Thirty-eight people were killed in northern Ethiopia on Monday when the bus carrying them veered off the road, state radio Fana reported on Tuesday.
“A total of 38 people (28 men and 10 women) were killed in the accident,” Fana said on its website, citing the Legambo district authorities, where the accident took place, and stating that surviving passengers, 10 in number, suffer “serious and light” injuries.
Lagambo, which is part of the Amhara regional state, is located some 482 km north of Addis Ababa.
A total of 38 people (28 men and 10 women) were killed in the accident.
The bus, carrying a total of 48 passengers, reportedly tumbled off a five meter cliff in the specific area called Genete Selam Ber, Kebele 07, in Legambo.
Most of them were university students, according to Legambo wereda communication bureau. The 10 who were injured are receiving medical treatment at Hidar 11 hospital in the Akesta town.
It is not yet clear what caused the bus to derail off the cliff.
While members of the pop group said they have played to 10,000-strong crowds of fans.
Zebiba Girma, one of the band members, told The Guardian: 'There were over 10,000 spectators, it was amazing.
'Some women, who looked like us, came to the back of the stage and told us their life stories.'
Gayathri Butler, country director for Girl Effect - the project which covers the band - attacked the backlash the funding encountered in the UK.
She said: 'And also a reduction of what we actually do. The representation of the Spice Girls, it was just taking what they had seen as a reduction of the brand, because that was what's facing the international audience.
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Priti Patel (pictured outside No10 last year) announced she was axing the funding last year, saying British aid money could be spent in better ways
'We're a brand created by Ethiopians and for Ethiopians.'
Brand director Bemnet Yemesgen said: 'We have created music that people want to buy, so we're considering commercialising some of the products we own.'
Priti Patel announced she was axing the funding last year, saying: ‘We have taken the decision to end our partnership following a review of the programme.
‘Empowering women and girls around the world remains a priority, but we judge there are more effective ways to invest UK aid and to deliver even better results for the world’s poorest and value for taxpayers’ money.’ Read from here
In the grounds of a school in Bahir Dar, a city in north-west Ethiopia, thousands of young fans have gathered to catch a glimpse of the country’s hottest girl band.
Behind billowing white sheets in a makeshift green room, the four women collectively known as Yegna prepare to take the stage. As the harsh lunchtime sunshine beats down, curious schoolchildren press up against the material to get a glimpse of their idols, who have been dubbed Ethiopia’s Spice Girls by the British press.
More than just a band, Yegna, which means “ours” in Amharic, use music and drama to raise awareness of child marriage, sexual harassment, violence and the importance of education. And it’s making a difference. An estimated 8.5 million people have heard the band’s messages.
Bilen, 14, is at the concert with her sister. “Yegna taught us the motto ‘Yes we can,’” she says. “As we grow up, I think people think less of girls, and that’s what we used to think too. But our perspective has been changed by Yegna.”
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'Never retreat': all-female band Yegna bring girl power to Ethiopia – video
But last year, Yegna’s work came under threat when the UK’s Department for International Development, which helped create the band in 2012, abruptly announced it was cutting funding following media criticism. DfID said it took the decision to end its partnership with Girl Effect, which oversees Yegna, after a review of the programme.
A spokesperson said: “There are more effective ways to invest UK aid and to deliver even better results for the world’s poorest and value for taxpayers’ money.”
Girl Effect had received an initial DfID grant of £4m for Yegna, covering the period from 2011 to 2015. They were later given a further £5.2m for 2015-18, although the premature conclusion to the partnership meant not all these funds were drawn down.
The Daily Mail hailed DfID’s decision, but the announcement drew criticism from women’s rights campaigners.
Ripples from the decision ran from Ethiopia to the UK. Yegna drew support from Lemn Sissay, the British poet and broadcaster of Ethiopian heritage, who has performed with the band and chose one of their tracks, Taitu, when he appeared on Desert Island Discs.
Yegna’s efforts have been focused on the Amhara region, which has Ethiopia’s highest child marriage rate. Photograph: Courtesy of Yegna
“It was a total misrepresentation of what was happening here,” says Gayathri Butler, Girl Effect Ethiopia’s country director. “And also a reduction of what we actually do. The representation of the Spice Girls, it was just taking what they had seen as a reduction of the brand, because that was what’s facing the international audience. We’re a brand created by Ethiopians and for Ethiopians.”
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Butler also confirms that payments to the band reported in the Daily Mail were wildly inaccurate, and that Yegna band members are paid the market rate for performers in Ethiopia.
But Girl Effect were not to be beaten. They replaced the DfiD money with funding from several philanthropic foundations, who choose to remain anonymous. The change forced the organisation to accelerate plans to ensure its sustainability, and Girl Effect are now exploring brand sponsorships, advertising revenue during radio shows, and music sales.
“We’re a youth brand trying to break [down] barriers for girls in a very inclusive way. That includes boys, includes adults in the conversation. It’s obvious [girls] are being left behind and we should do something about it,” says brand director Bemnet Yemesgen.
Yegna consists of five “archetypal” young female characters (one is currently on maternity leave) who use storylines and song lyrics to explore social mores and controversial issues. The platforms come together to tackle one issue at a time, with the radio show theme reflected in the lyrics of the latest song.
“The music calls in the heritage of Ethiopia. The lyrics are well thought through but also we have gender teams who look at it to make sure they are meaningful without being preachy,” says Butler.
Boys also feature in the stories, to show the young fanbase that men and women can be friends as well as partners.
“We have created music that people want to buy, so we’re considering commercialising some of the products we own,” explains Yemesgen.
Butler says the audience remained blissfully unaware of the behind-the-scenes funding drama. But the decision to cease funding, she says, was short-sighted: “What we’re trying to do requires a sustained effort for change in the long term. We’re in it for the long term. We’re already seeing impact, we want to see it at scale over time and that requires commitment. It’s never been more important.”
Ethiopia is considered one of the fastest growing regions in eastern Africa. Over the past decade, Ethiopia’s economy has experienced strong growth. But with 70% of the population aged under 30, big challenges face girls growing up there.
Girl Effect says Yegna reach 8.5 million people, or 50% of the population in Addis Ababa and the Amhara region.
Despite the funding setback, Girl Effect are expanding the operation, which they hope to take nationwide.
Yegna members Lemlem Hailemichael, Teref Kassahun, Eyerusalem Kelemework, Zebiba Girma and Rahel Getusee see themselves as teachers – and the voice of the children of Ethiopia – rather than singers. Their enthusiasm is clear. Describing a tour of the Amhara region, Girma says: “There were over 10,000 spectators, it was amazing. Some women, who looked like us, came to the back of the stage and told us their life stories.”
When asked about the project in January 2018, Penny Mordant, who succeeded Priti Patel as development secretary, said the “Spice Girls” are still in Ethiopia doing great things without UK money.
Girl Effect are proud of the project’s resilience. Butler tells of how she was approached at a Yenga concert by a woman who married young: “She’d never really reflected on whether it had created complications in her life. It made her think about her situation and how difficult it had been. She had four daughters at home and this was the first time she realised she had to go home and have an open conversation with them.”
Back in Bahir Dar, the children, polite and restrained during the performance, cheer and clap wildly as the concert draws to a close. At the end of the gig, there’s a stage invasion. Unfazed, the band simply carry on singing with the children.
Habtamu, 19, is full of praise for the project. “It helps girls be confident,” he says. “Teaching a young girl is changing a whole community.”
A decade from now, Yemesgen’s ideal vision is a “euphoric state” where Girl Effect does not exist, because the project has succeeded and given all girls in Ethiopia a voice and agency. But he is realistic. “We know there is a lot of work to be done to get to that stage. In 10 years, I want to look back and see there has been a change. Read more here
In a recent survey of social media use in Africa, WhatsApp—and its Facebook-owned sister app Messenger—was crowned the king of appsin Africa.
All except for one country: Ethiopia.
The Horn of Africa nation, joined by Iran and Uzbekistan globally, stood out as the only nation where Telegram was more popular than any other app. The ranking was based on data collated from the Google Play store for each country by Dec. 2017.
Telegram has 200 million users worldwide, compared with about 1 billion WhatsApp users. It’s on course to raise about $2 billion, mainly through an initial coin offering.
So why is Telegram popular in Ethiopia? It’s not immediately clear why the messaging service has emerged as the favorite alternative to WhatsApp or Messenger, but a few reasons give clues to its dominance.
Ease of use:
Gaining access to the internet is still very difficult in Ethiopia, with internet penetration at just 15% for its over 105 million population. And even though over 53 million people have mobile connectivity, just 3.8 million of them are active social media users. Part of the problem is that data is expensive and not competitive, given the government’s monopoly over all mobile and internet services through the state-owned Ethio Telecom.
Given that, the economics of downloading and using Telegram (49 megabits) versus WhatsApp (103 MBs) or Messenger (125 MBs) is part of what makes Telegram attractive in Ethiopia, says Moses Karanja, a doctoral candidate at University of Toronto and researcher at the Citizen Lab. In his research, he says, Ethiopians have told him how “frequent updates were too expensive” and that “internet bundles consumption is lighter and hence cheaper” with Telegram.
In such a sensitive political space, Telegram offers end-to-end encryption as well as a self-destruct timer that can remove messages without a trace. There’s also the option of checking your secret chats using an image that serves as an encryption key. The app’s programming interface also allows developers to create tailor-made interfaces for free instead of the one-size-fits-all functions of apps like WhatsApp. Telegram, which currently supports eight languages, is also expanding the number of languages developers can build into the apps. It also supports external language packs which help localize content and messaging.
Tool for political activism
Karanja says the secured connections might not be the main driving factor for Ethiopians. Indeed, the messaging service has been compromised in the past, with hackers identifying the phone numbers of 15 million Iranians many of whom share subversive information on the platform. The company’s commitment to free expression was also questioned after it removed content at the behest of the Iranian government.
Mark Kaigwa, the founder of Nairobi-based tech research company Nendo, says many Ethiopians could nonetheless be attracted to some of the other features that make Telegram unique. Key among these is the ability to create super groups of up to 100,000 members, hence facilitating political activism. In contrast, WhatsApp allows group chatsand broadcast lists of up to 256 people.
Marketing platform
The digital finance services delivery system is still in its infancy in Ethiopia, and the country has a long way to go in building its e-commerce system. But Telegram has allowed retailers and entrepreneurs a cost-effective way to promote products and provide timely and consistent information to customers. Users are also able to pay for goods and services.
Biniam Alemayehu, a resident in the capital Addis Ababa said, he liked Telegram since it was easy to store and share large files, like videos and audiobooks. He also uses it for shopping “since it’s relatively cheaper than the regular markets,” he said. “Telegram is cool.”
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