14 August – CCBA in Ethiopia is helping women and youth to get back on their feet after the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, creating employment and upgrading skills to open the door for more Ethiopians to earn a living.
According to the latest International Monetary Fund outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa, employment fell by about 8.5 percent in 2020, more than 32 million people were thrown into extreme poverty, and disruptions to education have jeopardised the prospects of a generation of schoolchildren.
Against this backdrop, CCBA Ethiopia has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Job Creation Commission Ethiopia to work together in creating employment for 600 women throughout the country.
The project will result in the establishment of 150 Coke Retail Kiosks across the country. Following the signing of the MoU, the 600 women took part in an intensive three-day basic skills training programme to equip them to run the kiosks on their own and earn a decent income.
The company has started with the installation of a pilot kiosk at Sebetha City.
CCBA Ethiopia has also partnered with AIESEC – the world’s largest student-run organisation – to create a youth empowerment training programme called Skill Up.
It aims to provide basic skills to youth before they enter the work force to make them more employable, and 600 young men and women have participated to date at five universities.
“Each decision our company makes is a chance for us to do the right thing. In all our actions, we must be relentlessly self-aware of our role in the world and the impact we can have. Therefore, we must help care for the people and communities we depend on to succeed,” said XXX.
“One way we support communities is by empowering women. Across local communities where we operate, we give back every year to help make them stronger and more prosperous.
“Because women are integral to our continent’s shared success, we seek to empower women both in the workplace and through community programmes,” said XXX.
“Our aim is to create greater shared opportunity for the business and the communities we serve across the value-chain. Opportunity is more than just money, it’s about a better future for people and their communities everywhere on the African continent.
“When we grow our business the right way, not just the easy way, we help create opportunity for our communities, our customers, our employees and our shareholders.”
ENDS