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Addis Ababa Hands Over New Production Facilities to Former Safety Net Beneficiaries
Addis Ababa — The Addis Ababa City Administration has handed over four newly constructed production and sales facilities to residents previously enrolled in the city’s food security (safety net) program, as part of its broader “Goal Zero” initiative aimed at eliminating aid dependency and street begging.
The facilities, classified as G+4 buildings, are located in Aqaqi Qallitti, Yakka, and Qirqos districts. According to city officials, the handover is intended to support the transition of low-income residents from subsistence-based assistance to sustainable livelihoods through entrepreneurship and employment.
The administration reported that 976 entrepreneurs are benefiting from the program, organized into 292 small enterprises. The beneficiaries are expected to use the facilities for production and sales activities, enabling them to generate income and build long-term economic stability.
Mayor Adanech Abebe, writing on her official Facebook page in Amharic, said the city’s approach focuses on job creation, access to workspaces, and practical skills development as tools to lift citizens out of extreme poverty. She emphasized that the initiative seeks to replace dependency on aid with productivity and self-reliance.
The city administration stated that, over the past several years, it has created job opportunities for more than 520,000 individuals who were previously covered by the food security program, across various sectors of the urban economy.
In her message, the mayor also underlined the expectation that current beneficiaries will use the experience and skills gained to advance economically and, over time, make room for others in need. She framed the program as a continuous cycle of opportunity, where today’s beneficiaries become tomorrow’s contributors and role models.
The “Goal Zero” initiative is part of Addis Ababa’s wider urban poverty reduction strategy, which aims to address unemployment and social vulnerability through enterprise development, infrastructure provision, and gradual withdrawal from direct aid.
City officials say the program will continue to expand, with further facilities and employment schemes planned as the administration works toward reducing extreme poverty and informal begging in the capital.
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