Month: June 2022

The United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Worker Wellness Alliance (WWA) project presents an agile and measurable platform for worker, community, government and private-sector engagement that aligns and supports Ethiopia in its Journey to Self reliance. Worker Wellness Alliance works in Hawassa City, which is home to the largest industrial park in Ethiopia. Industrial parks are new to the country, so WWA works with key stakeholders to adopt outside-the-park initiatives aimed at fostering stable, resilient and prosperous communities. Targeting two populations — newly recruited female factory workers and host community members — WWA implements interventions to support the arrival and integration of workers into the community of Hawassa City and increasing the ability of communities to benefit from the region’s growing population and expanding industrial base. To this end, Plan Ethiopia has established welcome centers both at the park and in the community and the below services have been offered by the center:  Distribution of info booklet and mobile airtime for female factory workers Dissemination and free mobile card top up to newly recruited workers at the park welcome center Organizing recreational activities at the welcome center Providing lodging service to new workers who arrive from the catchment area at the community welcome center established in Dato Kebele. In addition, WWA facilitates the provision of grant/subgrant to local shops in different kebeles where workers dwell & allow workers to purchase products with discounted price. It works to Integrate  workers with the host community through organizing community conversation It also organizes  training on gender based violence and reproductive health.

Plan International USA seeking support from The Children’s Place, as per the social change mandates of both organizations and most synergistic area of need has designed and developed a project known as Parenting the Children’s Place. The project realized the majority of the female workers arriving into Hawassa Industrial Park faced major challenges that if they have children and are able, they leave their children with their families in their home communities. Those without the option of family care, bring their children to Hawassa where the already scanty child care options are either too expensive or are focused only on vulnerable or orphaned youth and increasing reports of abandoned babies and children, as the workers do not have options or resources to provide adequate care while they are working their shifts within the IP. This issue has been raised by both workers and community members as well as the Ministry of Women, Children and Youth as a priority support service for the rapidly increasing young, female population. As a result, through its programs, plan international Ethiopia is currently implementing a project entitled as “establishing a community-based Childcare/Early Childhood Development center adjacent to the Hawassa Industrial Park (HIP) funded by The Children’s Place. The center is now providing: Service to 50 mothers whose babies are from six months to three years old. O these, 36 of them are mothers who are working at Hawassa Indutrial Park. The center has started providing full-fledged services since February 2022. It has a plan to expand its service in the future and host 150 babies in a year.

This program is being implemented by Care with a fund from PVH and GIZ. Since the program started in March 2021,265 operators are trained and graduated. The training program comprises six modules including communication, Time and Stress Management, Problem Solving and Decision Making, Financial Literacy etc… The program is implemented in 5 Companies (Century Garments, JP textile, PVHAM, Sumbiri and Hela Indochina) to improve the skills of 4000 FGWs.

In addition to personal advancement and Career enhancement training, Care Ethiopia is also conducting a project in the community which is known as ’Buna Tetu’. Under this project, trainings have been provided for 250 garment workers on Communications, Time and Stress Management, Problem Solving, so and so forth. Additional services which are offered under this project incorporate: Financial Literacy etc. as well as legal and health literacy in the center Health and legal counselling The workers form in groups to receive trainings, identify problems they face and bring solutions to their problems through an advisory committee Community Theatre on select topics Fair Price Shop outside IPDC providing maize flour, oil, pads, etc The platform creates an opportunity for the park workers to spend stress-free time and gain skills, contributing to retention and productivity at the Park.

BRIDGES is a five-year programme that aims to create employment opportunities for youth by unlocking the job creation potential of industrial parks (IPs) and other anchor enterprises (AEs) and their surrounding ecosystem including micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). BRIDGES employment linkage was officially launched at HIP on October 1st, 2020. The projects that were handed over to Bridges from EP include: Bridge has been providing the below services to Hawassa Industrial Park: ▪ The labor database The program provides a digitalized matching of HIP labour demand with the supply of job seekers through sustainable sourcing, screening, grading, job placement and training mechanisms. Provision of basic soft skills induction training that improves performance on the factory floor and worker engagement, motivation and expectation. ▪ Tatari project Tatari is an integrated scheme of recurrent saving, which will be leveraged to access loan that diligent workers to set up and run a viable MSMES with additional multi-level support from government. In short term, TATARI works to improve the labor, mobilization, retention and performance, while, in the long term, the young workforce would change the perception that considers factories as a learning ground to a better future.

A Projects with GIZ The Hawassa Industrial Park( HIP), initiated by the Ethiopian government in cooperation with the private sector, currently hosts about 23 international garment manufacturers, producing goods for the US and the European markets. Companies at the HIP face several challenges: lack of qualified workers and management personnel, lack of appropriate career guidance and relevant training models at educational institutions. Students, graduates and young professionals, however, are one of the most important assets for further positive development of the Ethiopian private sector. To match private partners’ expectation, it is essential for young people to be well trained. Therefore, the aim of the cooperation with GIZ is to strengthen the industry-education linkage and improve the qualifications of lower and middle- management employees, as well as future employees, in the textile and garment industry by innovative and practice-oriented training approaches. Training models and approaches Cooperative training for college students( 1 month) Internships for university students( 3 months) Management and technical training for graduate university and college students( 2 months) Externships( summer schools) for university and college staff Management and leadership training for employees( scenario-based,modular,12 hours) Organizational development( Individually tailored trainings for companies( 2 weeks) So far, after this industry-education linkage was introduced, Over 1,000 TVET students and University graduates had access to internship and training in one year. Career Service Center Skill assessment and career counseling hub was also established with the support of GIZ to facilitate further education and employment for job seekers and employees. The center: Develop competency matrix for selected career pathways. Recommend trainings according to competency assessment. Involve in selection of trainings( soft skills, leadership,etc.) Access to professionally relevant learning mateials.

Project with ILO and GIZ Prevention and Awareness Campaigns When Covid 19 broke out at Hawassa Industrial Park, a range of activities were carried out in cooperation with ILO and GIZ. Some of interventions are: Behavioural changing campaigns Community outreach activities Distribution of PPEs to workers and health professionals Production and distribution of communication materials (posters, audio, video) Capacity building trainings to health professionals Vaccination campaigns 47% of the park population vaccinated Awareness campaigns : health professionals community elders religious leaders comedians Refreshment trainings to health officers in factories and regional and city health bureau Recognition award for health workers