Destination: Uncategorized

Ethiopia, long the poster child for hunger and famine, is now a fine example of a country with a steadily improving economy. (For the last decade, its GDP has grown, on average, 10% a year.)

Ethiopia is divided into several thousand administrative units called “kebeles.” This system makes it easier to enact development initiatives and gives the government a smart way to coordinate and communicate with its 100 million people. The vast majority of Ethiopians are farmers — and when kebele leaders embrace strong programs from the national government, those farmers work smarter and grow well beyond subsistence farming. Join me at a farm in northern Ethiopia and take a look for yourself.

(Fun fact: Sociologists are finding that when rural communities in the developing world get electricity to power light bulbs and television sets, fertility rates go down.)

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While simple handouts can actually slow development, the most impactful aid helps people become more productive.

I’m in Ethiopia, learning about how some of the world’s poorest countries are developing, and studying the reasons for Ethiopia’s impressive progress. I’m seeing the value of smart partnerships between caring governments and NGOs (non-governmental organizations) — and I’m learning that women are critical to development. (Sorry, men — but it’s women who tend to be the ones dedicated to family, health, and fiscal responsibility.)

Today we visited an inspiring organization called Women in Self Employment (WISE), which is based out of a bustling neighborhood in Addis Ababa. Join me in this clip to learn about this shining example of a program that helps people help themselves in the developing world.

I’m in Ethiopia, scouting locations for a new public television special we’re producing about hunger and hope.

Today, in a humble neighborhood in Addis Ababa, we were invited into a ramshackle courtyard to see a grassroots savings association in action. Join me in this clip to watch Lisa and her neighbors band together for fiscal empowerment.

(You can bet I’ll be back to check in on Lisa when I return with our film crew in April.)

I’m in Ethiopia to scout locations for a new public television special about world hunger — and I’m learning a lot.

Right now, I’m at a coffee plant in Addis Ababa, where I was just treated to an unforgettable cup — surrounded by tons of beans. Join me in this clip for a fascinating peek at the local coffee industry and a quick lesson about development. Coffee may have originated in Ethiopia, but there’s still a big gap here between potential profit and actual profit.

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I’m in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the headquarters of the African Union — and I’m so inspired by their bold mission, I just had to share it with you.

First, it’s important to understand some history. Back when the industrialized nations of the West were becoming developed, colonial powers were actively “under-developing” Africa. For example, European colonial powers built up infrastructure in Africa — but they designed it to export African resources, rather than connect Africa’s many societies.

In this clip, you’ll meet Ibrahim Gariba. Ibrahim, who is from Ghana, helped me get a better grip on how the African Union is working to fight what I call “The Nasty Cs”— Corruption, Conflict, and Climate Change — and help Africa develop.

By the way, Ethiopia was never colonized (except for a short period of Italian occupation under Mussolini), so it’s no wonder that its capital, Addis Ababa, serves as a kind of diplomatic capital of the continent.

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