YADAM Foundation Founder Champions Local Solutions at First Foods Africa Initiative Inception Workshop
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – December 3, 2025
The Founder and Chairman of YADAM Foundation delivered a powerful keynote at the First Foods Africa Initiative Inception Workshop, held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Addis Ababa. Organized by UNICEF in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, and Ministry of Industry, the workshop convened government leaders, private sector representatives, civil society, and development partners to address the urgent challenge of child food poverty and malnutrition in Africa.
In his remarks, the Chairman emphasized the urgency of tackling child food poverty through local, sustainable solutions, echoing the initiative’s guiding principle: “For Africa, by Africa.” He stated: “A hungry child cannot learn, a malnourished child cannot thrive. Every Ethiopian child deserves access to safe, nutritious, and locally produced food. The First Foods Africa Initiative embodies this vision—not only to alleviate child malnutrition but to revolutionize our food systems.” He emphasized incentivizing local production, uniting stakeholders, and attracting investment to support resilient food systems. He also noted the importance of education and community engagement in building nutrition awareness, with schools as centers for nutrition education. The Chairman reaffirmed YADAM Foundation’s commitment to partnering with governments, private sector, and development groups to address child food poverty at its root.
“Together, we can position local food production as the cornerstone of our nutrition strategy and commit to a future where no child in Ethiopia experiences food poverty.
Key Highlights from the Workshop also include Christiane Rudert, Alina Michalska, and Zephenia Gomora presented the First Foods Africa Initiative, focusing on incentivizing local production, shaping policy, and encouraging consumption of nutritious first foods. Hilina Enriched Foods and Brown Foods demonstrated innovative nutrition solutions, highlighting the vital role of African companies in child nutrition. The Tekeze Blue Hub Initiative was also introduced as a complementary project to strengthen local food production and distribution for vulnerable Ethiopian communities.
