UK in Ethiopia

And what might that be? Well, here it’s an opportunity to experience a journey that reflects a typical day in the life of an Ethiopian girl and discover more about her community and hopefully encouraging her at the same time. Organised by the Girl Hub Ethiopia, which is part-funded by the UK Department for International […]

Last night we held the world premiere of a short film commissoned by the British Embassy, Addis Ababa, called “Hopes of Ethiopia” – which features 3 young Ethiopian athletes as they overcome obstacles to prepare to compete at London 2012. The showing was attended by Ambassadors, senior officials and sports and media personalities. But we […]

20 June was World Refugee Day. I spent it with fellow Ambassadors, government officials, colleagues from international organisations, NGOs and religious leaders at Maiaini Refugee Camp in Tigray Region – a trip organised by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Ethiopian Government’s refugee agency ARRA. The camp is home to about 15,000 […]

There was at least one Ethiopian-related award in the recent Queen’s Birthday Honours list this year. Lieutenant Colonel Guy Levene received an OBE (in other words he was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire) for his work here in Addis Ababa over the past two years. Guy was the first international […]

Playwright Harold Pinter once said that “I tend to think that cricket is the greatest thing that God ever created on earth – certainly greater than sex, though sex isn’t too bad either.” Last Friday we witnessed what we think may have been the first ever instance on our compound (of cricket, that is).  As […]

I spent this morning in an Ethiopian field at a Foundation Stone laying ceremony for the new Dashen Brewery Debrebirhan Factory, with Communications Minister Bereket Simon, various dignitaries and a large herd of interested cows. The deal to purchase about 50% of Dashen Brewery in Gondor is the largest private equity investment in Ethiopia to […]

Last week we joined friends and contacts from the Addis Ababa community (including from tour operators and travel companies through whom we would be in touch with British visitors in a crisis) on the Residence lawn for tea and Victoria sponge cake to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. And despite the odd rumble […]

Last week I spent time with the Jerusalem Children and Community Development Organisation (JeCCDO) at their Debre Zeit branch office – altogether they operate in 15 areas of Ethiopia. JeCCDO was first set up in 1985, to support the wellbeing of orphans and other vulnerable children. But it has branched out since to embrace the […]

Guest blog by Stuart Taylor, Consular Regional Operations Manager Exciting, enthralling, exhillerating, exhausting; Saturday night took us through a mixture of emotions as Chelsea proved victorious in Munich.  The game itself followed a similar pattern to that of 1974’s ‘Rumble in the Jungle’.  This time, instead of Mohammed Ali being forced against the ropes for […]