US embassy cable - 05ADDISABABA3855

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ADDIS ABABA 003855 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/RSA AND AF/E FOR MGONZALES 
DEPT PASS TO USAID/AFR/DP/PAB 
 
E.O.  12958:   N/A 
TAGS: EAID, PHUM, KDEM, SOCI, PREL, ET 
SUBJECT:  FY04 DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS ANNUAL SUMMARY 
REPORT - ETHIOPIA 
 
 
1.   SUMMARY AND INTRODUCTION.  In FY04, post provided 
funding for six (6) Democracy and Human Rights projects 
totaling USD 74,783.00. Post selected these projects in 
accordance with the Mission Performance Plan. FY04 projects 
improved the quality of life for approximately 155,125 
Ethiopians in five of the country's eleven administrative 
regions.  Thanks to USG support, disadvantaged persons in 
Dire Dawa are receiving free legal assistance; women and 
children in Oromia Region are less likely to undergo Female 
Genital Mutilation and other Harmful Traditional Practices; 
and the human rights of disabled and homeless Addis Ababa 
residents are being protected through the provision of 
overnight shelter, wheelchairs, prosthetics, and orthopedic 
shoes. All of the FY04 projects have been completed. 
Paragraphs 2-12 provide project descriptions and statuses. 
END SUMMARY AND INTRODUCTION. 
 
----------------------- 
PRIOR FISCAL YEAR FUNDS 
----------------------- 
 
FY 2002 
 
2.   Project number: DHR-02-663-3 
Project Holder: Addis Ababa University Faculty of Law 
Project Name: Printing of Civil and Criminal Codes 
Location:  Addis Ababa 
Project Description: To print 1,000 paperback sets of three 
volumes of civil and criminal cases for distribution to 
defense lawyers and legal institutions. 
     Estimated Number of Beneficiaries: Not indicated in the 
proposal 
     U.S. Contribution:  USD 6,000.00 
     Dollar Amount Disbursed:  USD 3,000.00 
     Unliquidated Balance: USD 6,000.00 (USD 148.60 in advance 
and USD 2851.40 refunded to USAID in cash, but total amount 
not deobligated due to the unliquidated advance) 
Local Contribution: None 
     Date Obligated:  09/10/02 
Project Status:  Incomplete. 
 
3.   Project Number: DHR-02-663-04 
Project Holder: Addis Ababa University Faculty of Political 
Science and International Relations 
Project Name: Incorporating Human Rights Education in the 
Curricula of Higher Education in Ethiopia 
Location:  Addis Ababa 
Project Description: To study the framework and mechanism of 
incorporating human rights education in the curricula of 
Ethiopian higher education so as to make relevant 
recommendations. 
Estimated Number of Beneficiaries:  Not indicated in the 
proposal 
U.S. Contribution: USD 8,000.00 
Dollar amount Disbursed: USD 8,000.00 
Unliquidated Balance:  USD 4,502.10  (NOTE:  Process is 
underway to extend grant ending date in order to allow 
expenses incurred after original end date.) 
Local Contribution: None 
Date obligated:  09/24/2002 
Project Status: Completed. 
 
 
4.   Project Number: DHR-02-663-05 
Project Holder: Ethiopian Bar Association 
Project Name: Establishment of Legal Network 
Location:  Addis Ababa 
Project Description: To establish a legal aid network that 
will provide pro-bono legal services to the urban poor and 
women and children. 
Estimated Number of Beneficiaries: Not indicated in the 
proposal 
U.S. Contribution:  USD 10,000.00 
Dollar Amount Disbursed:  USD 10,000.00 
Unliquidated Balance:  USD 433.42 
Local Contribution:  None 
Date Obligated:  9/19/2002 
Project Status: Completed 
 
FY 2003 
 
5.   Project Number: DHR-03-663-07 
Project Holder: Yordanos Development and Rehabilitation 
Organization 
Project Name: Construction of Feeding Center 
Location: Dilla Town, Gedeo Zone, Southern Nations, 
Nationalities and Peoples Region 
Project Description: To construct a feeding center for 
destitute children in Dilla town. 
Estimated Number of Beneficiaries: 100 orphans 
U.S. Contribution:  USD 8657.00 
Dollar Amount Disbursed:  USD 7936.34 
Unliquidated balance:  USD 5.07 (to be written off) 
Local contribution: USD 2,235.00 
Date obligated:  09/08/2003 
Project status:  Incomplete and abandoned; USAID is 
currently in the process of writing off the entire grant 
amount. 
 
 
6.   Project Number: DHR-03-663-09 
Project Holder: Association of the Promotion of Indigenous 
Knowledge 
Project Name: Empowering Early Marriage Victims 
Location: Borena Saynt Town, Southern Wollo Zone, Amhara 
Region 
Project Description: To empower women and girls on the 
effects of early marriage through awareness creation. 
     Estimated Number of Beneficiaries: 100 
     U.S. Contribution:  USD 4,979.00 
     Dollar Amount Disbursed:  USD 4978.89 
     Unliquidated Balance:  USD 0.11 
Local Contribution: USD 1,846.00 
     Date Obligated: 09/08/2003 
Project status: Completed. 
 
 
CURRENT FISCAL YEAR (FY04) FUNDS 
-------------------------------- 
 
7.   Project Number: DHR-04-663-01 
Project Holder: Bright Legal Support Association 
Project Name: Free Legal Aid To The Disadvantaged 
Location: Dire Dawa Town, Dire Dawa City Administration 
Project Description: To pay office rent and utilities for 
one year; pay transportation allowance for 4 persons, 2 of 
whom are lawyers; and provide free legal consulting for 
disadvantaged persons and present their cases to the court. 
Estimated number of Beneficiaries: 500 
U.S. Contribution: USD 4,441.00 
Dollar Amount Disbursed: USD 3,799.10 
Unliquidated Balance:  USD 641.90 (deobligated) 
Local Contribution: None 
Date Obligated: 09/01/2004 
Project Status: Completed. 
 
8.   Project Number: DHR-04-663-02 
Project Holder: Centro Caritativo S. Giusepe, Ethiopian 
Catholic Church 
Project Name: Care for Those Living in the Streets 
Location: Kirkos Sub-city, Addis Ababa City Administration 
     Project Description: To give care and support for the urban 
poor by purchasing and distributing wheelchairs/tricycles, 
prosthetics and orthopedic shoes, and by purchasing beds and 
providing accommodation for the homeless. 
     Estimated Number of Beneficiaries: 270 
     U.S. Contribution: USD 21,916.00 
     Dollar Amount Disbursed: USD 21,916.00 
Unliquidated Balance: None 
     Local contribution: USD 197.00 
     Date obligated: 09/01/2004 
Project status: Completed. 
 
9.   Project Number: DHR-04-663-03 
Project Holder: Association of Development and Aid in 
Worehimeno Area (ADAW) 
Project Name: Awareness Raising to Fight Female Sex Abuse in 
Legambo Woreda, South Wollo 
Location: Akesta Town, Legambo Woreda, South Wollo Zone, 
Amhara Region 
Project Description: To undertake rapid pre-intervention 
assessment, prepare educational materials, conduct training 
of trainers and training campaigns, sensitize community, and 
conduct post intervention assessment. 
Estimated Number of Beneficiaries: 150,175 
U.S. Contribution: USD 7,077.00 
Dollar Amount Disbursed: USD 7,064.20 
Unliquidated Balance:  USD 12.80 (deobligated) 
Local Contribution: USD 2,204.00 
Date Obligated: 09/01/2004 
Project Status: Completed. 
 
10.  Project Number: DHR-04-663-04 
Project Holder: Ethiopian Catholic Church Social and 
Development Commission 
Project Name: Awareness Creation for Mobilization Against 
Harmful Tradition Practices in Meki Town 
Location: Meki Town, East Shoa Zone, Oromia Region 
     Project Description: To conduct training of trainers and 
change agents on female sexual abuse, organize mass 
mobilization and sensitization campaign, conduct pre- and 
post-intervention assessments, and develop educational 
materials. 
     Estimated Number of Beneficiaries: 4,000 
     U.S. Contribution: USD 21,626.00 
     Dollar Amount Disbursed: USD 20,867.59 
Unliquidated Balance: USD 758.41 
     Local Contribution: None 
     Date Obligated: 09/01/2004 
Project Status: Completed. 
 
11.  Project Number: DHR-04-663-05 
Project Holder: Kembata Women's Self Help Center 
Project Name: Material Support for Women's Self-Help Group 
in Durame Town 
Location: Durame Town, Hadiya Zone, Southern Nations, 
Nationalities and Peoples Region 
Project Description: To strengthen the capacity of women by 
educating them about their rights; equipping a women's 
business center with machinery for tailoring, embroidery and 
knitting; and procuring furniture for the center. 
     Estimated Number of Beneficiaries: 100 
     U.S. Contribution: USD 10,023.00 
     Dollar Amount Disbursed: USD 10,023.00 
Unliquidated Balance:  None 
     Local Contribution: USD 289.00, labor and materials 
     Date Obligated: 09/01/2004 
Project Status: Completed. 
 
12.  Project Number: DHR-04-663-07 
Project Holder: Good Samaritan Training Center 
Project Name: Vocational Training Center for Poor Street 
Girls 
Location: Mekanissa, Addis Ababa City Administration 
Project Description: To purchase various tools and equipment 
such as weaving and mat-making machines. 
     Estimated Number of Beneficiaries: Approximately 80 girls 
each year 
     U.S. Contribution: USD 9,700.00 
     Dollar Amount Disbursed: USD 9,700.00 
Unliquidated Balance:  None 
     Local Contribution: USD 14,470.00 
     Date obligated: 09/01/2004 
Project status: Completed. 
 
 
SUCCESS STORY 
------------- 
 
13.  Project Number: DHR-04-663-04 
Amount Expended: 21,626 USD 
Project Name: Awareness Creation for Mobilization Against 
Harmful Traditional Practices 
 
14.  Ethnically diverse Ethiopia boasts cultural and 
traditional practices that are rich and varied. Many of 
these practices are beneficial to the maintenance and 
perpetuation of society, but others - labeled Harmful 
Traditional Practices - pose serious threats to people's 
health and well-being. Women and children suffer 
disproportionately from these practices. 
 
15.  With support from the Democracy and Human Rights Fund 
administered by the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, the 
Ethiopian Catholic Church Social and Development Commission 
launched a community awareness and mobilization campaign 
against Harmful Traditional Practices (HTPs). The project 
tackled Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), early marriage, and 
abduction, which affect women and girls, and milk teeth 
extraction, uvulectomy and tonsillectomy, which are 
performed on children.  Ten villages in the Dugda Bora 
district of the East Shoa Zone in Ethiopia's Oromia Region 
were the focus of the activities. 
 
16.  Project coordinators employed various strategies to 
sensitize 4,000 community members to the detrimental effects 
of HTPs and erode social and cultural support for continuing 
the practices. The strategies included "change agent" 
workshops to engage religious leaders, elders and other 
influential community members in combating HTPs; village 
awareness campaigns to foster dialogue through "idirs", 
"baltenas" and other traditional associations; school 
awareness campaigns to educate and mobilize students, 
parents and teachers through anti-HTP clubs and dramatic 
presentations; and community-wide dissemination of t-shirts 
and caps declaring the wearers' commitment to stopping FGM 
and other HTPs. 
 
17.  According to the project's quantitative and qualitative 
research findings, community members are significantly more 
informed about HTPs, more community members consider the 
practices harmful and understand their negative health 
effects and legal implications, and an increased number 
support eradication of these HTPs. 
 
18.  Attitudes toward FGM changed most dramatically, due 
mostly to a multi-pronged approach to tackling the deeply 
entrenched and widespread practice. Project organizers held 
sensitization workshops for practitioners on the harmful 
effects and illegality of their actions, and provided the 
women with oxen and cows to encourage the adoption of an 
alternative livelihood. 
 
19.  As a result, the number of parents who promised not to 
circumcise their daughters has increased, more girls are 
resisting the practice, and more boys are committed to 
marrying uncircumcised girls. 
 
20.  Without a doubt, the project on "Awareness Creation for 
Mobilization Against Harmful Traditional Practices" has made 
significant inroads into protecting the rights and dignity 
of women and children. 
HUDDLESTON