World Vision Signs One Billion ETB Agreement with Amhara Regional State for a Five Year Program to Improve the Lives of Women and Children

Addis Ababa (November 3, 2014) World Vision Ethiopia (WVE) has been implementing relief, rehabilitation and development programs in the Amhara National Regional State since the early 1980’s targeting those most vulnerable, with a primary target on children. Today, WVE has signed a new agreement with the Region for a five year, one billion ETB ($50m) program (FY 2015-2019) in Bahir Dar town, in the presence of presence of the President of the Amhara Regional Stateof the Amhara Regional State. 

During the event Margaret Schuler, World Vision Ethiopia National Director stated that the fundsare allocated for the implementation of programs intended to benefit approximately 5,845,700 community members out of which 3,948,530 are children. “Unlike the previous decentralized approach which focused on signing agreements at the woreda level, the new approach enables agreement signing activities to be carried out centrally at a regional level, saving more resources and focusing staff effort on program implementation in the field,” said Ms. Schuler.

The major program interventions to be implemented include livelihoods and economic development; health and nutrition; Education, with a strong focus on literacy; improving water and sanitation services and protection of children. All program interventions will be implemented in partnership with the regional, zonal and woreda level government offices and other partner agencies. The interventions will take place in 18 Area Programs (APs) operating in 9 zones and 20 woredas of the Region. Nine APs are located in Eastern Amhara while the other nine are in Western Amhara. The APs operating in Eastern Amhara are found in North Wollo, South Wollo, North Shoa zones and Oromiya special Zone. Whereas the APs found in the Western Zone operate in North and South Gondor Zones, East and West Gojjam Zones and Awi Zone.

 For more information, please contact meron_aberra@wvi.org, +251-911-221060.

End Note: 

World Vision began its first intervention in Ethiopia in 1971 with relief and opened the Ethiopia office in 1975. During the 1984/85 drought, WVE participated in a massive relief operation that saved the lives of millions of people. After an intensive relief and rehabilitation program, the organization developed a new integrated development approach the objective of which was to ensure empowerment and transformational change. This approach led to the establishment of Area Programs (APs) in the 1990s that is still being implemented and continuously strengthened today in many parts of the country.  Registered and licensed by Ethiopia’s Charities and Societies Agency, WVE operates in more than 80 Districts of the country, coordinated by 17 Program Cluster Offices in Amhara, Oromiya, Tigray, SNNPR, Benshangul Gumuz, and Addis Ababa City Administration.