Yenat Weg Charitable Association, an organization that pioneered a large-scale school-feeding program in Addis Ababa public schools has merged with the Hailemariam and Roman Foundation. Initiated and established in 2013 by the former First Lady of Ethiopia HE Roman Tesfaye Ye Enat Weg’s flagship school-feeding program provided healthy school meals for more than 21,000 children from poor families in primary public schools of Addis Ababa. Ye Enat Weg’s school feeding program achieved commendable results in preventing children from malnutrition-related physical and psychological health disorders and enabling them to stay in schools. It also created jobs for more than 1500 unemployed women that were engaged in preparing school meals. The best practices and modes of operation of Ye Enat Weg School Feeding program were adopted by the Addis Ababa City Government and laid the foundation for the school-feeding program launched in all public schools in 2019.
The merger of Yenat Weg Charitable Association with the Hailemariam and Roman Foundation will help to amplify the nutrition and women’s economic empowerment agenda by building upon the best practices and lessons from Yenat Weg’s work over the past years. Hailemariam and Roman Foundation will draw upon the vast experiences of the association to enrich its advocacy and intervention towards better nutrition and the economic rights of women.