Arba Minch University (AMU) got awarded €389,790/Over 45.4 million/ grant from the EU SIFA Innovation Funding Window III for its project entitled "Job Opportunity for Female Employability through the Adoption of Proven Enset Technologies" (JOB-FEET). The project was developed by a team of multidisciplinary professionals from AMU and other institutions. Click here to see more photos.
On August 21, 2024, AMU officially signed an 18-month project implementation agreement with the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD). The agreement was signed by Behailu Merdekios (Associate Professor), Vice President for Research and Community Engagement at AMU and Nardos Bekele, CEO of AUDA-NEPAD.
Behailu Merdekios (Associate Professor), Vice President for Research and Community Engagement at Arba Minch University, noted that the grant marks a significant milestone for the university and the communities it serves. He highlighted that the JOB-FEET project addresses unemployment among women and individuals with disabilities while leveraging the neglected local resource, enset, to create sustainable opportunities. By focusing on capacity building and enterprise development, he expects the initiative to have a lasting impact on the socio-economic landscape of the regions involved.
The Vice President also added that the grant would enhance AMU's international visibility reflecting its growing global reputation. He also expressed deep appreciation to the research team for securing the grant and reaffirmed AMU’s commitment to executing the project effectively as planned.
Dr. Wondwosen Jerene, the project coordinator, explained that the JOB-FEET project aims to support approximately 1,500 unemployed women and individuals with disabilities by advancing enset technologies and creating new enterprises in South, Central Ethiopia, and Sidama regional states. The project will be implemented in collaboration with ʻLucy Ensetʼ, a private company, and Arba Minch Polytechnic and Satellite Institute.
Dr. Addisu Fekadu, a biotechnology researcher and team leader of the project emphasized that the initiative will establish multiple enterprises across the three regions. The project will focus on providing training to female university and TVET graduates, and persons with disabilities equipping them with the skills necessary to participate in enset-based enterprises. These enterprises will specialize in both food and non-food enset products with an emphasis on the production and marketing of premium enset-based flour and food items. In addition, the project will foster the development of enset processing machine production thereby enhancing local manufacturing capabilities.
To ensure the sustainability of all start-up enterprises, comprehensive support and coaching will be provided being aimed to enhance their business practices, managerial skills, and entrepreneurial mindset, according to Dr. Addisu.
The SIFA initiative is led by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and is funded by the European Union (EU) and the German Development Bank (KfW). The team secured the grant through a highly competitive selection process topping as a winner from among over 4,000 applicants from eight countries. In total, 21 projects from Windows II and III were signed at the African Union, representing seven African countries, with guests in attendance from the EU, Sweden, Germany, and other African Union member states.
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