3,000 elders feel the warmth of belonging this Ethiopian New Year

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia –Thousands of residents of the Mekedonia Home for the Elderly celebrated the Ethiopian New Year with a hearty meal provided by Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) in Ethiopia. 

Founded in 2010, Mekedonia is a charitable organisation that supports elderly people and individuals with mental disabilities who have no means of supporting themselves. This year, CCBA in Ethiopia partnered with Mekedonia to feed 3,000 residents – marking the second time the company has supported the charity during New Year celebrations. 

“As we begin the New Year, it is a time for renewal and celebration,” said Melkamu Abebe, Managing Director at CCBA in Ethiopia. 

“In Ethiopian culture, elders are deeply revered. They are the keepers of our traditions, stories, and wisdom. Through this feeding programme, we aim to honour their invaluable contributions and ensure they feel loved and appreciated during this special time,” Abebe continued. 

“Sharing a meal is a universal act of bonding and solidarity. We hope to create lasting memories and a sense of belonging for all involved. We also wanted to provide our employees with the opportunity to participate in this initiative, inspiring further support for Mekedonia and other organisations.” 

“At CCBA, our purpose is to refresh Africa and create shared value,” Abebe added. “Our aspiration is not only to reflect the diversity of the communities where we operate but also to lead and advocate for a better shared future.” 

“Community involvement allows us to bring positive, measurable change to both the communities in which we operate and to our business,” Abebe concluded. 

Biniam Belete, founder of Mekedonia, expressed his gratitude, saying: “On behalf of Mekedonia, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to CCBA in Ethiopia for standing beside our elderly community. Your support goes beyond just providing a simple meal. It restores dignity, demonstrates care, and ignites hope. We are truly inspired by your generosity and look forward to continuing this impactful partnership.” 

  • Business, Sustainability

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Frank O’Donnell

Chief Commercial and Customer Officer, CCBA

Frank leads CCBA’s commercial agenda, with responsibility for accelerating revenue growth, strengthening route to market and customer partnerships and driving execution excellence across markets.

Frank brings extensive international experience from Coca‑Cola HBC, where he held a range of senior commercial and general management roles. Most recently, he served as Region Director, overseeing 13 markets across Europe, where he led high-performing teams and delivered strong business results.

He is recognised for his strong commercial acumen, customer focus and track record in building high-performing teams across diverse markets.

Gerald Lewis

Chief Information Officer, CCBA

Gerald leads CCBA’s digital, data and technology agenda, focusing on enabling business performance through scalable platforms and enhanced digital capabilities.  Gerald brings extensive international experience, most recently as Head of Technology Strategy & Operations at Coca‑Cola HBC. He has also held senior CIO roles at Bacardi across Africa, the Middle East and Asia, as well as transformation roles at GlaxoSmithKline and Mettler Toledo. He is recognised for translating technology strategy into business value and for leading transformation across emerging markets.

Matthew Welz

General Counsel and Company Secretary, CCBA

Matthew joined us from the Clicks Group, a JSE Top-40 company, where he has been the Head of Legal and Company Secretary since 2016. In this role Matthew successfully navigated a highly regulated environment, including overseeing compliance with company laws and the JSE Listings Requirements. As company secretary, he managed governance at Board level as well as being the Chairman’s chief of staff. Prior to this, Matthew was a Legal Manager with Anglo American, a major multinational diversified mining group, which includes three companies listed on the JSE, with extensive operations across Southern Africa.

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