Hailemariam and Roman Foundation explore collaboration on nutrition and women empowerment
As part of efforts to explore opportunities for collaboration in agriculture, nutrition, education, health, and the empowerment of women and young people, Roman Tesfaye, former First Lady of Ethiopia, visited the IITA headquarters
- Hailemariam and Roman Foundation
- nutrition
- youth
- women
- Partnerships
- Ethiopia
Cover Image: H. E. Roman Tesfaye, former First Lady of Ethiopia accompanied by Dr Mamou Ehui with some members of the IITA Women’s group on a tour of the group’s farm.
As part of efforts to explore opportunities for collaboration in agriculture, nutrition, education, health, and the empowerment of women and young people, Roman Tesfaye, former First Lady of Ethiopia, visited the IITA headquarters from 22 to 24 September. The visit reflected her longstanding commitment to improving lives through initiatives that promote better health, food security, and brighter futures for children, women, and youth. Accompanied by her husband, Hailemariam Desalegn, former Prime Minister of Ethiopia and Chair of the CGIAR Board on the margins of the CGIAR Board meetings; she toured several facilities across IITA to gain insights into the institute’s research and identify potential areas of collaboration.
The visit offered more than an opportunity to see IITA’s facilities. It provided a platform to explore areas of shared interest and identify possible opportunities for collaboration between IITA and the Hailemariam and Roman Foundation (HRF), which she leads as Chief Executive Officer. Established in 2018 by Roman Tesfaye and her husband, the foundation supports national and regional efforts in agricultural transformation; food and nutrition security; climate-smart conservation and ecotourism; maternal, neonatal and child health and nutrition; and youth and women economic empowerment in Ethiopia.
Her interest in these areas is rooted in years of work, particularly in improving children’s welfare. During her tenure as First Lady of Ethiopia from 2012 to 2018, she worked with the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA) to establish the “Smiling Children Project,” a school feeding initiative that provided breakfast and lunch to thousands of students across several public primary schools in Addis Ababa.