DOT received good news in March as the Canadian International Development Agency confirmed that it will fund new two-year programs for both Ethiopia and Kenya.  The programs are supported by the Volunteer Sector Fund within Partnership Branch and will run until March 31, 2011.

The programs are called Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development in Ethiopia and Kenya, or E2DE and E2DK.

Both initiatives will build on the success of DOT's ReachUp! program and will see the recruitment of 60 new Interns; 15 in Ethiopia and 15 in Kenya in each of 2009 and 2010.

This will be the most cost effective implementation of ReachUp! yet, as the experience and efficiencies grow. In each country 3,000 community beneficiaries will be trained by DOT Interns, representing a ratio of 100 beneficiaries to be supported by each Intern.

An emphasis for the new programs will be the building of capacity within our community-based partner organizations to enhance their ability to support local entrepreneurship and new  businesses. This will also involve tighter linkages with other supportive organizations and instruments, such as micro- finance.

Both country programs will see the participation of new local and international partners. This is evidenced by the many letters of support that substantiate the significant contribution that the DOT Ethiopia and DOT Kenya teams are making to local economic and social growth.
 
Intern recruitment is underway and training will commence in July.

Of note is that we are also awaiting approval of E2DR, an important regional expansion of our programming into Rwanda.

- Photo courtesy of Chris Enns