Director of Community Engagement at Debre Berhan University, Mekdes Gerawork (Assistant Professor), introduced about Debre Berhan University (DBU), special attention on activities that are performed in research and technology transfer vice president wing. And she said that we both (DBU and WISE) are working For the benefits of the community and having shared mission. For the better accomplishment of our missions partnership are critical issue. Since it is one of DBU's KPI and as it is one of the 17th SDG's. The two organizations have already started their collaboration through exchange of knowledge and providing TOT on ABCD (asset based community led development)approach and the University is member of WISE steering committee. She added that the collaboration mainly focuses on Women' and youths: on Leadership, development, institutional and strategic collaborations, livelihood and economic empowerment and women protection pillars. And the two organizations have showed their commitment for the successfulness of the collaboration.
On the occasion.the president of Debre Berhan University Dr. Asmare Melese expressed his pleasure to collaborate with WISE organization. And the collaboration has a lot of implications to achieve the shared missions of the two organizations. He added that the two organizations can develop joint project proposals on various issues. Moreover, it is a good opportunity that WISE has a project around Menz/Mehal meda campus/ where they can use DBU's staffs and students to carry out their activities and also promotes the University achievements and programs. Finally, he concluded that DBU is highly committed to work on various activities we have agreed to collaborate.
During the agreement of MOU, Tsigie Haile, Founder and Executive Director of Women in Self Employment explained about WISE that established in 1997 with the support of Action Aid Ethiopia to work with underprivileged women in Addis Ababa and the areas of work at the beginning included organizing target women into Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs), providing training in Basic Business Sksills and Leadership & Management of SACCOs for elected leaders and creating access to financial services through the SACCOs. A Union of WISE SACCOs was established to ensure sustainability of services to the women.
She added that the Organization has been directly working in Addis Ababa, Oromia, South and Amhara regional states. Indirectly, it has reached all regional states through partners. While the Organization has so far reached over 65000 women, it has worked with over 400 organizations through community trainings (>52000) and Training of Trainers (around 2000).
WISE gradually developed the initial programme based on areas of needs of the women. Thus, the training courses included Health, Life Skills, Technical skills, Gender, Financial Literacy and the like. Besides this She made clear that the organization experience of working in partnership, which is one of our strategies, aims to expand our good practices, learn from others and earn income to our business wing. And they are very happy to create a partnership with Debre Berhan University as they believe it is for mutual benefits but more so for serving our communities better. They have seen many areas of synergies that can be exploited at present and in the future.
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