COURTESYPHOTOTesfaye(center)launchestheSmilingChildrenProjectforaprimaryschoolinAddisAbabaonMay26,2015RomanTesfaye,wifeofformerEthiopianPrimeMinisterHailemariamDesalegn,isaferventadvocateofwomen’seconomicempowerment.TheformerEthiopianfirstladyseesthisissueasthekeytopovertyeradicationandsocialtransformation.
“What’sgoodforwomenisgoodfortheeconomy,”shesaid.Toillustratethatactionspeakslouderthanwords,Tesfayelaunchedapilotprojectcalled“Connecting1,500WomenandYoungGirlstotheExportMarket”inFebruary2014.Aspartofthistrainingproject,thebeneficiaries,unemployedwomenaswellasfemaleentrepreneurswhowanttoexpandtheirbusinessesareabletoacquiretechnicalandentrepreneurialskillsfortheartisanalproductionofexport-boundproducts,suchasleatherfashionaccessories.Thankstotheseneweconomicopportunities,theynowhaveaccesstolocalandinternationalmarkets,allowingthemtoimprovetheirlivingconditions.
Schoolfeedingprogram
Motherofthreedaughters,Tesfaye,whowasthefirstladybetweenSeptember2012andFebruary2018,paysspecialattentiontotheeducationandnutritionofchildren.Havinggrownupinthecountryside,shediscoveredatanearlyagethateducationisaneffectivewaytobreakthecycleofpoverty.AfterreadingareportoftheAddisAbabaEducationBureauin2014showingthatthousandsofchildrenwereabouttodropoutofschoolbecauseofmalnutrition,Tesfayesprangintoactionimmediately.
In2015,togetherwiththeChinaFoundationforPovertyAlleviation(CFPA),sheinitiatedaschoolfeedingprogramcalledSmilingChildrenProjectcovering42publicprimaryschoolsinAddisAbaba.Today,theprojecthasbeenprovidingfreebreakfastandlunchto22,000studentsinthecapital.
Accordingtostudies,theschoolattendancerateforchildrentakingpartinthisprogramrosetoalmost99percent.Theirhealthstatushasimproved,andtheirschoolperformanceisontherise.
Moreover,alsowithintheframeworkofthisproject,1,200motherswhohadnostablesourceofincomewererecruitedtobeinchargeofthesupply,preparationanddistributionoffoodtostudents.Inthisway,theprojectbenefitsbothwomenandchildren.Tesfayecontinuestobeactivelyinvolvedineffortstoraisefundssothatmorechildrencanbenefitfromtheinitiative.RomanTesfayeTirelesswarrior
Tesfayeisalsoinvolvedinotherhumanitarianwork.ElectedasheadoftheOrganizationofAfricanFirstLadiesAgainstHIV/AIDSin2017,sheusedherstatustoraisepublicawarenessofthefightagainstthisepidemic.ThesustainedeffortsofTesfayeandotherAfricanfirstladiescontributedtoincreasedaccessofpregnantwomenlivingwithHIV/AIDSandtheirchildrentoHIVpreventionandtreatmentservicesinAfrica.Theresponsivenessoflocalinstitutionstowardthepandemichasalsobeenimproved.
AccesstocancertreatmentandcareservicesisanotherareaofconcernforenergeticTesfaye.ShewantstomaketreatmentandcareservicesaccessibleandaffordabletoallEthiopianslivingwithcancer.Sheinitiatedin2016anationalstrategyforcancerpreventionandcontrolwhichcoverstheperiodof2016-20,andintheprocess,fivespecializeduniversityhospitalsarenowbeingbuiltindifferentpartsofthecountry.Diagnosticandtreatmentservicesforcervicalcancerhavealsobeenexpandedacrossthecountry.
Tesfayehasmanyadmirersforthetirelessworkshedoestohelpthoselessfortunatethanherself.OneoftheseadmirersisKenyanFirstLadyMargaretKenyatta,whosaid,“RomanTesfayeisatruewarriorforwomenandchildreninAfrica.”
**Commentsto
CommittedtoChange
WhilesheisofficiallynolongerthefirstladyofEthiopia,Tesfaye’scommitmenttoimprovethelivesofwomen,childrenandvulnerablegroupsremainsunchanged.InanexclusiveinterviewwithChinAfrica,TesfayetalksaboutherfutureprojectsandcommentsonhercollaborationwithherChinesepartner.
ChinAfrica:Whydidyouchoosetobecomeinvolvedincharitycausesrelatedtowomenandchildren?
RomanTesfaye:Beingafirstladyisamajorresponsibility.Thisisauniquepositionthatshouldbeleveragedforthegoodofthepeople.Ichosetouse[theprominenceof]thistitletoactforthewell-beingofwomenandchildren.Whetheritistheeducationofouryoungchildrenortheempowermentofwomen,itisthefuturedevelopmentofournationthatisatstake.Iprioritizedfivetopics[women’seconomicempowerment,improvingeducationqualitythroughschoolfeeding,cancerpreventionandcontrol,thefightagainstHIV/AIDSandthepromotionofgoodnutritionalpractices],becausetheyexertadirectinfluenceonwomen,childrenandmarginalizedgroups,andworkedtoimprovetheirsituationthroughvariousinitiatives.
HowimportantisyourcooperationwiththeCFPA?
TheCFPAisastrongpartnerofboththeSmilingChildrenProjectandtheWomen’sEconomicEmpowermentInitiativethatIadvocatefor.Itunderstandsthecriticalimportanceoftheprojectsweareimplementingandisreadytorespondquicklytoourrequests.Ithasconsistentlysupportedusfromtheearlystageoftheprojects.ThereisanotherreasonwhyIamverygratefulforitssupport.Iknowthatmanypeoplebelievethatschoolfeedingpromotesdependencyamongchildrenandfamilies.Ithinkthatthisisveryfarawayfromthetruth.Indeed,breakingthecycleofpovertythrougheconomicgrowthistheonlylastingsolutiontotheproblemofmalnutrition.However,ittakestimetoaddresstheconsequencesofextremepovertythathaslastedforcenturies.Itisnotaquestionofpromotingdependency,butofcarryingoutastrategicandhumanitarianintervention.Inthisregard,IthanktheChinesepeoplewhosupportedusthroughtheCFPA,andIhopethatthisgeneroussupportwillcontinue.
Couldyoutellusaboutyourfutureprojects,andhowdoyouplantofurthercooperatewithChina?
IwishtocontinueservingtheEthiopianpeople.Iwillfightallmylifetoimprovethelivingconditionsofwomenandchildren.Theschoolfeedingprogram,forexample,isnotsomethingyoucangiveuphalfway:Youcan’tfeedachildonedayandtellhimthereisnofoodthenextday.Thatwouldbecounterproductive.Therefore,wemustcontinuetohelpuntilasustainablesolutionisinplace.Withmyhusband,formerPrimeMinisterHailemariamDesalegn,weareworkingtocreateanindependentandnon-politicalfoundationthatwillfocusonissuesrelatedtothewell-beingofwomenandchildren.WeplantocontinuesupportingtheSmilingChildrenProject.IhopemyengagementwiththepeopleandgovernmentofChinawillcontinuebypartneringontheprojectstheupcomingfoundationwilldevelopandimplement.