The Progress on MDGs, SDGs in Ethiopia

Haddis Desta Tadesse is the director for Ethiopia and the African Union (AU) at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation where he leads the team which oversees partnerships across the region and investments in Ethiopia’s agricultural development, health, financial services, water and sanitation, nutrition and emergency relief by managing programs and building diplomatic relations with key partners and stakeholders, including governments, AU and UN officials, donors, private sector decision-makers, NGOs and members of the press.

Haddis has been with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation since 2007 where he managed government relations work in Africa from Seattle before moving to Ethiopia to establish the office of the foundation in 2012.  Prior to joining the Gates Foundation, Haddis was a senior policy advisor to Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels on citywide policies for human services, public health, housing and civil rights.  He also led outreach to immigrants and refugees and implemented several new initiatives to support these communities.

A US citizen of Ethiopian origin, Haddis lived and worked in the United States for nearly 25 years. He earned a Master’s in public administration (MPA) from the University of Washington. He serves on a number of boards and has held several fellowships, including at the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the European Union.

Following the launch of a new report entitled “Goalkeepers” Wednesday, Birhanu Fikade  of The Reporter  sat down with Haddis at his office situated within the premises of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) to talk about the progress and challenges of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), hopes and worries the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) might bring, with a special focus on Ethiopia.

Read more at: The Reporter