Tourism Village project. The Wenchi Ecotourism Association has youths producing honey from medicinal plants for the purpose

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The selection of the destination by the UNWTO as the best tourism destination elevates national pride and enables the local people and investors to cherish the place more than ever and view the place as an invaluable national asset.”

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of export and dissemination in the local market. The association has also created jobs for youths engaged in boat-trip services. Such accomplishments have earned Wenchi the best tourism village recognition by UN World Tourism Organization UNWTO on its annual tourism conference. Wenchi was selected out of 172 tourist destinations. Nega further explained that roads, schools, hospitals and other utility services are being developed so as to make the destination well facilitated with the necessary infrastructure provisions. On the first round of development 5 lodges will be developed. There will be a total of 17 lodges and these eco-friendly lodges will be constructed from materials obtained from natural resources found in the same area. The other lake, Dandi, is located between the towns of Ambo and Ginchi. Once completed it will connect the two crater

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lakes and enables the creation of a new development zone where local people can carry out day to day economic and social activities leaving Wenchi and Dandi tourism villages exclusively as destination sites for high-end tourists. The first of 3 phases of development schedules has commenced. Diaspora community involvement in the Wenchi-Dandi project is increasing now. Not only the local tourist’s interest is increasing, but diplomatic communities are also showing curiosity to visit and contribute their part for the development of the destination. The soaring interest levels is attributed policy shifts and modifications that have enhanced the momentum of the site’s development and as such tour operator companies and other stakeholders are preparing tourist packages for the destination, “The selection of the destination by the UNWTO as the best tourism destination elevates national pride and enables the local people and investors to cherish the place more than ever and view the place as an invaluable national asset.” Homecoming and tourism are interlinked concepts, as Mr. Nega elaborated, since tourism technically means to travel from a place of dwelling and move to another place for a period of 24hours upto-1 year. Hence, activities of the homecoming participants have all-rounded economic benefits through investment, site-visiting, consuming goods etc. Additionally, for the diaspora community interested to investment in the tourism sector, special incentives are provided. Mr. Nega also mentioned that some of the countries with best 28

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international experience in using diaspora homecoming calls as income generating events are Ireland, Gambia and Nigeria. Countries such as Ghana and Kenya had organized such events multiple times. The deputy commissioner also mentioned some of the benefits of The Great Ethiopian Homecoming call. The national call is instrumental in building national image, and send message to the international community that even though there are political differences, Ethiopians stand in solidarity against foreign powers and the UN which are clearly pressuring Ethiopia to succumb to their demands. It also gives the nation a time to reflect on the values of its people as it can be used as an instrument to voice a common agenda that at a time where western media outlets and organizations disseminate misleading information that Ethiopia is unstable and divided its people on the contrary choose to refute such unwarranted claims by standing together as a united front. Stressing on the value of Wenchi-Dandi project, Nega said that the selection of the destination by the UNWTO as the best tourism destination, elevates national pride and enables the local people and investors to cherish the place more than ever and view the place as an invaluable national asset. The fact that the tourist destination is selected by a credible institution elevates the status of the Wenchi-Dandi project, Nega mentioned. With regards to the preparations to serve the diaspora, the Deputy Commissioner said that a national committee is inaugurated to enable the diaspora get premium service with price discounts. Stakeholders of the tourism sector such as car renters, hotels and other hospitality service providers are urged to a 30% discount as it helps to stimulate the COVID-stricken tourism industry. In his concluding remarks, Nega stressed that the understanding of tourism needs to be changed, and that local tourism should be encouraged through advertisement by national media companies and other outlets so that the country benefits both from local and international tourists.

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Diasporas, Local Investors: Two Sides of a Coin By Daniel Tiruneh An economy works by creating a network of markets composed of buyers and sellers. These economic markets allocate scarce resources among the players within that market. When we think of a country’s economy, we’re usually thinking in terms of macroeconomics. Similarly, when we’re thinking of the individual markets in the network, we think in terms of microeconomics. So what determines how well or poorly an economy performs? As we explore in our open step on economic factors, some of the aspects that influence an economy include growth, unemployment rates, inflation, interest and exchange rates, and commodity. These factors affect the income and purchasing power of households and organizations. When we measure the success of a national economy, we talk in terms of gross domestic product – the value of the country’s finished goods and services in a specific time period. This time around the role of Ethiopian Diaspora in overall socioeconomic and political activities is believed to be very crucial while the country has faced both internal and external economic and political pressure. ABN sat down with Kebour Ghenna, the president of the Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry and one of the prominent economists working as consultant and managing in different Ethiopian and continental organizations, to reflect his views and takes on the “Great Ethiopian homecoming” call for the Ethiopian diaspora community residing in the different corners of the world for the common goal of opposing foreign pressure on Ethiopia.

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Kebour Ghenna PPACCI

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The aim of the great Ethiopian homecoming call is to stimulate the diaspora community in its involvement in the ‘No more’ movement. Additionally, it aims to engage the community to visit Ethiopia and look into the possibilities of contributing to investment activities such as tourism, manufacturing, services and other facets of the Ethiopian economy. Kebour didn’t shy away to express his concerns as well in that the exaggerated number of diaspora returnees seems farfetched and over ambitious. He claimed that given the capacity of hotels in the country, organizing the necessary provisions and host 1 million people seems beyond the capacity of the country. The national call is, as Kebour’s reflection, aimed at helping Ethiopia in the time of need. Also, the previous dispersed and disorganized efforts can become well directed to achieve a common goal which was not the case in prior situations. When it comes to bureaucratic complications observed in many governmental offices, it is in no question that special exemptions and priorities should be the diaspora community investing in Ethiopia, but at the same time it should be done in a way that benefits local tax paying residents. The diaspora community is also instrumental in bringing easily transferable knowledge especial in medicine and engineering disciplines. But to exploit this knowledge, differences of the diaspora and local community in working culture and other 32

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aspects have to be reconciled and also the diaspora investors should tune their way of working and operation by studying the local trends as Kebour highlighted. “For a country like Ethiopia directing the knowledge and financial capacity of the diaspora community towards agriculture would sound more reasonable, while in other African countries the situation might be different.” Asked on the areas of collaboration between the diaspora and Private sector, Kebour rather believed that the diaspora would be much more productive if it collaborated with the actors in the Ethiopian private sector. He said that the government would be much more effective in handling regulations and policies rather than involving in the dayto-day business activity. In this regard, the role of organizations that link the diaspora community and the local private sector is very crucial. Capacity of diaspora to involve in various sectors of activities differs based on the economic scenario of a country. For a country like Ethiopia directing the knowledge and financial capacity of the diaspora community towards agriculture would sound more reasonable, while in other African countries the situation might be different. For example, Kenya’s diaspora is more involved in digital economy, whereas in Morocco engineering is given a special attention, as Kebour mentioned. The knowledge and experience of the diaspora

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community can be used in several areas. Engaging in logistics services to import or manufacture industrial inputs, e-commerce, and engineering are some areas of engagement that are open for the taking.

In making the diaspora community a contributing member of the society, there is a need to classify this community based on its different traits. The capabilities of this community differ based on the demographics and areas of engagement. Hence, integration of the diaspora must be made tailor made to the specific segment groups within the community. It is also to be noted that the peoples of the nation should be made beneficial first and the diaspora community will be prompted to come and engage when conducive grounds are established.

“It is also to be noted that the peoples of the nation should be made beneficial first and the diaspora community will be prompted to come and engage when is conducive grounds are established.” In Africa and Ethiopia in particular many local private companies have the opportunity and capability of working in several regions across the world. But this potential can further be tapped and used if the private sector and the diaspora community work together in tandem. These two entities can work together towards alleviating problems of capital, knowledge and market in private companies so that they can be more competitive in the global market and contribute to their respective countries’ GDP. The contribution of foreign financial institutions such as banks and insurance are also a target future economic policy of Ethiopia but these institutions will not be allowed to join the market in the near future, Kebour explained. But when the time comes, the policies and regulations should not be aimed at only benefitting the diaspora community, but the provisions of such foreign institutions should also benefit local investors and professionals.

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In his closing remarks, Kebour expressed his joy over the possibilities that exist for the diaspora community. In terms of new ways of enlightenment, work culture and investment there is a lot for the diaspora community to engage in and if harnessed properly the “Great Ethiopian homecoming” can be used in the future to build long-lasting economic and professional opportunities for Ethiopia.

It is also to be noted that the peoples of the nation should be made beneficial first and the diaspora community will be prompted to come and engage when is conducive grounds are established.” Abyssinia Business Network / ABN / 2021

Bole Ambassador Hotel is very pleased to welcome the diaspora community for "The Great Ethiopian homecoming". The hotel is delighted to welcome the homecoming participants to Ethiopia during the Christmas season. The homecoming event will be realized thanks to PM Dr. Abey Ahmed's invitation for 1,000,000 Diasporas to return to Ethiopia. Similarly, the hotel is grateful for those who accepted the call from our prime minister. The fact that they are coming to Ethiopia has remarkable significance for the country in different aspects. Bole ambassador hotel is ready and delighted to welcome you all. Located in the heart of Addis Ababa, 5 minutes’ drive away from Bole International Airport, Ambassador Hotel is one of the first privately owned hotels in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is a 4-star hotel with 197 rooms offering practicality and comfort to customers. It offers elegant rooms, Cafe & Restaurant, 24-hour Room Service, Free shuttle service to and from bole international airport, 24-hour airport stationed guest service agent , Foreign exchange , Laundry, SPA, Fitness center, Indoor swimming pool (coming soon). Its meeting halls provide the perfect experience in its 10-150 pax capacity 7 meeting halls supported by modern facilities and catering that are suitable to brainstorm with colleagues, have a meeting with partners, and hold productive training sessions or special events like bridal showers, baby showers, birthdays, special gatherings and so on. Bole Ambassador Hotel is within easy reach of major Addis Ababa’s attractions, opposite to the millennium hall, within walking distance from malls, banks, supermarkets, local & international restaurants, travel agencies, and almost everything a traveler could need. The hotel can also be used as a venue for different types of events and trade fairs. Ambassador hotel is now offering different discount rates and packages for the homecoming event which is to be held during Christmas season. Ambassador hotel again would like to say welcome back to the diaspora community and is delighted to see you all soon.

AMBASSADOR HOTEL

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Cameroon Street | P.O.BOX: 1130 Code 1110 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia +251116188284/81 | +251116188287 info@ambassadorhotelethiopia.com | reservation@ambassadorhotelethiopia.com www.ambassadorhotelethiopia.com

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Ethiopian Origin coffee tasting house

ild coffee invites the diaspora community to taste authentic origin coffee at Wild Coffee. The attractive design of the coffee house along with its exceptional hospitality service by well-trained professionals make the coffee shop stand out from its peers in the business. Wild coffee serves different variety of coffee origins namely; Yirgacheffe, Guji, Limmu, Jimma, Sidama, Nekemt, and wild blend, making it a lucrative place of tourist destination. On the occasion of "The Great Ethiopian Homecoming", the coffee tasting house has prepared a special house blend specifically designed for the Ethiopian diaspora community. It is also one of Addis Ababa's recommended stop over destinations by Ethiopian Holidays. Wild Coffee is delighted and ready than ever before to serve members of the diaspora community in this special event. The coffee house warmly welcomes all travelers during the event and invites participants of this national homecoming to enjoy Ethiopian origin coffee and introduce the rich coffee varieties of Ethiopia to the international community by purchasing export standard roasted coffee in foreign currency, thereby contributing their part to the Ethiopian economy. 36

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Commercial Bank Of Ethiopia /CBE/

Serving Diasporas Distinctively By Daniel Tiruneh The Ethiopian Government has exerted tremendous efforts in captivating the hearts and minds of Ethiopian diaspora residing in all corners of the globe. The establishment of Ethiopian Diaspora Agency has paved ways to bring together the needs and interests of millions of Diaspora in different socio-economic activities. Investment and financial laws and regulations have been designed and amended with the participation of the diaspora and their representatives. In this regard, the Diaspora banking service being provided at the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia /CBE/ is worth mentioning. The commercial bank of Ethiopia is the largest state owned bank. After the governmental reform and overhaul in 2018, the bank established a special body that deals with the affairs called the Diaspora Affairs bureau. The special section is headed by Lemma Wakeyo, an economist who earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics in 2011 from Addis Ababa University. He also earned his MA degree in the same discipline. He has been serving as the head of the Diaspora affairs bureau at CBE from October 4, 2019 onwards. ABN’s Daniel Tiruneh sat down to discuss the contributions and responsibilities of the bureau in light of “The Great Ethiopian Homecoming” national call. 38

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“The increment in the amount of remittance is attributed to the fact that the diaspora community is avoiding the black market and even some members of the diaspora are working to create awareness about the need to deposit and exchange foreign currency through the legal system.”

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Lemma Wakeyo

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The first of its kind in Ethiopian banking system, the Diaspora Affairs Bureau at CBE gives special attention to the issues of the diaspora and has provisions that are tailored to the needs and wants of the diaspora community. This includes special services such as one-stop shops that cater and facilitate the demands of the diaspora community. “The department is ready to respond to the impromptu homecoming call by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed since the arrival of 1 million diaspora benefits the bank at this time of need,” said Lemma, pointing out that the nation is in dire need of foreign currency in the wake of the northern conflict. Hence, the diaspora affairs bureau at CBE is working in collaboration with stakeholders and is also the member of the national homecoming committee which oversees the activities of the homecoming event. For the effective organization of the ceremonial event, CBE’s Diaspora affairs bureau’s activities are overseen by the senior management team which leads the technical support committee. The activities of the homecoming event are also trickled and distributed all the way down to branches and sub-branches of the CBE structure. This is done to make conditions conducive to the diaspora so that such conditions prompt the community to exchange a significant amount of foreign currency through CBE. In the special homecoming call, there are special package provisions for the members of the diaspora community. Special saving accounts that are only designed for the diaspora community to deposit foreign cash is one of them. Besides, the bureau is working to create awareness about these special incentives and offers through promotion and description of the products. “The increment in the amount of remittance is attributed to the fact that the diaspora community is avoiding the black market and even some members of the diaspora are working to create awareness about the need to deposit and exchange foreign currency through the legal system.” 40

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Another special offer by the CBE is the loan packages. This package includes multiple offers that are furnished for diaspora and the packages differ based on the amount of foreign currency the members contribute to the nation. The offer includes housing and business loans which have 4-5 different packages. “These packages are available for members of the diaspora community who can bring innovative business ideas. The details of the loan offers will be elaborated during the homecoming week,” Lemma explained. He also said that the diaspora affairs bureau will work with the diaspora in close collaboration so that the attachment of the community becomes long lasting. With regards to remittance, which is an essential contribution of the diaspora community, Lemma said that appreciable data are seen when it comes to the rate at which remittance currency is increasing. However, he pointed out that the amount is below the projected potential of the community’s capacity. The increment in the amount of remittance is attributed to the fact that the diaspora community is avoiding the black market and even some members of the

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diaspora are working to create awareness about the need to deposit and exchange foreign currency through the legal system. This is an important contribution since the capacity of the government of Ethiopia to control international cash exchange is limited, as Lemma elaborated.

turn their back on this market. Despite this fact, however, some bureaucracies in other service delivery organizations can pose a threat to the involvement of the diaspora in exchanging foreign currency through legal system. To eliminate this, the homecoming event task force is working in three shifts to aid exchange foreign currency exchange at every service facilities and organizations that the diaspora “These foreign exchange community will potentially use. branches are located in designated branches, in the These foreign exchange branches compound of the Ethiopian are located in designated branches, Diaspora Agency, and the in the compound of the Ethiopian Ethiopian Airlines. The task Diaspora Agency, and the Ethiopian force has also a well-organized Airlines. The task force has also a chain of command that reports well-organized chain of command and evaluates its actions on a that reports and evaluates its actions regular basis.” on a regular basis. Additionally, a call center that provides information is on Another challenge to the standby, as Lemma explained. Ethiopian banking sector is the black market which poses a Mr. Lemma closed off the interview serious threat as it is becoming with a message to the diaspora. He more influential and deep rooted urged members of the diaspora to in the economy. One of the exchange their foreign currencies main contributing factors for through banks only. He also called on this reality is the fact that the members of the diaspora community diaspora community and other to who bought bonds of the Grand entities who possess foreign Ethiopian Renaissance Dam to currency are widely using the exchange their mature bonds and parallel market which puts a reinvest in the country. Mr. Lemma dent on the normal functioning also said that most of the diaspora of the economic structure. community members are customers of the CBE and called on unsubscribed However, things are taking customers to use the CBE as the bank a turn for the better as black of their choice and make their stay market users are beginning to worthwhile. Abyssinia Business Network / ABN / 2021

Stepping out of

uncertainty By Samuel Teka

The Ethiopian tourism and hospitality industry has been hit by COVID and the northern conflict. Restrictions and travel bans after the COVID-19 pandemic have limited the profits of major hotels, resorts and other institutions in the tourism and travel value chain. However, in the midst of such drawbacks, the Ethiopian hotel and service employees federation is positive that the homecoming call can benefit hotel and other services to make their way out of this setback. ABN speaks with Dr. Feteh Woldesenbet, President of the Ethiopian Hotel and Service Employees’ Federation on topics related to the Great Ethiopian Homecoming call. The Ethiopian Hotel and Service Employees’ Federation is working with Tourism Ethiopia, aiming at enhancing the promotion and marketing of famous tourism destination hotspots. The federation is hopeful that through robust and coordinated marketing campaigns the diaspora community can be prompted to visit all touristic places. Such activities can thus stimulate growth in the tourism industry. Dr. Feteh has also reiterated that creating permanent customers/ tourists for Ethiopian hospitality industry is of paramount importance if the actors of the industry are to recover from their unfavorable economic conditions. To this end, the federation is planning to organize creative events, promotion of local tourism. Tour operators are also preparing special packages tailored to the needs of customers. Dr. Feteh specifically mentioned the case of China who benefitted through the promotion of local tourism activities. Speaking of the stand of hotels and other related service sectors, the president said that construction of over 20 international brand hotels in Ethiopia halted due to the conflict in the northern Ethiopia. The hotel industry is one of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 epidemic in the world. Additionally, Ethiopian Hotel and Service Employers Federation (EOTF) President said that the hotel industry is being challenged due to the ongoing political tensions in the country. 42

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Feteh Woldesenbet /PhD/ /PEHSEF/

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The President of the Federation, Feteh Woldesenbet (Dr.) said, “The government's response to the recommendations made to the hotel industry to recover from the pandemic has saved the sector from further damage.” The implementation of the COVID-19 protocol has helped hotels to resume services which were formerly shut down due to the pandemic. Feteh also said that the loan service and other decisions necessary for the hotel industry have been implemented so as to aid the industry on its road to recovery. “All hotels in Ethiopia are owned by Ethiopians and has urged the government to support the sector on a larger scale so as to encourage local investors. Also, most of the hotels in operation were built 10 to 15 years ago with the aid of various government incentives.”

to withdraw from Ethiopia. The revenue that the hotels used to get from the US citizens has dropped significantly as a consequence. Dr. Feteh called on the government to take action without causing serious economic damage to the social fabric of the country. Feteh also pointed out that the growth of the hotel industry in Ethiopia has been appreciable before the abovementioned setbacks. According to him, "The construction of 20 international hotels has stalled due to foreign exchange and lack of interest from investors." Despite this, the hotel industry is still a promising sector. He said the annual growth is also appreciable which can prompt other investors in the area to engage in hospitality endeavors.

Hotels' loan repayment was approved by the National Bank on a one-year basis due to the Corona virus, but the federation has requested for a further five-year extension of the loan. The request was made because while the loan interest was accumulating, the hotels and other hospitality institutions were not hitting required profit targets. To add salt to the wound, the political tensions and the corona virus were not also helping the situation, hence the need for the loan extension request.

The president stressed that all hotels in Ethiopia are owned by Ethiopians and has urged the government to support the sector on a larger scale so as to encourage local investors. Also, most of the hotels in operation were built 10 to 15 years ago with the aid of various government incentives. These hotels and hospitality institutions now have to pay off their bank debts but the political situation of Ethiopia over the past five years is not in line with the hotels' ability to repay their loans.

Dr. Feteh has also said, “In addition to the damage due to the corona pandemic, the war is hurting the nation in two ways; "One is the destruction of hotels and the loss of jobs due to the war. The other one is the call by the US to its citizens

Therefore, if the government decides to extend the loan before these loans are registered as bad loans, it will save the sector from collapse and damage to the country, stressed Feteh. Currently, the reason why hotel services

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in Addis Ababa are expensive is because they have to charge higher amounts of fees in order to make substantial profits so as to repay their loans in 10 to 15 years. “’The Great Ethiopian homecoming’ call by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed will stimulate the hotel industry. Hotel and similar service providers will offer a 30 percent discount to these parties.” Whenever hotels offer expensive services, international institutions and countries are forced to hold events outside of Addis Ababa; "This will not only hurt the competitiveness of Ethiopian hotels, but also reduce the number of conference tourists coming to the country," he said. There are many historic sites and monuments in northern Ethiopia, and hotels that serve tourists have been shut down. How many hotels were destroyed in the war? "We have no organized information because the war is still going on," said Dr. Feteh. Wrapping up his remarks, Dr. Feteh said that the influx of one million Diasporas into Ethiopia in response to “The Great Ethiopian homecoming” call by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed will stimulate the hotel industry. Hotel and similar service providers will offer a 30 percent discount to these parties,” he said, adding that one million Diasporas are not expected to arrive in the next few days, but they are expected to come at a convenient and longer period of time.

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Tour Operator:

Expediting Hospitality By Samuel Teka When we think about a local economy, we’re referring to the interconnected markets and networks within a particular community. The local government, organizations, businesses, and people all contribute to this economy. Local businesses may purchase their raw materials from sellers who are nearby. The tourism sector is one of the economic sectors engaging local businesses, thereby accelerating a nation’s overall economic development. Though Ethiopia’s tourism sector has faced various challenges at different times, the stakeholders specifically tour operators and managers seem to strive hard in beating ups and downs. ABN meets Henok Tsegaye, a former tourist guide and President of Ethiopian Tourist Guide Professionals Association, and holds talks on current activity of the association and “Great Ethiopian Homecoming” event. Henok has been working as a tour operator, manager and more recently as an expedition leader in the Ethiopian tourism industry for over 16 years. Born in the cosmopolitan city of Addis Ababa, he majored in Marketing and tourism management along with other qualifications before starting a stellar career in 2005G.C. He is currently serving as secretary general of the newly established Ethiopian Tourist Guide Professionals Association which has been running for the past year and a half. The Ethiopian Tourist Guide Professionals Association is an association that stands to assure the fair and equitable benefits and rights of tourist guide professionals which was lacking before but many professionals in the industry was sensitive about the issue and eager to see a united effort that stands for them. Formerly, such efforts to establish the association did not come to fruition due the nature of the tourist guiding sector as it requires moving around places, as such making collaborative works difficult since most tourist guide professionals find themselves working scattered in the corners of Ethiopia. However, the COVID-19 pandemic made it possible for the professionals to come together and establish the association. The association was inaugurated a year 46

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and a half ago to address the long standing demand for an association that stands for the benefits and rights of tourist guides, assist to mitigate the sector’s shortcoming, while also serving as a hub for tourist guides and other professionals in the tourism value chain to come together to address their concerns, opportunities and areas of weaknesses that can be tackled with joint efforts.

existence of Ethiopia. To make this a successful reality, the Ethiopian tourist guides association, as part of the involved stakeholders (Ethiopian airlines, tour operators, immigration offices), is working with Tourism Ethiopia to offer professional, knowledgeable, skillful guides to give unbiased and truthful information about Ethiopia who can also play a great role as Ethiopia’s internal ambassadors. In response to the national call, the members of the association will Regarding “The Great Ethiopian offer a 25-30% discount for any Homecoming”, Henok said service rendered. that this great national call brings solidarity and unity to “The association is wellEthiopians residing abroad and equipped with professionals home. But it can only become having excellent language and reality if all Ethiopians can have educational backgrounds. The a common ground which is the educational backgrounds of the

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tourist guides and operators include an array of professionals acquiring experience and knowledge in history, geography, politics, and economics, among others.” Standing currently with close to 200 memberships, the Ethiopian tourist guides association is working with other unregistered tourist guides and operators with diverse educational, cultural, social and language backgrounds. Under its books, the association has a plethora of professional who speak English, French, German, Chinese, among other Scandinavian languages. Hence, as Henok stressed, the association is well-equipped with professionals having excellent language and educational backgrounds. The educational backgrounds of the tourist guides and operators include an array of professionals acquiring experience and knowledge in history, geography, politics, and economics among others. This eclectic mix of professionals is an important asset that can diversify the capabilities of the association’s members in delivering satisfactory levels of service provision. ABN asked the secretary on the current Ethiopian conflict which is hugely impacting the tourism industry, Henok said that a significant number of lucrative Ethiopian tourist sites registered as UNESCO’s world heritage are located in the northern regions of Tigray and Amhara and the ongoing conflict exacerbates unfavorable conditions for the industry. Hoping that the situation will find a resolution soon, tourist guides and other professionals in the value chain are now working to explore the diversity of Ethiopia in finding other attractive tourist sites. For instance, the association’s professionals are tapping into the rich cultural attractions of the Omo region, and also identify new destinations in West Ethiopia such as

Henok Tsegaye

Sidama, and Limu highlands, known for their coffee plantations. The fact that Ethiopia is a nation of contrasts can be tantamount to finding three different countries within this vast African nation. As Henok told ABN, the great Ethiopian homecoming will be a great opportunity for Ethiopia and its influential diaspora community in delivering a bold statement to the international community which is biased by western media which disseminated false and misleading news. The event hallmarks that Ethiopians are there for their motherland at a time of need. He stressed that the diaspora community is showing its solidarity by playing a key role in overturning a legislation bill which was about to be passed by the US congress. The community also responded very well to the homecoming call and now all flights from the US to Ethiopia are booked. This kind of response is vital in changing the political narrative and gives Ethiopia the upper hand in political approach. It will also mark an iconic historical spectacle whereby Ethiopians spoke with a Abyssinia Business Network / ABN / 2021

common voice for a shared dream, which is to see a united and thriving Ethiopia. The importance of national events such as “Dine for a Nation” and “The Great Ethiopian Homecoming” is significant in voicing a common agenda on a pronounced scale. Speaking on the possibility of organizing similar national events in the future, Mr. Henok said that for now the concern of the Ethiopian tourist guide professional association is to get the proper recognition and it has plans to organize national events in line with the objective of fulfilling a common agenda through speaking together. There are some works being undertaken and the association will deliver detailed information in the future, Henok said. . “Only 2 years ago, the country was able to secure 1.5 billion USD in foreign currency within a space of only 5 months, in response to the prime minister’s call to the diaspora community to contribute a minimum monthly remittance of 100dollars.” The Secretary General believes that the diaspora community should make their return to their homeland meaningful by contributing to the economy of the country. Small activities such as getting the service of shoe shiners, or consuming local products, fast foods and other recreational and touristic activities count as beneficial economic activities and has thus called on the diaspora community to make their homecoming meaningful in living up to the expectations rendered. 48

National events of such caliber are of insurmountable significance for nations such as Ethiopia. However, the utilization of such campaigns should be carried out in a wise manner as Henok cautioned. If not properly organized and Ethiopia cannot be able to garner the necessary benefit associated with it such campaigns would only be a one-time happenings with no real value associated with them. Attraction of foreign currency should be seen a major contribution as Henok said, highlighting that just only 2 years ago, the country was able to secure 1.5 billion USD in foreign currency within a space of only 5 months, in response to the prime minister’s call to the diaspora community to contribute a minimum monthly remittance of 100 dollars. The Ethiopian tourist guide professionals association is a young and ambitious establishment to be mentioned as a success. But on its part, whenever tourists visit Ethiopia, they convince them to consume products or services and pay in foreign currency which is very beneficial to alleviating the national deficit in foreign currency. The products or services that tourists can use include using the services of local businesses, such as souvenirs and eateries. In all these aspects, there are shortcomings that the tour guiding sector is suffering from. These shortcomings are observed in the form of poor service quality and the limited number of standardized hotels, resorts and other hospitality

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services that the nation has at its disposal. However, with all these limitations the tourist guides and operators of the country are working around the clock to maximize the quality of their output. As such, to solve the problem of sub-standard accommodation the Ethiopia tourist guide professionals association is working to standardize the capacity of professionals through building their capacity with knowledge and skills. Eventually, this effort is believed to elevate quality of service in the industry. Mr. Henok also applauded the big national tourism project accomplished over the past 3 years hailing the new destinations such as friendship, Entoto and Unity park along with wonchi-dandi, Gorgora and others by stressing their importance in improving quality service delivery and increasing the number of tourist destinations. In his concluding remarks, the secretary general gave his thanks to the diaspora community for returning back to its home nation and also for being the son and daughters of Ethiopia at its time of need. The willingness of the community to stand together in refuting the notion that Ethiopia is a conflict zone as other media houses were reporting is a courageous and bold act that every other African nation should replicate in resisting the influence of foreign powers.

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+251 91 120 9106 info@kerezhiethiopia.com www.kerezhiethiopia.com

Abyssinia Business Network / ABN / 2021

Room Roaming –

The Ethiopian

Hospitality Franchise Dubbed the “Land of Origins”, Ethiopia is a country with a myriad of gems from scorching desertscapes in the Danakil depression to lush green forests in Gambella to the rugged mass of mountains in the northern highlands. Ethiopia is the perfect place to reconnect with nature and make up for all those months spend indoors. For people who wishes to have a fresh start, touring Ethiopia and witnessing these gems sounds like a great fit. They could explore the landscape and discover scenery by visiting the hills and valleys, tasting hyperlocal cuisines, reflecting in sacred spiritual centers and sleeping in cleancomfortable beds. When planning for the getaway, these experiences can easily be found online. As for the bed, how can you tell if it is comfortable based on the picture posted online? You can comb through reviews, but Covid-19 had the world on a stand-still for almost 2 years. What if the hotel’s service has deteriorated? What if it has significantly improved? Is it even operational? Does it even still exist? How do you deal will the uncertainty of booking a room you haven’t seen? How do you guarantee that the room you book is the best deal for your money’s worth? 50

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outside of Ethiopia, reducing the foreign that could have been earned. Most importantly, we realized brands generated the most recurrent guests. However, Ethiopia was lacking a notable hospitality brand. We decided to set-up a tech-based Ethiopian hospitality brand. A franchise that would work with 2/3star hotels and improve their services. A brand that would offer quality service at affordable prices.”, said Bruktawit Room Roaming started out as a Ambachew, Brand Manager at Room humble project looking to identify Roaming. ways to improve the Ethiopian hospitality sector. “We soon When Room Roaming transitioned into realized that most Ethiopian a business, it was met with a major hotels have bad reviews online. challenge Covid-19. Unfortunately, the As a result, most tourists would young startup was launched when Covid prefer to head to destinations took hold of the nation. Established in 2019, Room Roaming is an Ethiopian hospitality franchise that offers clean and affordable rooms to both local and international guests. As a local tech-based company that partners with budget hotels, guesthouses and other lodging services, we strive to meet our guests’ expectations.

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Globally, the pandemic had caused the tourism industry to come to an immediate halt. Hotels were hit hard. At the time, most Ethiopian hotels had closed their doors, some had completely shut down, some sold their property and a hand-few had pivoted to becoming Covid-centers. The Ethiopian hospitality industry was on the brink of collapse. “We believed this curse could become an opportunity and we wanted to grab it.”, said Bruktawit. Room Roaming focused on two things. First, it encouraged its hotels to adopt Covid-conscious practices in order to ensure the safety of its guests. Second, it focused on building the local market and growing its domestic customer base. In doing so, Room Roaming hotels were able survive the storm. Room Roaming is a techbased hospitality brand. As such, it utilizes technology to bolster the reach and scale of the services it provides. This includes the use of a website (www.roomroaming.com) and call center (7488) w w w. R o o m R o a m i n g . c o m offers guests a quick and easily way to book at Room Roaming hotels. Companies can also use the site to contact the sales team and negotiate corporate deals to host their guests at discounted rates. The call center allows guest to dial-in and reserve rooms. Guests can use 7488 when

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in Ethiopia or call +251-16-674-729 from anywhere in the world. It is fully operational and is open 24/7. The call center (7488) and website (www.RoomRoaming.com) have been operational for over a year - managing to attract guests for its partner hotels. Recently, Room Roaming have announced the release of their mobile application on the Google Play Store. This allows guests to easily find comfortable rooms at affordable prices. You can easily find hotels nearby, compare prices, select the room that fits your needs and reserve the room in under 5 minutes. “We understand that standing out in a crown market place requires building quality products – products that address the users needs long before they even think about it. That is the level of user-centered design we wanted to employ. And I believe we are well on our way.”, said Endegenaamare Taye, Business Development Manager at Room Roaming. Accordingly, the mobile application also allows you to view weather information and visit the different attractions Addis Ababa (the capital of Ethiopia) has to offer. Currently supporting 3 languages and Google sign-ins, it is designed to reflect the comfortable experience Room Roaming offers. To download and install, simply search “Room 52

Roaming” on Google’s Play Store. Manager of Room Roaming. “The Room Roaming brand will help Room Roaming also plans to guest discover prime hotels – hotels release the application on the Apple that would have been harder to AppStore soon. find.” Technology is great but it is a vehicle to the value Room Roaming “Room Roaming’s vision is to offers offering quality rooms at become the leading African affordable prices. Hence, Room hospitality brand by use of Roaming hotels strive to ensure customer-centric innovation to that guests can expect clean rooms, refine our services provided by personalized customer services 2030. We want to empower hotels at affordable prices. That is the both within and outside of Ethiopia. promise of the Room Roaming We want to provide our services to logo. fellow hospitality providers across Africa.”, said Endegenaamare Taye, “This promise is our bond Business Development Manager of to our customers. Our place Room Roaming. “In doing so, we in their hearts. For us, the want to enable the African traveler. customer always comes first.”, That is what we want our legacy to said Bruktawit Ambachew, Brand be.”

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Congratulations

on your great return!

Find your home away from home

with RoomRoaming!

Call us on

7488

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Ethio-Holiday: Making Your Stay Memorable

Exploring Ethiopia may occasionally feel like stepping back in time, but these holidays bring you bang up to date by introducing you to the people and culture. You might sample the finest vegan food (few countries do it better), go trekking in the Bale Mountains or to see the baboons in the Simien Mountains, or travel the Northern Circuit to admire the ancient rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. But wherever you go, you’ll be in the company of knowledgeable local guides and staying in smaller, often family-run accommodations. It’s the best way to travel here, and definitely the best introduction to Ethiopia. The best time to visit Ethiopia is September to April, but particularly at either end of the rains – in April, when the land is dry and barren, or as it flourishes again between September and October. This green season is also best for highland wildlife. Rains replenish the Omo Valley even sooner, so travel November to March or June to September. Generally, though, the rains cause little disruption. Lalibela, Addis Ababa and Gondar are the hotspots for this 1,000-year-old epiphany celebration, in which religious processions carry replicas of the Ark of the Covenant. There is lively music, dancing and colorful robes – followed by feasting and a ceremonial bathing to mark Jesus’ baptism. Many tours incorporate Timkat, which takes place from 19-21 January. Ethio-holiday is one of the marketing and promotion units of the Ethiopian Airlines Group that has been mainly dealing with holiday travel packages available for Ethiopian Diasporas. ABN talks to Mahlet Kebede on Ethioholiday activities in relation to the Great Ethiopian Homecoming event. 54

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Ethiopian Airlines plays a significant role in making Ethiopia a prominent tourist destination. Ethiopian Holidays, as the tour operator wing of Ethiopian Airlines, highlights and promotes the very best of Ethiopian Airlines destinations around Ethiopia and across the globe! ET-Holidays provides travelers with a memorable trip of a lifetime within Ethiopia from North to South, East to West and everything in between. From trips focusing on history to others focusing on indigenous tribes, bird watching, trekking or relaxation, Ethiopia Holidays has flexible packages for everyone. Through our global networks, we will take you across the world to exotic locations

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and provide you with memorable international vacations. ET-Holidays has developed an incredible and diverse range of tour packages on offer for individuals or groups; from tailor made to a wide range of themed holidays ranging from one-day stop overs to full-scale all-inclusive package holidays.

Besides, “Great Ethiopian Home Coming” is a huge international campaign in which Ethiopian Airlines reflects its highest quality customer services to the globe. This gives us an ample opportunity to show the extensive customer service discipline and outstanding service to the homecoming travelers.

“We are ready to welcome the participants who will be coming for the Great Ethiopian Homecoming. We have prepared different tour packages available on our website from city tours to excursions to Arbaminch.”

“We believe that it has been warmly welcomed by the Diasporas and the flight status is a testimony of this. Many home comers are booking flights to Ethiopia taking advantage of the 30% discount we are offering.” Mahlet noted.

Ethiopia has called its children to come home for this year's Ethiopian Christmas (Genna) and Ethiopian Epiphany (Timiket). In reaction to the call, over one million Ethiopian Diasporas and friends of Ethiopia are expected to visit Ethiopia in January and celebrate the holidays together in the homeland.

As far as challenges Ethio-holiday has faced, Mahlet stated that they haven’t faced any problem so far; “we are ready to welcome the participants who will be coming for the Great Ethiopian Homecoming. We have prepared different tour packages available on our website from city tours to excursions to Arbaminch.” She concluded.

In response to the humble invitation of the country, Ethiopian Airlines the largest Pan-African Airline, has responded fast and laid its solid foundation to facilitate the flight services and welcome the visitors with the best Ethiopian hospitality at all its service zones. As a national flag carrier, it is our national responsibility to respond to the national call to welcome our brothers and sisters home.

Ethiopian Airlines is happy to be part of this great initiative and we are ready to welcome them. In addition, we are pleased that our government has called out this challenge and that the diaspora has stepped up to this challenge!

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Gezahegn Wordofa: The Goodwill humanitarian By Samuel Teka Dr. Gezahegn Wordofa was born in Dukem in a small community known as Oda Nebe. He travelled to Russia with a scholarship to pursue post-secondary studies. Educated in law, world history, human rights, international relations, and diplomacy, Gezahegn promptly put his knowledge into practice by securing employment with a charitable organization partnered with The United Nations (UN) Refugee Agency, which managed the care and support of asylum seekers in Russia. Gezahegn is a former UN Goodwill Ambassador for world peace and his journey of passionate commitment to provide viable solutions to the challenges faced by newcomers in Canada began shortly after graduation, and continues vibrantly to the present day. Selflessness is one of his many indispensable qualities which he carried to Canada in 2011. Since relocating to Canada and settling in Stratford, Gezahegn has volunteered devotedly at churches and local non-profit agencies, becoming a valued member of his community. Embracing the connections and relationships he built through his active involvement in the community, Gezahegn has remain an active humanitarian in his residence, Canada. After settling in Canada, Gezahegn became aware of domestic migrant workers and families travelling to Huron and Perth counties in search of a better life. Extremely sympathetic to the plight of refugees worldwide and the obstacles any newcomer can face when they are attempting to settle in a new country or region, the urgency for a local agency to oversee the smooth integration of newcomers to the area resonated with Gezahegn’s energetic visionary drive. Huron-Perth counties are home to many different cultures comprising of individuals and families who have lived in these areas for a long time without recognition, sufficient representation, and have lacked the resources to integrate effectively into their local communities because of language barriers, fears associated with 56

assimilation, loss of a sense of belonging, and limited knowledge of services available to newcomers. Before the birth of the Multicultural Association PerthHuron in October of 2013, which Gezahegn founded, he met with newcomers and their families in their homes and in coffee shops to offer support and understand their experiences. Recognizing that many of them were having difficulty assimilating well into their new communities, he put forth his best efforts to get them as much assistance as he could by accompanying them to local agencies where he volunteered including The Salvation Army, Stratford House of Blessing and Red Cross. He tapped into other community resources such as community meal programs and charities, assisting individuals and families

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network more effectively with local community members and build lasting relationships like himself. The Stratford community quickly became attentive to Gezahegn’s pioneering leadership as well as the influx of culture to the area as a result of the spill-over effect from larger cities nearby and the emergent refugee crisis worldwide. On October 5, 2013, Dr. Gezahgn Wordofa’s dream of founding and directing a local agency responsible for the care and support of newcomers from domestic and international avenues, became a reality. The Multicultural Association of PerthHuron (MAPH) is an official Stratford landmark, and has since graduated from the United Way to become its own non-profit organization, tackling more geographical areas including Bruce County and parts of Oxford County. The association’s primary objectives are:

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1. Help newcomers to the Perth, Huron, Bruce, and Oxford counties adjust to their new life. 2. Help and continue to support migrants and refugees access community networks, government resources, education programs, housing, transportation, and financial and employment services. 3. Bring new and old residents together through the promotion of events and activities to inform the general public of the thriving multiculturalism and diverse population in the area. 4. Continue to promote and cultivate a sense of multiculturalism within the operating boundaries, advocating for the equal treatment and inclusion of all citizens. 5. Assist newcomers adapt to

the Perth Wellington, Huron, Bruce Grey and Oxford Middlesex areas. The success of the MAPH continues to rely heavily on the values of its founder and his unwavering determination to lead by example. When a devastating tornado hit the town of Goderich in August of 2011, only months after moving to Canada, Gezahegn immediately travelled to the town to work with the Red Cross and other volunteer organizations to lend his support. In 2012, with the guidance and direction of Wordofa, the Seaforth Public School held a penny drive selling water droplet ornaments at the Seaforth Craft Show to raise awareness along with money for a well in Ethiopia. Keeping with the Christmas spirit of charity and compassion, the MAPH proudly welcomed Stratford’s first Syrian refugee family in December 2015, as they were the guests of honor at the annual Christmas dinner hosted by the MAPH. In March of 2016,

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Gezahegn organized and held multiple events in the Huron-Perth counties to uphold and celebrate the achievements of women all over the world in honour of International Women’s Day. Gezahegn has repeatedly won the respect and admiration of his peers as he has been nominated and awarded for his excellence as a role model in the community. His unflustered and enthusiastic performance, deeply rooted in his humanitarian work abroad, has earned him the Newcomer Champion Award and the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award. He is one of RBC’s 2015 Top 25 Canadian Immigrants, and in one publication he is described as being a “community trailblazer,” for his conscientious active citizenship and engagement. The scale of Gezahgn’s achievements is paramount, and continues to flourish. When the MAPH reaches out and embraces the newcomer, they in turn express their gratitude by striving to become exemplary community members like Gezahegn by offering their time to Abyssinia Business Network / ABN / 2021

volunteer at the MAPH and other local agencies. The MAPH operates on relationships which reflect the reciprocal nature of community service, and since its inception in 2013, the MAPH has helped over 2,000 families and 3,000 individuals. Geza immigrated twice in his lifetime, and understands well what it feels like to be an immigrant in a new country. It hasn’t always been an easy time for the persevering humanitarian, who himself had to adjust to the smalltown culture of Stratford when he first arrived. Moving to a smaller city like Stratford is worlds apart from moving to a large metropolis like Toronto, and Geza experienced a fair amount of difficulty and opposition in his early years in Stratford. It wasn’t always easy trying to get his message across, convincing local community members about the pressing issues surrounding immigration and cultural diversity, and persuading the heritage-strong community of Stratford to adopt his values with an open mind. However, Geza endured, and never lost sight of the bigger picture at hand, and all of his hard work is now evident in the continuing success of the MAPH.

degree in peace and conflict resolution. The MAPH has helped him buy a house, a car, and has helped two of his children attend universities in the surrounding areas.

Awards and Honours received: 2012 – Newcomer Champion Award: Community Leader (Province of Ontario) 2012 – Elizabeth II 50th Anniversary Award Volunteer Award 2014 – Caring Canadian Award (Governor General of Canada) 2015 – RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant (Canadian Immigrant Magazine) 2015 – International Peace Ambassador (World Diplomatic Association) 2015 – Volunteer Award – 5 year service (Province of Ontario) 2016 – Bikila Award – Community Service Excellence (Ethiopian Expat Community in Canada) 2017 – Sovereign Medal for Volunteers (Governor General of Canada) 2018 – Huron Chamber of Commerce – Award of Excellence 2020 – Listowel North Perth Chamber of Commerce – Excellence in Non-profit Newcomer Award

2020 – Ethiopian Community Award – Oda Neba School & Library project Gezahegn is very pleased on the occasion of “The Great Ethiopian Homecoming” as it presents a great opportunity to extend his support for communities that have been adversely affected by the ongoing conflict in the northern regions of Ethiopia. The generous humanitarian had previously donated TVs, computers and other equipment to his hometown residents. Gezahegn is now in the process of donating wheelchairs for wounded soldiers in the conflict along with two ambulances. He says that such homecoming calls should be carried out in a sustainable manner so that Ethiopia can fully harness the potentials of its diaspora community. Through the years, Gezahegn showed his commitment to ensure favorable environments for immigrants and disadvantaged communities through humble and generous servitude which continues to shine for generation to come.

One of MAPH’s clients Moses from the Kenyan refugee camp Kakuma, who settled in the area with his eight children recalls his experience with Geza as “the most welcoming and supportive experience he has encountered since he arrived in Canada.” Moses is now employed at a local factory, studying English as a second language at a local institute, and is in the process of upgrading his education from Uganda to enroll at the University of Waterloo to obtain a 58

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Leulseged; Thank you very much. After coming back from London in 2014 as per the invitation of the Ethiopian government I led the Ethiopian hotel rating project. I served my country as board director at government levels in addition to consulting and giving training for Ethiopian hotels managers and owners. I was also invited by Bahir dar and Hawassa universities to guest lecture and share my knowledge on the hospitality industry. ABN;What is your reflection on the upcoming national event named “The Great Ethiopian Homecoming” and its contribution for the hotel industry in Ethiopia?

ABN Q&A

ABN interviewed Leulseged Messle, president of Ethiopian Hotel Professionals Association in relation with “The Great Ethiopian Homecoming” highlighting the efforts and involvement opportunities for the diaspora community in the Ethiopian hotel and tourism sector, the trends and social significance in general. ABN.Let’s begin with your educational background, place of birth and other background information?

Leulseged;My name is Leulseged Messele and I was born in Dessie. I attended Etige Menen elementary school and W/o Sehin Comprhensive High School. Then I earned my BA degree from Kenya Utalli College in Hotel Management. The college is an esteemed hospitality and tourism college in Africa. I later earned my MA from London Metropolitan University in International Hospitality and Tourism Management. In the professional wold, I served as General Manager in different hotels located in Nairobi, Mombasa, and London. I was also the General Manager at Tesco (London branch), which is a big European retail company. I also served as board Director for Ethiopian hotel and tourism training institute (ctti and Genet Hotel), president of Ethiopian hotel professional Association and Board Director of Ethiopian tourism minister think tank team. ABN.Please tell us about your involvement in the hotel and tourism industry?What are some of the noteworthy works you have done?

Leulseged ;The great Ethiopian homecoming event is a great opportunity that benefits the economy of the county in the tourism and the hospitality service sector. It will revive the tourism industry with one million Ethiopian diaspora coming back as temporary tourists. During their stay, the community will use hotel and other hospitality services, boosting the industry morale and economy. ABN;How do you describe the potential of the Ethiopian diaspora in its contribution to the hotel tourism development? Leulseged; The contribution diaspora is very advantagous for the hotel and tourism sector in terms of investments in the sector. Not only the investments, but also, the community’s contribution is significant in transferring knowledge to the local Ethiopian hospitality and tourism sector professionals. ABN;It is to be recalled that Ethiopia recently launched Convention Centre for Ethiopian Tourism development. What would be its significance in convening Ethiopians and Ethiopian nationals once completed and becoming a source of economy?

Leulseged; Convention centres are among the key players in the convention industry, making a critical economic contribution to the destination. These convention centres contribute a lot to employment and domestic income generation, nationally and regionally by increasing foreign exchange earnings for a nation. Aside from economic growth, conventions benefit Ethiopia through knowledge sharing, country branding, and create networking opportunities. ABN;What is your future plan of in areas that can engage the diaspora community? Is there a strategic plan in place that you can elaborate on? Elaborate on the way forward?

Leulseged: We have an ongoing discussion to implement a DIASPORA TOURISM which will start in the coming July and August, 2022 since it will be convenient to hold discussions with the diaspora community since they always visit Ethiopia in the summer time. Abyssinia Business Network / ABN / 2021

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