In September 2023 my co-facilitator Stella Lukwago and I conducted a 5-day training in Addis Abeba on the Green Economy♻️.
We covered a range of topics, including the relationship between sustainable development and the green economy, areas of the green economy, innovation, business and social entrepreneurship incubation, social enterprises vs. NGOs, while gender empowerment in the green economy was a cross cutting issue. The workshop was interactive and engaging, and we were thrilled to have 20 participants from SOS Children’s Villages in Uganda and Ethiopia share their experiences with us.
We also had a keynote speaker, Filagot Tesfaye, who is not only a female engineer but also the founder of the women’s network Ethiopian Women in Energy (EWiEN). For a field visit, we visited the street children facility Bosco Children, where we learned about their approach to empower street children, but also about various green initiatives, such as recycling, upcycling, using renewable energies and self-produced biogas, and running an organic farm.
On the last day we had a podium discussion with 4 entrepreneurs active in different fields of the green economy, and we organized a mini-exhibition where the entrepreneurs showcased their products and consulted with participants on interesting questions like how to get started, how to attract customers, and using different marketing channels. It was an incredible experience, and we’re thrilled to have been a part of it. The green economy is such an important topic, and it’s inspiring to see so many people working towards a more sustainable future ♻️.
