General aims and purpose

Overview

The goal of SOS ADDIS is to improve the environment of Addis Ababa, with focus on plastic waste (especially plastic bags or "festal") and air pollution. What is unique about SOS ADDIS is that we see this challenge as an opportunity

to create livelihood for financially disadvantaged women in environment-related work, such as in collection of countless plastic bags from streets for recycling and in production of eco-friendly bags to replace the plastic bags.

SOS ADDIS also believes that by working together with these women who spend a long time in the polluted neighborhood, we would also be able to raise awareness and influence the behaviors of other members of the polluted neighborhood.

To realize a clean and healthy environment.

To influence government policy and programs towards the reduction of plastic waste and air pollution.

To partner with concerned stakeholders to promote an environment free from plastic waste and air pollution.

Download the leaflet of SOS Addis .

Vision, Mission & Objectives

Vision

SOS ADDIS envisions a plastic waste and air pollution free Ethiopia.

Mission

Create community awareness on environmental hazards of plastic waste/air pollution in partnership with concerned stakeholders, and create livelihood in relation to environment for vulnerable members of the community, especially women.

Increase community awareness on the impacts of plastic waste/air pollution to realize clean and healthy environment.
To facilitate alternative means of plastic waste management.
To create environment-related livelihood for vulnerable members of the community, especially women.
Partner with concerned stakeholders to promote an environment free from plastic waste/air pollution.
To influence government policy/programs towards the reduction of plastic waste and air pollution.

Major Achievements

We are proud to inform you that SOS ADDIS won 1st prize both in the Addis Ababa City Administration and the Ethiopia National Green award in 2009. This follows the second-prize win in the 2008 Addis Ababa City Administration Green Awards. Since starting the work in February 2006, SOS Addis beneficiaries have collected over 116000 Kg of waste plastic bags.

Achievements in 2009:

5 vulnerable women and youths were trained in production of fuel-efficient injera (local bread) stoves to reduce the work burden of women on injera cooking and to discourage deforestation for fuel wood purposes.

14 women in the target constituency received training in sewing and weaving skills. These women will go on to use their skills in cooperatives that they will set up with the help of SOS ADDIS. We have also trained 5 women in silk-screen printing to print environmental messages on our eco-friendly bags.

1600 reusable eco-friendly bags were sold to replace festal use. Each bag carries the SOS ADDIS name and environmental message.

SOS ADDIS organized school environmental clubs as a model for different awareness raising campaigns on environmental topics in general and on the cause of SOS ADDIS in particular through the following ways:

Disseminating information through the respective Mini-Media (public address)

Conducting focus group discussions o programs, and several newspaper articles and magazines to transmit the message.

Creating different ways of awareness-raising, via theatre production, for example

Compost making, vegetable gardening and tree planting in two schools

In the 2009 Anti-Festal Campaign, activities included:

Panel discussions involving experts on environmental issues
Mobilizing up to 15 schools for the panel discussion and street march, and 6 schools for cleaning campaigns and waste plastic collection competitions
A public awareness street march from Menelik Square to Meskel Square

Target constituency that the organization serves

All beneficiaries are based in Addis Ababa.

Beneficiaries receiving skills and business training, and an income from plastic waste collection or eco-friendly bag production:

Women with no household income Women with a low chance of being employed, e.g. those with low literacy

Men and youths in the above circumstances

SOS ADDIS has created the Strategic Plan for 2009 - 2013. If you are interested in learning about our Strategic Plan, please contact the SOS ADDIS Office

Click here to download our Annual Plan for the year 2008 (113KB/PDF)

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