Organization Profile: Population Services International (PSI)

Executive Summary

Population Services International (PSI) is a non-profit global health organization dedicated to improving the health of people in developing and emerging markets. Founded in 1970, PSI pioneered consumer-centric approaches and social marketing to make health products, services, and information affordable, accessible, and desirable. Today, PSI operates across more than 40 countries, collaborating with local governments, the private sector, and civil society to build resilient, sustainable health systems.

General Information

| Field | Details | | :--- | :--- | | Organization Name | Population Services International (PSI) | | Entity Type | 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Global Health Organization | | Year Founded | 1970 | | Global Headquarters | Washington, D.C., USA | | European Office | Amsterdam, Netherlands | | Geographic Footprint | Operations in 40+ countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America | | Global Workforce | 5,000+ staff and affiliate health professionals globally |

Vision, Mission & Core Values

Vision

To ensure all people can lead healthier lives and plan the families they desire through accessible, consumer-centered health solutions.

Mission

To make it easier for people in high-need populations to lead healthier lives and plan the families they desire by using social marketing, behavioral insights, and market-driven approaches to deliver affordable health products and services.

Core Values

• Measurement: Utilizing evidence, research, metrics, and rigorous evaluation to guide decision-making.
• Pragmatism: Striving for excellence while prioritizing timely, practical, and actionable solutions.
• Honesty: Operating with integrity, transparently sharing successes, and learning openly from failures.
• Collaboration: Partnering actively with local communities, governments, and private sector actors to maximize health impact.
• Trust: Empowering local teams and staff to make informed, impactful decisions.
• Commitment: Building long-term local capacity and programs designed for sustainable impact.

Technical Program Areas

1. Sexual & Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)

• Expanding access to modern contraceptive choices, self-injectable family planning options, and safe abortion care.
• Running youth-centric SRHR initiatives (e.g., Adolescent 360) designed to reduce early pregnancy and empower young women.

2. Malaria Prevention & Elimination

• Distributing long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs), supporting community-level diagnostic testing, and expanding access to artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs).
• Partnering with national malaria control programs to execute surveillance and containment strategies.

3. HIV/AIDS Prevention & Care

• Promoting condom use, expanding self-testing kits, and linking high-risk populations to antiretroviral treatment (ART) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services.

4. WASH & Child Survival

• Scaling access to point-of-use water purification solutions (such as Wuha Agar) and oral rehydration salts (ORS) with zinc to combat childhood illnesses.
• Developing market-based sanitation solutions (such as the SATO Pan) to accelerate progress toward ending open defecation.

Country Operations Focus: PSI Ethiopia

Established in 2003, PSI Ethiopia tailors global health models to support Ethiopia’s path toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

• Approach: Utilizes human-centered design to bring health solutions directly to communities, homes, and digital platforms.
• Key Interventions: Active across reproductive health, HIV prevention, WASH, and malaria interventions, working in alignment with the Ethiopian Ministry of Health.

Primary Donors & Strategic Partners

• Bilateral & Multilateral Donors: USAID, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Government of the Netherlands, and UN Agencies.
• Global Funds & Foundations: The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
• Commercial Partners: Manufacturers, local distributors, and micro-entrepreneurs to maintain sustainable health supply chains.

Global Contact Information

• World Headquarters: 1120 19th Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20036, USA
• Phone: +1 (202) 785-0077
• Official Website: www.psi.org

Organization Profile: The Well in Action (WIA)

Executive Summary

The Well in Action (WIA) is an indigenous, non-governmental, non-profit humanitarian and development organization in Ethiopia. Operating primarily across rural and underserved communities, WIA focuses on sustainable community development, climate-smart livelihoods, water and sanitation access, and women and youth empowerment to foster long-term community self-reliance.

General Information

| Field | Details | | :--- | :--- | | Organization Name | The Well in Action (WIA) | | Entity Type | Indigenous Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) / Civil Society Organization | | Headquarters | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | | Geographic Reach | Regional States across Ethiopia (including Oromia, Sidama, and Central/Southern Ethiopia) | | Primary Beneficiaries | Rural smallholder farmers, women, youth, pastoralist communities, and vulnerable households |

Strategic Vision & Mission

Vision

To see self-reliant, resilient, and thriving rural communities in Ethiopia where people enjoy an improved quality of life and dignity.

Mission

To empower vulnerable communities through sustainable development interventions in water and sanitation, agriculture, environmental protection, economic empowerment, and capacity building.

Core Focus Areas & Programs

1. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)

• Construction and rehabilitation of clean water supply systems (shallow wells, spring developments, and deep boreholes).
• Promotion of community hygiene practices, school sanitation facilities, and household latrine adoption.

2. Sustainable Agriculture & Food Security

• Promotion of climate-smart agricultural techniques, soil and water conservation, and natural resource management.
• Provision of high-yield seeds, training on modern farming techniques, and small-scale irrigation support for smallholders.

3. Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment

• Establishment and strengthening of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) and self-help groups for rural women.
• Entrepreneurship, business development, and vocational skills training for unemployed youth.

4. Climate Change & Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)

• Community-based watershed management, reforestation projects, and environmental protection initiatives.
• Enhancing community resilience against droughts, climate shocks, and environmental degradation.

Partnership & Approach

• Community-Led Model: Emphasizes local ownership, participatory planning, and active community participation in all project phases.
• Collaboration: Partners with government line bureaus, local administration units, and international development donors to execute sustainable interventions.

Contact Information

• Head Office: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Email: info@wi-action.org (or official organizational contact channels)

UNFPA, United Nations Population Fund, is the sexual and reproductive health agency of the UN. It works to uphold the rights and choices of women, girls and young people across more than 150 countries. UNFPA aims to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person can fulfil their potential.

The challenges are immense: Almost half of all pregnancies are unintended, one in three women faces physical or sexual violence, and every two minutes a woman or girl dies from causes related to pregnancy or childbirth – most of them preventable. UNFPA tackles these issues head-on, reaching millions of women, girls and young people every year with vital information about their bodies and rights, essential health services, and protection from violence.

Only when every person can access accurate information, quality care, and the freedom to make choices about their bodies safely and with dignity can they realize their full potential – and help shape a better future for all.

Solidarités International (SI) is a French humanitarian non-profit organization founded in 1980 that provides emergency aid and long-term assistance to populations affected by conflicts and natural disasters. SI specializes in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), food security, and shelter for vulnerable people in over 20 countries.

Organization Profile: Mothers and Children Multisectoral Development Organization (MCMDO)

Executive Summary

Mothers and Children Multisectoral Development Organization (MCMDO) is an Ethiopian indigenous, non-governmental, non-profit humanitarian and development organization. Established in 1997, MCMDO works to empower vulnerable women, children, youth, and marginalized community members through integrated, multisectoral development and emergency response programs across Ethiopia.

General Information

| Field | Details | | :--- | :--- | | Organization Name | Mothers and Children Multisectoral Development Organization (MCMDO) | | Entity Type | Indigenous Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) / Civil Society Organization | | Year Established | 1997 | | Registration | Re-registered under the Civil Society Organizations Proclamation No. 1113/2019 | | Headquarters | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | | Geographic Reach | Nationwide (Multiple regional states across Ethiopia) | | Core Target Groups | Vulnerable mothers, children, youth, elderly, and IDPs |

Vision, Mission & Core Values

Vision

To see a self-reliant, healthy, and empowered Ethiopian community where the rights of women and children are fully respected and protected.

Mission

To improve the living conditions of vulnerable mothers and children, and empower communities to achieve sustainable socio-economic development through holistic, multisectoral interventions.

Core Values

• Gender Equality & Inclusion
• Child Protection & Safeguarding
• Accountability & Transparency
• Community Ownership & Empowerment
• Partnership & Collaboration

Key Strategic Program Areas

1. Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (MNCH) & Nutrition

• Implements community-level health promotion, sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, and immunization support.
• Executes emergency nutrition interventions, acute malnutrition treatment, and infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices.

2. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)

• Constructs and rehabilitates clean water supply schemes in rural and drought-affected communities.
• Promotes community-led total sanitation (CLTS) and constructs sanitation facilities for health posts and schools.

3. Food Security, Agriculture & Livelihoods

• Distributes agricultural inputs, climate-smart seeds, and livestock to smallholder farmers and pastoralist households.
• Strengthens micro-entrepreneurship, vocational skills training, and self-help saving groups (VSLAs) for vulnerable women and youth.

4. Education & Child Protection

• Supports formal and non-formal education for out-of-school children, orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC).
• Provides school feeding programs, scholastic materials, and child-friendly spaces (CFSs) in emergency settings.

5. Humanitarian Emergency Response & Recovery

• Delivers multi-sectoral emergency assistance (NFI distribution, shelter support, cash assistance) to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and conflict/disaster-affected populations.

Target Beneficiaries & Approach

• Direct Beneficiaries: Pregnant and lactating women, under-five children, female-headed households, street-connected youth, and displaced families.
• Multisectoral Model: Integrates health, protection, and livelihoods into a single community delivery mechanism to build long-term resilience against natural and human-made shocks.

Contact & Office Location

• Head Office: Arada Sub-City, Woreda 04, House No. 923 (Near Aware Market / Kebena area), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Postal Address: P.O. Box 14643, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Phone: +251 11 126 1170 / +251 11 126 1171
• Email: mcmdo2004@yahoo.com / info@mcmdo.org
• Official Website: www.mcmdo.org

Organization Profile: MERSA Media Institute (MMI) - Media and Dialogue Solutions

Executive Summary

MERSA Media Institute (MMI), operating under its initiative Media and Dialogue Solutions, is a non-profit media policy think tank and development organization based in Ethiopia. MMI works to build inclusive, resilient, and independent media ecosystems across the Horn of Africa by advancing professional journalism, information integrity, civic engagement, and constructive public dialogue.

General Information

| Field | Details | | :--- | :--- | | Organization Name | MERSA Media Institute (MMI) | | Brand / Initiative | MMI - Media and Dialogue Solutions | | Entity Type | Non-Profit Media Think Tank & Development Organization | | Founder & Executive Director | Henok Semaegzer Fente | | Headquarters | Signal Business Center (Shola area), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | | Geographic Scope | Ethiopia & the Horn of Africa | | Core Focus | Media Policy, Journalism Capacity Building, Media Literacy, Civic Engagement |

Vision & Core Objectives

Vision

To cultivate vibrant, objective, and self-governing media institutions committed to informing the public on issues that impact their lives and supporting democratic development.

Objectives

• Promote Ethical Journalism: Enhance journalistic skills, fact-checking, and adherence to high ethical standards.
• Foster Dialogue: Create safe, constructive platforms to bridge societal divides through creative formats.
• Support Media Sustainability: Help traditional and digital media organizations adapt to modern technologies and business models.
• Advance Inclusivity: Amplify youth, women, and marginalized community voices in national public discourse.

Key Strategic Pillars & Programs

1. Journalism Training & Capacity Building

• Workshops on investigative reporting, digital security, fact-checking, and combating misinformation.
• Specialized reporting initiatives covering governance, climate, health, and social issues.
• University-to-newsroom bridging programs for emerging journalists.

2. Dialogue Studio & Arts for Dialogue

• Facilitates structured community dialogues and stakeholder conversations.
• Dialogue Taxi: A mobile studio setup traveling across communities to collect local narratives and facilitate conversations on the ground.
• Uses artistic expression and media arts to communicate complex social and policy issues.

3. Media Policy, Research & Literacy

• Conducts policy research and studies on media regulation, freedom of expression, and information ecosystems.
• Leads media literacy campaigns to equip youth and citizens with critical thinking skills against online disinformation.

4. Gender Inclusion & Youth Engagement

• Promotes gender equality by advancing female media leadership and gender-sensitive reporting.
• Builds youth leadership programs through civic participation and media storytelling tools.

Target Audience & Partners

• Media Institutions & Journalists: Broadcasters, digital outlets, print media, and emerging newsrooms.
• Youth & Civil Society: Student communities, local civic groups, and local associations.
• Academia & Policy Makers: Universities and international development partners focused on media development and governance.

Contact Information

• Office Address: Signal Business Center-Shola, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Official Website: www.mersamedia.org

Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP)

Company Snapshot

• Parent Institution: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (Department of Health, Behavior and Society).
• Established: 1988 by Dr. Phyllis Tilson Piotrow.
• Headquarters: Baltimore, Maryland, United States.
• Staff Size: Approximately 600 employees operating globally.
• Financial Scale: Manages over $100 million in yearly project revenue and expenditures.
• Geographic Reach: Active in more than 30 countries with over 60 ongoing projects globally. Since its inception in 1988, CCP programs have reached more than 1 billion people worldwide.

Mission and Vision

• Mission: To enable people around the world to make healthy choices and advance the science and art of strategic communication to improve health and save lives.
• Vision: A world where all individuals, families, and communities thrive, supported by equitable and responsive systems.
• Approach: The organization utilizes evidence-based, people-centered approaches to dismantle systemic barriers, ignite collective action, and center fairness and inclusion.

Core Technical Strengths

• Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC): Designing programs that influence political dialogue, collective action, and individual behavior.
• Knowledge Management: Enhancing access to information and exchanging knowledge to improve overall health and health care.
• Training and Capacity Building: Strengthening infrastructure and training professionals to amplify essential voices and advance systems.
• Research and Evaluation: Conducting rigorous research to guide program design, evaluate impact, and build the evidence base for health communication theories.

Key Health Issue Focus Areas

• Reproductive Health & Family Planning: A foundational program element for CCP.
• Infectious Diseases: Designing communication initiatives for HIV/AIDS prevention, malaria control (including the promotion of insecticide-treated mosquito nets), and avian/pandemic influenza.
• Wider Global Health Initiatives: Promoting maternal and child health, better nutrition, water and sanitation (WASH), tobacco control, and gender equity.

Major Partners & Donors

• CCP's global initiatives are heavily supported by leading international development organizations, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, and DFID.

Organization Profile: Network of Ethiopian Women's Associations (NEWA)

Executive Summary

Network of Ethiopian Women's Associations (NEWA) is a non-partisan, non-governmental consortium established to advance gender equality, women's rights, and female empowerment in Ethiopia. Functioning as a umbrella platform, NEWA unites local women's organizations across Ethiopia to foster collective advocacy, coordinate resources, and influence policy decisions at national and regional levels.

General Information

| Field | Details | | :--- | :--- | | Organization Name | Network of Ethiopian Women's Associations (NEWA) | | Entity Type | Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Consortium / Civil Society Network | | Year Established | 2003 | | Founding Members | 13 local women's associations and organizations | | Headquarters | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | | Coverage Area | Nationwide (All regional states and city administrations) | | Core Focus Areas | Gender Equality, Women's Empowerment, Legal Advocacy, Human Rights |

Vision, Mission & Core Values

Vision

An Ethiopian society in which gender equality is fully realized.

Mission

To promote gender equality and enhance the economic, social, political, and legal empowerment of women and girls in Ethiopia through synchronized collective action, policy advocacy, and coalition building.

Core Values

• Equality & Inclusiveness
• Collaboration & Networking
• Integrity & Transparency
• Accountability & Commitment
• Transformative Leadership

Primary Strategic Pillars & Interventions

1. Policy Advocacy & Legal Reform

• Engages with legislative bodies and policymakers to draft, amend, and enforce gender-responsive policies.
• Monitors state compliance with ratified international conventions on women's rights (such as CEDAW) and national legal frameworks.

2. Elimination of Gender-Based Violence (GBV)

• Leads advocacy and community awareness initiatives to combat Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV), and Harmful Traditional Practices (HTPs).
• Assesses accountability mechanisms to improve legal and social protection for survivors.

3. Action Research & Evidence-Based Advocacy

• Conducts national surveys and action research projects to collect gender-disaggregated data on women's socio-economic status.
• Translates empirical data into policy briefs to drive informed national dialogue.

4. Capacity Building for Member Organizations

• Offers training programs in communication, advocacy, leadership, and project execution to strengthen local Women-Led Organizations (WLOs).
• Provides sub-granting opportunities and institutional support to grassroots civil society actors.

Target Audience & Beneficiaries

• Women & Girls: Direct beneficiaries of empowerment, awareness, and legal protection programs.
• Women-Led Organizations (WLOs) & Associations: Network member organizations receiving capacity-building support.
• Policy Makers & Government Institutions: Partners in formulating gender-responsive frameworks at federal and regional levels.
• Community Leaders & General Public: Target audience for social change and public education campaigns.

Key Partners & Collaborators

• International Development Partners: European Union (EU), Oxfam, CST-Ethiopia, and various UN Agencies.
• Civil Society Organizations (CSOs): Local civil society coalitions and human rights advocates.
• Government Line Ministries: Ministry of Women and Social Affairs (MoBSA) and regional gender bureaus.

Contact & Location

• Head Office: Bole Sub-City, Woreda 05 (In front of Gibson Youth Academy 24 Campus), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Postal Address: P.O. Box 19375 / P.O. Box 27159, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Phone: +251 118 217 757 / +251 118 217 758 / +251 952 048 277
• Email: info@newaethiopia.org / newaethiopia@gmail.com
• Official Website: www.newaethiopia.org

Founded on November 13, 1981, by actor Karlheinz Böhm, the Menschen für Menschen Foundation is an international relief and development organization dedicated to sustainable, self-reliant rural development in Ethiopia. Initiated following a famous appeal on the German television show Wetten, dass...? in May 1981, the foundation operates on the guiding principle of "helping people help themselves," aiming to transition assisted communities toward total independence from external aid.

Core Principles & Fields of Work

The foundation employs an Integrated Rural Development model that links five essential sectors:

| Sector | Core Interventions & Objectives | | --- | --- | | Agriculture & Food Security | Advancing farming techniques, livestock management, soil erosion control, and large-scale reforestation. | | Water & Hygiene (WASH) | Constructing deep wells, protecting natural springs, developing water distribution infrastructure, and providing community hygiene education. | | Education | Building and equipping primary/secondary schools, vocational training centers, and adult literacy programs. | | Healthcare | Constructing rural health posts and clinics, training community health workers, and executing disease prevention campaigns. | | Income Generation & Infrastructure | Providing microcredit, supporting local enterprise development, fostering women's economic empowerment, and improving market access. |

Organizational Structure & Operations

• Institutional Independence: Strictly non-governmental, denominationally neutral, and politically independent.
• European Fundraising Network: Autonomous national foundations operate in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Belgium to manage resource mobilization and advocacy.
• Country Operations (Ethiopia): Interventions spanning over a dozen rural regions across Ethiopia are coordinated through a country headquarters in Addis Ababa and executed primarily by local Ethiopian staff.

One Acre Fund is an agricultural service provider that supports Africa's smallholder farmers to build resilient communities.

More than 50 million families in Sub-Saharan Africa earn a living from small farms, which produce 80 percent of the continent’s food. But harvests still lag far behind the rest of the world. We supply the financing and training these farmers need to grow their way out of hunger and build lasting pathways to prosperity.

Instead of giving handouts, we invest in farmers to help them increase their yields and their profits. When farmers become more productive, they help feed healthy communities and create thriving economies.