POWERING UP - FINALIST
ETHIOPIA


Powering Up

Some eight hours' drive from the Ethiopian Capital Addis Ababa is the small community of Yayee. The surrounding countryside is a far cry from Ethiopia's stereotypical image: lush green pastures interwoven with rivers and streams. But this idyllic appearance is deceptive. Until the 1990s, political and economic marginalisation had rendered Yayee one of the poorest communities in Ethiopia.

At the overthrow of the Marxist regime in 1991, just 23 percent of Yayee's children were attending school and the community had no medical facilities whatsoever. It was then that the people of Yayee decided to help themselves to a better standard of life. Having seen the benefits of hydropower in other villages, they were keen to harness a local waterfall to bring 24-hour electricity to the community.

This was achieved with help from the local government and funds from Ireland's development assistance department. But the people of Yayee provided much of the funding - and did most of the hard work - themselves. Technical support for the German-built turbine has come from a local-born civil engineer. In boosting the villagers' confidence and know-how, the dam has laid the groundwork for several other infrastructure projects - a school building, a health centre and a water-supply system.

2006 finalist 2006 finalist
«
»

2010

The Only Way is Up - Philippines A Class Apart - Guatemala Pass it on - Peru Burn After Eating - India Charge of the Light Brigade - Rwanda Cyber Capital - Denmark Double Boiled - Kenya Growth Cycle - Zambia In a Nutshell - Malawi Ok Coral - Tanzania One Reef at a Time - Madagascar Saving From a Rainy Day - Mexico

2009

Safe Bottle Lamp Project - Sri Lanka Danamon Go Green - Indonesia Fungi Town - United States Afghan Hands - Afghanistan Andaman Discoveries - Thailand Barefoot Women Solar Engineers of Africa - India Biogas as an alternative source of energy - Kenya Cheetah Conservation Fund Bush Project - Namibia Comet-ME - Israel - Palestine Mootral - Uk Stoves for Survival - the Democratic Republic of Congo

2008

Plan Bee - Pakistan A Chance to Grow - Nepal Homegrown Heroes - Paraguay Change is Brewing - South Africa Cliffhanger - India Comunidade Film - Brazil Green Gold - Colombia Independence Day - India Maasai Production - Kenya Market economy - Kenya Sole Traders - Kenya Yurt Kindergartens - Kyrgyzstan

2007

Potato Goldmine - Peru Cooking Without Gas - Nepal School for Success - Haiti Half Price Hygiene - Uganda Herbal Healing - Vietnam High Sweet Fashion - Mexico Limbs From Leftovers - Nepal Out of the Forest - Brasil Peace Woods - Colombia S.O.S: Save our Seaweed - Brazil Steaming Ahead - Indonesia Top of the Crops - Afghanistan

2006

Elephant Paper - Sri-Lanka Card Aid - Rwanda Well Water - Bangladesh Blooming Business - Mauritius/Madagascar Fireproof Juice - Sweden Grass Roots - Swaziland Making a Buzz - Rodrigues/Mauritius Powering Up - Ethiopia Shark Park - Fiji Silicon Salvage - UK Sunny Side Up - Laos Wild Child - Botswana

2005

Coconets - Phillipines Fat Chance - Malta Reef Rehab - Vanuatu A Chilli Reception - Zambia Basket Case - Kenya Bugs Money - Kenya Dye-ing For Change - UK & Slovenia Lucky Birds - Spain Men Not At Work - South Africa My Big Fat Ethical Wedding - USA Rooftop Revolution - Ukraine Snakes Alive - India

Follow us

linkedin facebook