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<\/p>\nThe first 21 participants from new MP partner country Ethiopia arrived in Germany in November 2019. During the introductory workshop in Addis Ababa, the group had expressed great interest in expanding their intercultural skills and showed enthusiasm for modern technology. It also quickly became clear that the Ethiopian and German cultures are linked by one thing in particular: coffee
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The coffee industry was particularly strongly represented in the group with two-thirds of the Ethiopian executives and managers involved at various stages of the value chain from harvest to export. Other group members traded in pulses, leather goods, shoes and textiles.<\/p>\n
Participants reported that the four-week programme\u2019s basic concept \u2013 which alternated training units with company visits \u2013 was very effective. Entrepreneur Lidiya Assefa worked on her business plans as part of the programme and took away some helpful insights from a visit to a family-owned German business. \u201cMy vision is to build a company and have a family who will one day take the helm, helping safeguard valuable knowledge,\u201d she said. Getachew Zelealem was also clearly pleased with his learning curve: \u201cIn Ethiopia, it takes around a month to learn what we learned in just an hour or a day here. This is because of the different teaching methods and interactions.\u201d<\/p>\n The closing event held at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) in Berlin was one of the highlights. Deputy Director Dr Dorothea Sch\u00fctz welcomed the group, kicking off the event by noting that, \u201cthe presence of these highly qualified entrepreneurs from Ethiopia attests not just to their interest in expanding their management skills and getting to know the German private sector. It is also a sign of the interest German companies have in doing business with Ethiopia. Furthermore, this kind of MP cooperation is proof of the ongoing dedication to strong, bilateral economic relationships between the two countries.\u201d The Ethiopian Minister of Finance was present as well, another high point for the pilot group and great encouragement to move forward with their joint projects.<\/p>\n Given the very different cultural norms that govern how business relationships are established in Ethiopia and Germany, the group\u2019s immediate successes were quite impressive, with the very first contracts signed during the training programme itself. Participants involved in the coffee industry had expressed initial concerns about participating in the Programme during prime harvest time, but those disappeared after time spent in Germany. Sara Yirga succinctly summed up the overall feelings of the group: \u201cAt the start, we were a bit worried because the MP coincided with the harvest in Ethiopia. But now I do not regret a single day I spent in Germany.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photos: \u00a9 GIZ\/Andreas Dobslaff<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Im November 2019 kamen die ersten 21 Teilnehmer aus dem neuen Partnerland \u00c4thiopien nach Deutschland. Schon im Rahmen des Einf\u00fchrungsworkshops in Addis Abeba hatte die Gruppe reges Interesse an interkulturellem Kompetenzaufbau und ihre Begeisterung f\u00fcr moderne Technologien gezeigt. Sehr schnell wurde au\u00dferdem deutlich, dass ein gro\u00dfes Thema die \u00e4thiopische mit der deutschen Kultur verbindet: der … <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mp.aleph-consult.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Bidl1.jpg\")
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