International worker’s day ( May day) was commemorated at Hawassa Industrial Park on May 3/2022 with the presence of Ethiopian Confederation president, officials of Sidam Regional State, park management and HIP workers.                                                                                                                          During the celebration, the park was commended due to the fact that 80 percent of companies at HIP are unionized. It was also reiterated the importance of strengthening trade unions so as to promote collective bargaining and ultimately ensuring industrial peace.                                                                                  The day was marked for the 143th time at an international level and 47th time in Ethiopia with the motto of “Workers unionization for industrial peace, productivity and improved standard of living.”

A Consensus was reached to continue the current cooperation between  HIPIA , Hawassa University, TVET, and public colleges in improving the employability of fresh graduates in HIP under the develop PPP program that will come to an end on 1st of July 2022. Following a workshop organised in Hawassa on April 20/2022, HIPIA has signed a  memorandum of understanding between  Hawassa University, Polytechnic college, and TVET colleges. The develop PPP program funded by GIZ and PVH and executed by HIPIA since 2018 has been linking government educational institutes with Hawassa Industrial Park through facilitating internships, externships as well as by paying pocket money to those interns who engage on the job training. This program will come to an end on the 1st of July 2022. The memorandum of understanding is believed to sustain the training and job opportunities for graduates in the future. These opportunities have enhanced the employability of students and as of today  out of 550 total internships in HIP, 100 have led to a job at the park. Hawassa Industrial Park Investor Association in partnership with GIZ has also been developing a career service center whose objective is to provide better qualified lower and middle managers to factories with the help of the center.

International women’s day was commemorated at Hawassa Industrial Park. The day was celebrated with events, speech and other programs in a way that honor the work and achievement of women to achieve their full potential at the park. International women’s day was marked with motto of ‘break the bias’ in an effort to break the discrimination against women in communities,  work places and families so forth. This event was organized by Plan Internation Ethiopia in collaboration with Investors Association and IPDC.

Frequent behavioral change campaigns organized at the park have motivated workers to get vaccinated. Covid 19 pandemic remains to be one of the greatest challenges affecting the well-being of workers across the globe. The impact of the virus is particularly detrimental to manufacturing industry considering the fact that the nature of the industry exposes workers to work in close contact. In response to this, Hawassa Industrial Park in partnership with its project partners has carried out a range of activities to combat the effect of the pandemic both at park and in the community. What action taken to curb the impact of Covid 19 pandemic at HIP and in the community? Training of the trainer was given to 23 Hawassa Industrial Park nurses and first aid safety workers. Refresher training was also provided to 43 Sidama regional and Hawassa city health care workers on contact tracing, Covid 19 surveillance, risk communication in Arbaminch. The training mainly focused on Covid 19 surveillance mechanism, risk communication, case detection and isolation at the workplace with both theoretically as well as practical methods. Behavioural changing campaignswere also conducted in seven kebeles in Hawassa through van’s mobility for 10 consecutive days by travelling in areas where our employees spend their spare time, such as in market areas, residential areas, grain grinding places, crowded roads and at the entrance and exit of the two gates of Hawassa Industrial Park. Likewise, behavioural change campaigns on Covid 19 were also organized with popular comedians 54 banners on the pandemic precautionary measures and 56 banner messages on the efficacy of the vaccine were published and disseminated. 2 billboards were produced and posted around the gate. 40 foot-operated dispensers along with 500 litter of sanitiser were distributed to companies at Hawassa Industrial Park on 2 June 2021. 2 hand-washing stations and 60 litter of sanitiser have also been provided for IPDC. Audio material spot was also developed in Amharic and Sidamic Languages and transmitted through the park community radio. Big mask event was organized and thank you certificates were given to 53  Sidama regional and Hawassa city front line health care workers and a Big mask event was organized and thank you certificates were given to 53  Sidama regional and Hawassa city front health care workers and administrative members and institutions.

Please check out Ethiopian Investment Comission’s (EIC) COVID-19 dedicated tab which includes latest Government Measures and other business related resources Learn More We are happy to share with you the PPE Calculator which is now ready and available on IFC PPE website: It is an easy and fast way for companies to evaluate Capex and working capital needs when planning to start PPE production.

Different awareness programs were provided to Hawassa Industrial Park workers starting from End of January by the Investors Association. Some of the major ones are as follows:  Coordinating with EPHI team, regional health bureau health and Hawasssa city administration health department representatives several physical trainings were given to the workers in their respective factories.Workers,HRs,Nurses were trained. The trainings were given to all 22 companies that exist in the park in various sessions. Audio awarness is being provided through the Park FM Radio – Audio content was donated to us by the John Hopkins University Several awareness material (using WHO and MOH guidelines) has been distributed to workers in three rounds Total amount of awareness material distributed was 90,000 brochures of various kinds of awareness messages A community outreach in collaboration with Investors Association, IPDC and Enterprise partners was conducted in 10 sub-city of Hawassa where most of the park workers lives. The Hawassa Industrial Park Investors Association had distributed 35,000 anti bacterial soaps to all workers in the park on May 7th 2020   The Hawassa Industrial Park Investors Association donated faced masks with a cost of 600,000ETB to both Hawassa City Administration and SNNPR on 21st May 2020.