The WEFACE Project 2026 International Conference was held in Addis Ababa at the Harmony Hotel, aiming to review progress and achievements of the Women Empowerment in Food and Agriculture Cooperatives through Enabling Market Access (WEFACE) project across its 2023–2026 activities.
The conference was organized by Arsi University and HSWT(Germany) brought together key stakeholders, partners, and representatives to discuss results, share lessons learned, and chart priorities for the project’s next stages.
Speaking at the opening session, Dr. Fikadu Mitiku, President of Arsi University, delivered welcoming and opening remarks. He emphasized the significant impacts the project has made on the livelihoods of communities, noting in particular the empowerment of women through food and agriculture cooperative development and improved market access.
Dr. Fikadu also expressed heartfelt appreciation to all project partners, and called for strengthened collaboration moving forward. In addition, he presented a brief overview of Arsi University’s focus areas, including teaching and learning, research, community engagement, and internationalization.
The conference featured distinguished professors and representatives from major WEFACE partner institutions, including: HSWT (Germany), University of USSEIN (Senegal), University of GABES (Tunisia) and Arsi University.
During the sessions, each partner institution presented project progress reports covering 2023–2026, detailing achievements and ongoing activities implemented under the WEFACE initiative.
The WEFACE 2026 conference will continue with additional activities scheduled for the next four days, providing further opportunities for discussion, coordination, and experience-sharing among stakeholders to support continued progress of the project.