Heifer Project International organized the final event of the 2022 AYuTe Ethiopia Challenge where the Top-5 Finalists compete on a pitch competition held at Elilly International Hotel on 13 June 2022, Addis Ababa.
In this final-round pitch competition,Meskerem Yemaneh Kahsay, 27 years old BSc holder in Automotive Engineering from Bahirdar University, has become the 2022 AYuTe Ethiopia Challenge Champion and received the $10,000 cash prize.
Yishak Amdeselassie Fentamaryea, 25 years old BSc holder in Information Technology,
Wello University and BA holder in Management from Unity University, received the $6,500 cash prize as the 2nd Place Champion, while Samuel Getachew Mulugeta & Yosef Lakew Feyssa, 22 and 21 years old, received the $3,500 cash prize as the 3rd Place Champion.
Samuel and Yosef are 3rd year students at Addis Ababa Science and Technology University in Electrical & Computer Engineering and Software Engineering, respectively.
The final event was attended by:
– H.E. Ato Nigusu Tilahun, State Minister, Ministry of Labor and Skill,
-Mrs. Adesuwa Ifedi, Senior Vice President for Africa, Heifer Project International
-Ato Tewodros Yeshiwork, Country Director, Heifer Project International, Ethiopia
– Innovators, Stakeholders, partners and invited guests.
In her opening remark, Mrs. Adesuwa Ifedi, Senior Vice President for Africa at Heifer
Project International, reminded participants that the program started in 2021 because
of realizing the challenges as well as the opportunities of the agricultural sector in
Africa. Despite the apparent challenges, Mrs. Adesuwa noted, “We saw a large amount
of arable land, a continent with a potential not only feed itself but feed the world, we also saw a growing youth population that could easily embrace technology and capable of transforming not only Africa but the whole world.”
Mrs. Adesuwa congratulated those achieved to be among the finalists and stressed that the commitment of Heifer is not only the competition, nor the prize – “Heifer will not stop by awarding prizes, but we are going to invest in winners and supporting them to build sustainable businesses.” H.E. Ato Nigusu Tilahun, State Minister, Ministry of Labor and Skill, made the Keynote
speech at the 2022 AYuTe Ethiopia Challenge final pitch competition. H.E. Ato Nigusu
congratulated the finalists and indicated his Ministry gives due attention to the
objective of the event and Heifer’s initiative. He added, “It facilitates, helps, and supports
our endeavors in creating jobs for our youth.” The State Minister also asserted, “With the
largest employment share, agriculture is by far the major employer in Ethiopia, and the
sector is still with the highest potential in reducing poverty and unemployment in
Ethiopia.”
However, H.E. State Minister Ato Nigusu, emphasized, that recently rural unemployment
is growing in an alarming speed and agriculture has been unable to create the
required number of jobs due to various factors, including climate change and its
impact, salinity in arid and semi-arid areas, acidity in high rainfall areas, pests and
dependency on rain-fed farming. “Entrepreneurs can make a difference in the sector”, said Ato Nigusu, “this can be done
by uncovering technologies that can improve agriculture withstand climate change
impacts, by engaging in production and distribution of inputs like fertilizers, small
machineries, improved seeds and chemicals, third by financing the production process
in creating new products and promoting on-farm employment.”
Ato Nigusu also stressed, “Entrepreneurs can play a significant role in revising the stigma on agriculture and repositioning agriculture as a desirable career.”
Furthermore, he added that the AYuTe Ethiopia Challenge competition will help build a
platform which celebrates and rewards innovative Ethiopians through supporting
innovative business ideas. Ato Nigusu finally extended his thanks and appreciation to
Heifer Project International for organizing the AYuTe Ethiopia Challenge, Fair & Sustainable Ethiopia for facilitating the competition process, the jury members for giving their time to evaluate and identify the winning innovators, as well as other stakeholders who contributed their part for the success of the competition.
Ato Tewodros Yeshiwork, Country Director of Heifer Project International Ethiopia Office,
presented objectives and activities of Heifer in the world and in Africa, explained future and current development initiatives in Ethiopia. He said, one of the three principle pillars
