News on Dr Birhanu Nega

e iddir was highlighted as a useful informal support system that could be considered as a back-up social protection mechanism. It is not limited to the grieving process or payment for funerals but rather its mandate goes beyond to include other social crisis (i.e. sickness) for which a household may need additional support. The eiquib is another form of informal social protection. While group members initially bond over savings and loans, the group develops strong social ties related to information sharing and mutual support. In addition, if one member experiences a sudden problem or hardship, they will be prioritized for the next loan. Both iddir and eiquib (and others as well, some of which are formed on the basis of ethnicity and religion) are very active. They are all over the city and some of them are very well-established. The government is trying to leverage these associations and broaden their scope to include other areas that would benefit from community involvement. A good example has been a strong desire by local officials and the citizenry to use iddir as an important platform for promoting community based targeting for t