Training in Ethiopia empowers 76 people with disabilities

Addis Ababa – A group of 76 people with disabilities has been empowered through specialised training in utilising recycled plastic to make shopping bags and baskets, equipping them with valuable skills to generate income and foster self-reliance.

With the support of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) in Ethiopia, this initiative offered practical, hands-on training through two 10-day sessions, aiming to help tackle the barriers to employment faced by individuals with disabilities. The training sessions were held at the premises of the Federation of Ethiopian Associations of Persons with Disabilities.

This initiative was built on the momentum of the 2023 “Signs of Success” project, which empowered individuals with hearing impairments through a bamboo crafts training programme.

“We act in ways that aim to help improve people’s lives – whether for our employees, those connected to our business, or the communities we call home,” said Nigus Alemu, Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainability Director at CCBA in Ethiopia.

“People are at the centre of everything we do. Community involvement allows us to bring positive, measurable change to both the communities in which we operate and to our business. Each one of us can make a difference for a better shared future,” Alemu said.

“We are committed to helping create shared value for our business and the communities we serve,” Alemu concluded.

  • Business, Sustainability

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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.

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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.

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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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