"The recently launched radio programme has opened my eyes to the paralyzing effects of harmful traditional practices, beliefs and cultures. Had I had this information earlier, I wouldn't have married my daughter off at the age of 12. I exposed her to all the ill effects of early marriage and to the sufferings I personally experienced as a child bride and a teen age mother,"

ActionAid Ethiopia is a branch of ActionAid International, which is a unique partnership of people, organisations and social movements committed to fight poverty and injustice. Since 1989 it has been working in most parts of the country including urban slums and pastoralists' areas where the majority of the people are deprived of basic necessities and rights. It opts to strengthen poor peoples' organisational capability and collective voice to influence and shape policies and improve governance principles so as to make them responsive to their needs and development priorities.

Based on various studies including capacity assessment, participatory poverty analysis, house hold survey, government policy, plan and strategy review and analysis in the areas it operates, ActionAid Ethiopia has been facilitating conditions for and assisting local governments to develop strategic plans targeting priorities of grassroots communities, and build their capacities.

Ethiopia has a calendar year of 13 months that defers from the rest of the world. Hence, the country is now in the year 1998 and not in 2005. The calendar year begins in September with the elapse of the long rainy season and blossoming of flowers of all kinds. Ethiopian days begin with the day break at 7:00 A.M...