As time demands, every activity across the world is being changing in to the digital platform. Therefore both the developing and under developing countries are moving forward in digitalizing their activities in order to compute with the developed once.
Ethiopia is amongst those countries which are striving on adopting digital marketing.
As the result, many Ethiopian youth entrepreneurs are highly involving in different business alternatives that are equally important for creating more job opportunities for others. Digital marketing is one of the areas of fields in which the youths are involving on it. In addition to supporting the youths through connecting them with job, it plays pivotal role in boosting the national economy as well.
Chapa Financial Technologies S.C. (Chapa) is one of the upper most testimonies of the above idea. The project is owned by the Ethiopian Diaspora Agency and the platform was developed by Chapa Financial Technologies S.C. (Chapa), a homegrown fin tech company that previously developed mygerd.com (the platform for donation to GERD).
In an exclusive interview with The Ethiopian Herald, Nael Hailemariam, an Entrepreneur, Co-Founder and General Manager at Chapoa said that more than 200 Thousand USD and 6 million USD were collected for the donation for the construction of the GERD and the Internally Displaced Peoples (IDP) in Ethiopia respectively.
“Eyezon Ethiopia” is a platform serves for fundraising activity for Ethiopia, by all Ethiopians, Origin and friends of Ethiopia from across the nation. As to him, the name Eyezon, “አይዞን”, is used to express sympathy. It is also to mean Eyes on Ethiopia, reminding the urgent attention to be paid to Ethiopia. In other words it appeals the community to focus on its burning issues, citizens can now support one another in times of hard ship more than ever.
Eyezon is a gift-based funding platform that enables nonprofit organizations to raise money online from supporters with the causes they are passionate about. It has also received a security clearance for cyber security from Information Network Security Agency, a government entity that oversees national cyber security for Ethiopia.
Noting that Chapa S.C. started its venture with the mission of empowering people and businesses to create a global economy, with the assistance of the diaspora community, Eyezon is a noteworthy example of empowering non-profit organizations. Likewise, CBE has graciously agreed to cover the whole cost of international money transfer so that 100 percent of donations go to the causes that supporters choose to give, the company’s document stated.
The Chapa team is delighted to assist non-profit organizations, in collaboration with the Ethiopian Diaspora Agency, raises online donations from supporters for the various causes they care for, Nael said.
“Rest assured that when you give through this platform for any cause you are passionate about, 100 percent of your gift will go directly to the non-profit organization you choose to give to. “As we have extended Eyezon’s national donation platform to ticketing, we have sold over 6 million USD worth of tickets on #Eyezon platform including the swift-transfers for the first event at Grand Menelik Palace”.
There are about 18 campaigns that are available for the diaspora community via this platform, he underscored that the Great Ethiopian Diaspora Homecoming football match entrance payment is also being applied. Accordingly, more than 250 USD has been collected with only six diaspora participants.
In relation to that, the Ethiopian Diaspora Agency recently disclosed the amount of remittance transfer to Ethiopia from the Diaspora in the past five months is said to be about 1.6 billion USD. The plan for the budget year is to send 4 billion USD in the form of remittance.
As to the document, Ethiopia has collected about nine billion dollars in the past three years from the same revenue stream. Apart from the remittance, Ethiopians in the diaspora have donated about 400 million Ethiopian birr to support parts of the society impacted by the war in the Afar and Amhara regions.
Part of it was raised via the new online donation site and part of it was channeled via Ethiopian diplomatic missions in abroad. About 25 thousand Ethiopians in the diaspora chipped in to raise more than 6 million USD, according to the agency.
Furthermore, the Ethiopian Diaspora is said to have contributed about 103 million birr support (in cash and in kind) to the Ethiopian Defence Force. After Ethiopian PM Abiy initiated Great Ethiopian homecoming call, tens of thousands of diaspora have already arrived in the country and up to a million are still expected to come.
The document further explains about Diaspora participation in investment and business. In the past five months, members of the diaspora community with 22.4 billion birr registered capital have shown interest to invest here.
Meanwhile the Agency also launched e-service this week in the presence of the Diaspora Organization founders, community leaders and representatives who came to Ethiopia following the Greet Home Coming Challenge, which is a call by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD).
Being thankful for the Diaspora community for responding to the national call, Deputy Director General of the Ethiopian Diaspora Agency Mohamed Andris (PhD.), said that with the help of various organizations established by the Diasporas, has been able to support different mega projects in the country. Besides it was also able to safeguard Ethiopia’s interests through its public diplomacy activities.
He recalled that the agency has been organizing itself in a way that is commensurate with the Diaspora activities. He said the e-service, which was launched this week, will not only enhance the services but also provide convenient and efficient services to the Diaspora. He said this service also include the five areas of service provided by the agency. He named the services as; trade and investment participation, Franco Valuta rights, opening a foreign exchange account, transfer of knowledge and technology, and providing support to Diaspora who want to participate in charitable activities.
Yonas Hailu, Deputy Director General of ICT Development Administration at the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, on his part said that, his office is enabling the provision of e-service services that will facilitate the provision of services to citizens following the government’s ten-year development plan.
Diaspora organization and community leaders who participated in the program also praised the agency for its efficient service and expressed their hope that the e-service introduced during the occasion will enable them to get the services they need from the agency more efficiently. According to them, if the concerned bodies strictly dedicated their time, manage it and follow up, can boost the national economic growth.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 27 JANUARY 2022
