Let’s Support the Education of Students with Disabilities while Enjoying our Coffees

With financial and material support from the office of the president of the University and Unilever Manufacturing PLC, Addis Ababa University’s (AAU’s) Special Needs Support Office opened an Income-generating Shop for the educational support of disabled students at the Main Campus on December 20, 2022.

Professor Tassew Weldehanna, President of AAU, on the occasion said that AAU is paying more attention to students with disabilities than any other higher educational institution in the country and has enabled the students to achieve great success by spending a huge sum of money on their studies.

Professor Tassew expressed his expectation that the disabled students of the University will graduate with gold medals at a higher rank than other non-disabled students due to the University’s multi-faceted support.

“If we support students with disabilities, they can work equally with their peers and even better. Hence, it is our duty to support and encourage them with all possibilities. Even when our university constructs buildings, it builds floors with ramps considering students with disabilities,” Prof. Tassew noted.

Nesibu Temesgen, Unilever Manufacturing Ethiopia PLC CD Director, in the interview said that the main purpose of helping to open small breakfast houses, tea and coffee drinking places in universities is to financially support students who seek special needs support in universities and to enable them be successful in their studies.

The CD Director told the OERPC staff reporter that the profit from the tea and coffee shops is to be used for students and community groups who want special needs support and to enable the learners do their studies without difficulties.

Yirgashewa Bekele (PhD), Director at Office of Special Needs Support, told in the interview that by opening a small breakfast house in collaboration with Unilever Manufacturing Ethiopia PLC, the profits from the sale of the company’s products, will be transferred to the university’s account to support disabled students and that strong work is being done.

Dr. Yirgashewa expressed her pleasure that the Tea-Coffee-Breakfast-House is opened in a beautiful location with the cooperation of the University president’s office and financial as well as material support from Unilever Manufacturing PLC Ethiopia.

Source: Addis Ababa University