South Dublin County - Ethiopian Partnership Project 2006-2008

In early 2005, like many organisations and employers in the developed world at that time, South Dublin County Council and it’s employees raised money for the aid effort in the aftermath of the tsunami. Money raised was deliberately divided in two, 1. funds to be sent to alleviate the immediate crisis, and 2. funds to be allocated to a long term, sustainable effort to improve lives and opportunities in developing countries.

The Department of Foreign Affairs, represented by Minister of State for Overseas Aid, Conor Lenihan, proposed a pilot scheme with the potential to be replicated by other local authorities working in numerous developing countries. South Dublin County Council were chosen to administer the pilot project.

The funding for this project comes from three sources:

• Irish Aid
• South Dublin County Council
• SDCC’s staff contributions directly from their salaries

We are half way through the official three year pilot project. An impressive level of sustainable development is being witnessed in both towns, not least of all the skills involved in project and budget planning which the town council staff have been encouraged to take the lead on.

At the end of the project, it is hoped that this model will be taken by other local authorities and used to great benefit in other towns and other developing countries.

In Addition to the works in the two towns, the funding also covers capital costs for an apartment scheme in the capital city of Addis Ababa. This project is run by an established organisation, IHA-UDP, and SDCC regularly visit to observe ongoing progress. This project has the double impact of housing families from the slum areas of Addis Ababa and also providing training and employment to the adults in these same families as they work in building the apartments.

The Project was born out of the widespread desire to facilitate change and development in the developing world following the crisis of the tsunami in South East Asia, Christmas 2004.

This project will concentrate on capacity building measures with the two Ethiopian local authorities in areas of activity with which the Council has an ongoing involvement and expertise such as town planning, sanitation, water supply, waste management and general corporate governance. It will also provide financial assistance to a slum regeneration project in Addis Ababa.

Further detail on our planned programme is available from our strategy document which was launched at a conference held in South Dublin County in March 2006 and is available under Publications section.