Action for the Needy in Ethiopia (ANE) has received a Certificate of Recognition from H.E. President Taye Atske Selassie for its contribution to strengthening Ethiopia's health system through knowledge, action and professional practice, and for its voluntary service to the people of Ethiopia.
The recognition was presented during the People to People Recognition Ceremony at the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel in Addis Ababa. The event brought together senior government representatives, health-sector leaders, Ethiopian diaspora professionals, development partners and institutions whose work has contributed meaningfully to the wellbeing of Ethiopian communities.
The ceremony also commemorated 25 years of People to People's service, highlighting the power of professional solidarity, voluntary action, knowledge exchange and diaspora engagement in strengthening national institutions and improving community wellbeing.
Why This Recognition Matters
This recognition is significant because it reflects more than the delivery of a single project or a short-term intervention. It acknowledges an institutional approach that places community health within a broader system of primary healthcare, nutrition, safe water, sanitation and hygiene, disease prevention, emergency preparedness, community engagement and resilience.
ANE's experience has shown that sustainable health outcomes depend on the strength of the systems surrounding individuals and families. Safe water reduces exposure to disease. Nutrition support protects mothers and children. Community awareness improves prevention and care-seeking. Disease screening, referral and follow-up help people receive timely treatment. Stronger frontline capacity enables public and community institutions to maintain essential services even during emergencies.
By linking immediate humanitarian assistance with recovery and longer-term institutional strengthening, ANE seeks to ensure that vulnerable communities are not only reached during crises, but are also supported to build healthier, safer and more resilient futures.
A Collective Achievement
Responding to the recognition, Mr. Salihu Sultan Bilo expressed profound humility and gratitude, describing the honour as both a national acknowledgement and a renewed call to responsibility. He emphasized that the recognition belongs to the vulnerable communities whose dignity, courage and resilience continue to inspire ANE's work.
It also belongs to ANE's HQ and field staff, volunteers, frontline workers and Board of Directors; to health professionals and community workers serving under difficult conditions; and to government counterparts, donors, United Nations agencies, development partners, diaspora professionals and community structures whose trust and cooperation have made the organization's achievements possible.
Health-System Strengthening in Practice
Since its establishment in 2012, ANE has worked alongside communities affected by displacement, conflict, drought, disease outbreaks, poverty and other emergencies. Its health-related contribution has consistently extended beyond immediate service delivery to include capacity strengthening, community mobilization, disease prevention and screening, maternal and child health and nutrition, environmental health, WASH and the rehabilitation of essential services.
This integrated model recognizes that health cannot be separated from living conditions. A family’s wellbeing is affected by the safety of its water supply, the availability of nutritious food, the quality of shelter and sanitation, access to reliable information, and the capacity of local institutions to respond effectively. ANE therefore combines sectoral expertise around the needs and priorities of communities rather than treating each challenge in isolation.
Selected 2025 Results related to Health, Nutrition and WASH
• 75,274 people screened for tuberculosis in Benishangul-Gumuz, with a reported 94 per cent smear-conversion rate.
• Approximately 30,000 people supported with improved access to safer water in the Afar Region.
• Rehabilitated and solar-powered water systems benefiting 11,948 people in the Somali Region.
• Hygiene-promotion activities reaching approximately 15,000 people.
• Extensive food, shelter, sanitation and dignity-related assistance delivered to refugees, internally displaced people and vulnerable host communities.
Partnership as the Foundation of Sustainable Impact
ANE recognizes that Ethiopia's health and humanitarian challenges cannot be addressed by one institution alone. Sustainable progress requires coordinated action among government, civil society, communities, academia, the private sector, development partners and Ethiopian professionals throughout the world. The organization's achievements have been made possible through collaboration with the Government of Ethiopia at federal, regional and local levels; the Ministry of Health and regional health authorities; United Nations agencies; national and international development partners; donors; civil-society organizations; diaspora professionals; community structures and frontline service providers.
The 25-year journey of People to People demonstrates the value of building bridges between Ethiopian professionals in the diaspora and institutions serving communities at home. Such partnerships mobilize expertise, voluntary service, networks and resources that can strengthen systems and expand opportunities for vulnerable populations.
Recognition as a Renewed Responsibility
ANE receives this recognition as an encouragement to deepen quality, accountability, learning and measurable impact. The organization will continue working with communities and partners to advance resilient primary healthcare, maternal and child health and nutrition, disease prevention and screening, emergency preparedness, WASH services, frontline-worker capacity and stronger community-based systems.
The award follows ANE/ANA's receipt of the Best Social Welfare Initiative Award at the 14th Golden Globe Tigers Awards 2026, reflecting growing national and international acknowledgement of its humanitarian service, community-centred development, resilience building and commitment to sustainable transformation.
Through its regional platform, Action for the Needy in Africa, ANE is also strengthening partnerships and locally led programming across East Africa while remaining firmly rooted in its Ethiopian identity and founding mission.
