Self Help Africa has been formally recognised as a leader in agricultural cooperative development, in Ethiopia.

Dr Wubshet Berhanu of Self Help Africa receives his national award.

Director Dr. Wubshet Berhanu was presented with a prestigious national award on behalf of  Self Help Africa, at the recent 8th ‘National Cooperatives Day’ ceremony, held at the UN-Economic Centre for Africa, in Addis Ababa.

The awards reception was attended by Ethiopian President Dr. Teshome Mulatu. Staged annually by the Federal Cooperatives Agency (FCA), the award acknowledges the organisation’s significant achievements in supporting the growth and development of Ethiopia’s farmers’ cooperatives.

Self Help Africa was chosen from more than 300 non-governmental agencies eligible for the prize. There was success on the double for Self Help Africa at the prize-giving too, for one of the other major prize-winners at the ceremony was a US-AID backed Livestock Market Development Project in which Self Help Africa is a collaborating partner.

Speaking following the reception, Dr. Berhanu said that Self Help Africa’s prize was formal acknowledgement of the top quality work that was taking place to support a critical area of agricultural development.

The award was presented by the Federal Cooperatives Agency (FDA) from information gathered from the agricultural cooperatives sector across the country.

CEO Ray Jordan said that the prize was a tribute to the first class work of the organisation’s team in Ethiopia.

“The support that we provide to farmers cooperatives is a vital part of our work, and a highly effective way to support farmers to increase production, access markets, and receive the support that they need, to grow and earn more on their small farms,” he said.