Addis Ababa – Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) in Ethiopia has empowered 50 unemployed women with its bursary study programme in partnership with Efoy Nanny and Housekeeping Training Center.

Training, sponsored by CCBA in Ethiopia, took place over a three-month period and provided skills development to the women in childcare services, as well as financial literacy.

The women successfully completed their mandated internship programmes and have been granted employment opportunities at various public childcare centres, day care centres and special needs learning institutions.

According to Milky Mamo from Efoy Nanny and Housekeeping Training Center, the training equips women with skills to enable them to increase their employability, as well as start their own businesses.

Nigus Alemu, Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Director for CCBA in Ethiopia, said that the partnership forms part of CCBA’s broader economic inclusion strategy to provide sustainable earning potential and improve skills and business knowledge for women, resulting in them accessing other career opportunities.

“Women and youth are integral to our continent’s shared success. CCBA seeks to empower them by enabling their economic inclusion throughout our markets on the continent, including Ethiopia,” said Alemu. “We define economic inclusion as opening gainful economic opportunities to under-served communities by providing access to markets that boost income and yield sustainable earnings, while leveraging the business and the industry,” said Alemu.

“We understand that our business can only thrive when the communities we serve thrive too. Investing in communities ensures the sustainability of our business. Most of all, we are all Africans and are part of our communities.

“CCBA is focusing on employability and entrepreneurship in its economic inclusion strategy,” said Alemu.

“When we grow our business the right way, not just the easy way, we help create inclusive growth opportunities for our communities, women and youth, our customers, our employees and our shareholders, for a better shared future,” said Alemu.