ADDIS ABABA -A research conducted by Kotebe University of Education advised Idirs to extend their engagement from financing and arranging funerals to addressing the social issues of their members.
A study focused on the role and challenges of Idirs in Addis Ababa in collaboration with the Addis Ababa City Administration Women’s Children and Social Affairs Bureau and Kotebe University of Education was presented to stakeholders yesterday.
Speaking at the event, Kotebe Education University Vice President Shimelis Zewudie (PhD) said that in addition to arranging funerals, Idirs must address its members’ social concerns.
Shimelis stated that the purpose of the study is to indicate how the Idirs’ problems could be solved and help them to update their practices, increase their economic capacity and social participation.
The research identified that many Idirs have been facing different problems including lack of modern system to arrange their members’ document, absence of legal framework policy, political and economic burden, lack of building space, shortage of funeral places and stiff bureaucracy. Also, they lack modern financial and property management system and their economic role is too small while their information management is backward.
The research also showed that the Idirs’ role in supporting women and children is minimal and theirfocus is financing and arranging funerals.
The research called on the Addis Ababa Women, Children and Social Affairs Bureau to pay more attention for Idirs, because they are institutions that promote greater cohesion and solidarity among the community.
The vice president pointed out that the research also pinned the necessity to Idirs to get training in financial procedures and management and the ease of the government’s bureaucracy. Idris are also being advised to modernize their procedures and extend their engagement from funerals arrangement to the social and economic issues of their members and the local community at large,
“Some information mentioned the existence of 6,779 legal and functional Idirs, but we have got only 3,500 functional and legal Idirs and we collected the data from them.”
The Addis Ababa City Administration Women’s, Children and Social Affairs Deputy Bureau Head Genet Ketawsaid that Idirs are a community based organizations and the research was conducted to support social sector organizations in the metropolis.
BY ESSEYE MENGISTE
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 2 MAY 2024
