YADAM Foundation Concludes High-Level Regional Experience-sharing Workshop in Hawassa, Galvanizing Political Will and Ground-Level Action for Nutrition in Ethiopia

The YADAM Foundation successfully hosted a two-day Regional Experience Sharing Advocacy Workshop in Hawassa, bringing together over 40 high-level officials, technical experts, and partners from 7 regions across Ethiopia. The event, held at Rori Hotel from March 30-31, 2026, marked a major milestone in accelerating evidence-based nutrition advocacy, governance, and financing at the sub-national level.

Coinciding with a field visit to the transformative Yebeteseb Biltsigina, meaning family prosperity initiative in Shebedino Woreda, the workshop reinforced YADAM’s core mission: to translate political commitment into measurable nutrition outcomes for women and children.

The sessions highlighted Ethiopia’s progress in Large-Scale Food Fortification (LSFF), the national scale-up of Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS), nutrition financing, and the cascading of FANCO governance structures down to kebele level.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Tilaye Gete, YADAM Board Secretary, underscored the Foundation’s unique role: “We are not here to duplicate efforts. We are here to advocate, to connect, and to secure commitments that outlast any single project. The baby is thriving to walk—and we must walk together.”

Chief Stanley Chitekwe, UNICEF Chief of Nutrition, lauded YADAM’s advocacy effforts, noting that Ethiopia’s MMS roadmap is now expanding from 74 to over 200 woredas, while calling for innovative financing: “Matching funds, blended finance, and private-sector partnerships are no longer optional—they are essential.”

Through targeted advocacy, YADAM secured binding commitments from regional states, including:

• LSFF: Advancing Mandatory fortification enforcement, public procurement of fortified foods, and harmonized federal-regulatory efforts.
• MMS: To endorse Regional scale-up, integration into annual planning, and the importance of local production to reduce costs in the near future.
• Governance: FANCO structures legally established and cascaded to kebele level, with nutrition as a standing agenda item in cabinet meetings.
• Financing: Nutrition budget tagging and tracking systems, plus matching fund models (e.g., Gambella’s 1% woreda rule generating 45 million ETB)