A new IOM programme will reach out to the Ethiopian diaspora to
assist those eager to share their knowledge and skills to
contribute to the development of their country of origin.

The IOM office in Addis Ababa recently signed a Memorandum of
Understanding with the Ethiopian Expatriates Affairs Directorate of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to begin the four-year programme
"Migration for Development in Ethiopia" or MIDEth, designed to
contribute to strengthening the government's institutional
capacities for the mobilization and utilization of human, financial
and other resources of the Ethiopian diaspora, with a particular
focus on the health, education and water and sanitation
sectors.

The programme will also enhance the institutional capacities of
the private sector, NGOs, grass-root communities, and civil society
and foster stronger private-public sector partnerships which will
strengthen the confidence-building process between the Ethiopian
Government and the diaspora.

Thousands of African professionals, including medical doctors,
nurses, accountants, engineers, managers, and teachers leave Africa
each year. The main reason for their departure is to improve their
living conditions, either by pursuing studies or by seeking
better-paying jobs. Others leave their countries fleeing insecurity
and/or unstable political and socio-economic conditions.

The resulting brain drain heightens the dependency of African
economies by compelling them to resort to costly foreign expertise
in many areas, which in turn creates a widening vicious circle.

MIDEth will assist 200 Ethiopian professionals in the diaspora
to share their skills through: virtual/tele-work or satellite-based
technology systems (tele-learning, tele-teaching and
tele-medicine); sequenced/repeated visits; permanent relocation;
investments for small and medium-scale community investments; as
well as policy, advocacy and transfer of medical equipment,
facilities and literature.

"MIDEth is a four-year programme with a total budget of USD
4,487,700. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has
provided IOM with half a million US dollars for the first year, but
we need donors to come forward and pledge the remaining amount so
that this programme can fully succeed. We are confident that there
are hundreds, even thousands, of skilled Ethiopians living overseas
who are eager to help their country," explains IOM's Chief of
Mission in Addis Ababa, Charles Kwenin.

It is estimated that 1.5 million Ethiopians are in the diaspora,
the majority in the United States, Canada, Sweden, the United
Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and the Gulf States.

MIDEth will benefit from IOM's long experience in the Return of
Qualified African Nationals (RQAN), and is part of IOM's Migration
for Development in Africa (MIDA) which helps to mobilize
competencies acquired by African nationals abroad to benefit
Africa's development and to assist in strengthening the
institutional capacities of African governments to manage and
realize their development goals.

For further information, please contact:

Charles Kwenin

IOM Addis Ababa

Tel: +251115504028

E-mail: "mailto:ckwenin@iom.int">ckwenin@iom.int