Monday, July 8, 2013

Ethiopia in her Capital to build Africa's Tallest Building while it's majority of population still starving.

Ethiopia's capital city, Addis Ababa, may boast Africa's tallest building by 2017. This is not considering still over 80 % of the population do not eat one full meal a day .

While a 58-storey building had been announced previously, plans unveiled by private Chinese developer Guangdong Chuanhui Group now call for a 99-storey office-cum-hotel tower to be built here.

The site for the Chuanhui International Tower is at the new Addis Ababa Exhibition Centre and the developer said it has acquired a 41,000-square metre site and building plans have been approved.

If built, the structure will supersede by 225 metres Africa's current tallest tower, the 50-storey Carlton Centre in Johannesburg.

While floors three to 55 of the proposed super tower are designed for offices, floors 78 to 94 have been set aside for a 217-room Regency Hotel, said a statement by Chuanhui which is based in Guangdong Province in southern China.

Chuanhui has also allocated 2,600 sq m for an exhibition hall and ballroom. Occupying 27,000 sq m, the ground floors and basement have been earmarked for retail space and a public library will occupy another 1,500 sq m.

If completed, the tower would be renamed the Meles Zenawi International Centre to honour the memory of former Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

Chuanhui has not revealed the building's estimated cost or other details, including financial arrangements or the names of the architect and engineer.

With a population of about 2.8 million, Addis Ababa is the country's commercial and industrial centre.

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Drought, famine, conflict or a combination of all 3 – Madigan visits Somali refugee camp - Sport - MSN Ireland


The Leinster and Ireland star was joined by club captain Leo Cullen on a trip to a teeming refugee camp in Ethiopia.


Ian Madigan with a female worker from the Pittard factory.
Ian Madigan with a female worker from the Pittard factory.
LEO CULLEN AND Ian Madigan are back in London after a three-day awareness trip to Ethiopia with the charitable organisation GOAL.
The Leinster rugby stars were thrown in at the deep end on their first day, in the country’s capital Addis Ababa, when they met some of the 60,000 children that live and sleep rough on the city’s streets. Days two and three saw them visit a camp for some 40,000 Somali refugees, in the south west of Ethiopia, and a factory were former street dwellers have found gainful employment.
Cullen told TheScore.ie, “On Wednesday, we headed out to Buramino, a GOAL compound, refugee camp, 25 kilometres from the border. One of the first compounds was set up in 2009 but famine and conflict meant, in 2011, there was a flood of Somalis coming over the border. There are now five camps and each of them are close to the 40,000 capacity.”
The lengthy drought of 2011 led to the United Nations officially declaring a state of famine in Somalia. A subsequent U.N report, in May 2013, concluded that the famine had claimed the lives of 258,000 people over an 18-month period.
Madigan said, “The camps are cities within themselves, with Somalis fleeing their country due to drought, famine, conflict or a combination of all three. When they first arrive, at Dolo Addo, they have to be screened – interviewed, weighed, medically checked – before they are assigned to a camp. The screens are often needed because people from the town nearby often try to gain access as they are very poor and looking for food.”
Factory visit
Ian Madigan and Leo Cullen at the Pittard factory in Addis Ababa. (Credit: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland)
Madigan and Cullen heard some harrowing tales of loss and death in Somalia but, two years on from the worst of the famine crisis, have been encouraged by the resilience of many families that are returning to their homeland, and farms, to make a new start. Many refugees are employed at the camp and have found purpose in welcoming and assisting newcomers. Madigan said:
Of the 210 employees in the camp, 89 are refugees. They are trained to be nutritionists, nurses, cooks and cleaners. Non Government Organisations have a set rate of pay for these workers; they get €40 per month. It might not sound like a lot but it is enough to feed a family and put a roof over their head.”
The rugby stars returned, on Thursday, to Addis Ababa and visited a leather-goods factory run by Pittard. The company employees several of the street children that have been trained and educated in GOAL’s rehabilitation and drop-in centre.
“We were lucky to meet some of the employees,” said Madigan, “and the jobs have completely changed their lives. Work is the highlight of their week now. They have a roof over their head, food on the table and they can now support their brothers and sisters. That sense of purpose and drive is inspiring to see.”
In the afternoon, Madigan and Cullen travelled to meet some younger street children at a famous training camp run by Haile Gebrselassie and Million Wolde, two of the Ethiopia’s most accomplished distance runners and Olympic gold medallists. They went for a training run and got to do a rugby training session with the kids.
“I’m not sure they knew much about rugby,” remarked Madigan, “but they are crazy for sport and play with a smile on their face.”
- For more information on the trip, and GOAL’s work in Ethiopia, please visit www.goal.ie. Madigan and Cullen’s awareness trip has been sponsored by Bank of Ireland.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

African leaders gather in Ethiopia to discuss ways to eliminate hunger - PressTV



Mon Jul 1, 2013 5:56PM GMT
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Coletta Wanjohi, Press TV, Addis Ababa
African heads of state have gathered in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to discuss ways to reduce hunger and poverty in the continent. Their goal is a hunger free Africa by the end of 20-25.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has estimated that nearly 870 million people, or one in eight people in the world, were suffering from hunger and malnutrition between 2010 and 2012. Figures show most of the people who are suffering from hunger live in developing countries. For decades, the sub-Saharan Africa has been tackling with the problem of chronic hunger. Now, African heads of states of gathered in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to discuss ways to eliminate hunger from the continent. They say poverty is the main cause of the persistent hunger in Africa.


According to Food and agriculture organization persistent hunger in Africa is fueled by governments’ lack of attention to the vital role of farming and agricultural production

Countries like Brazil that now stand out as success stories for eliminating widespread hunger and poverty. Former Brazilian officials the idea of a hunger free Africa by 2025 will remain a dream unless income inequality is sorted out.

African leaders had previously made generous promises to reduce hunger and poverty in the continent. But these pledges have not backed by concrete action.

According to experts a committed collaborative effort of the African governments can stop the suffering of 23% of all undernourished Africans and 40% of stunted and malnourished children under five years of age