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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Meqoamia
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DTSTART:20250101T000000
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250602
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260607
DTSTAMP:20260429T231810
CREATED:20260410T133112Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260410T133112Z
UID:5218-1748822400-1780790399@meqoamia.org
SUMMARY:From Seychelles to Addis Ababa: MCDO’s Commitment to Pan‑Africanism and Youth Drug Prevention
DESCRIPTION:  \nIntroduction\nIn June 2025\, two MCDO representatives – Mr. Elias Kalayu and Ms. Sara Deguma – took part in the African Union’s “Training of Master Trainers for University‑Based Youth Engagement in Drug Prevention” held in Seychelles. This participation marks a major milestone for our organization. \nAlignment with MCDO’s Vision and Mission\nMCDO’s vision is “to foster a healthy\, drug‑free generation in Ethiopia and Africa.” Our mission is to scale up evidence‑based prevention education within universities and communities. The AU training perfectly aligns with both our vision and mission. \nThe 2025 Training as a Major Achievement\nWe consider the 2025 Master Trainers’ Training a major success for MCDO and for Ethiopian youth. Through this training we: \n\n\nExchanged knowledge and experience with representatives from 25 African countries. \n\n\nLearned modern\, youth‑engagement models (peer‑led\, evidence‑based). \n\n\nEstablished working relationships with Colombo Plan DAP and US INL. \n\n\nContribution of Elias Kalayu and Sara Deguma\nThe knowledge and skills our two representatives gained are a tremendous asset: \n\n\nElias Kalayu brings over 15 years of experience with UBAACM and successfully integrated that experience into the continental framework. \n\n\nSara Deguma ’s expertise in youth outreach and training design proved invaluable. \n\n\nFrom a Pan‑African Perspective\nPan‑Africanism is the foundational philosophy of the African Union. MCDO supports this mission by connecting Ethiopian youth with their peers across Africa. This training is an excellent example of continental unity and collaborative problem‑solving. \nFuture Plans\nTo put the learned knowledge into practice: \n\n\nWithin the next six months\, we will begin training master trainers in at least five Ethiopian universities. \n\n\nWe will align the UBAACM program with AU standards. \n\n\nWe will work with other African organizations to create a continental youth network for drug prevention. \n\n\nAcknowledgements\nWe extend our deepest gratitude to the African Union (AU)\, the Colombo Plan Drug Advisory Programme (DAP)\, and the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) for their support. \nMCDO believes that this participation will make a significant contribution to a better tomorrow – not only in Ethiopia but across Africa and the world. \n#MCDO #PanAfricanism #YouthEmpowerment #DrugPrevention #AU #ColomboPlan #Ethiopia
URL:https://meqoamia.org/event/from-seychelles-to-addis-ababa-mcdos-commitment-to-pan%e2%80%91africanism-and-youth-drug-prevention/
LOCATION:victoria seychelles
CATEGORIES:Addiction,Addiction Recovery,Drug Demand Reduction,University Based Anti Addiction Community Movement
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://meqoamia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/photo_2025-06-07_11-15-23.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260223T080000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260408T140000
DTSTAMP:20260429T231810
CREATED:20260408T161927Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260408T161927Z
UID:5195-1771833600-1775656800@meqoamia.org
SUMMARY:High-level Advocacy Meetings with City Leadership\, EFDA\, AAFDA\, and CSOs
DESCRIPTION:Meqoamia Community Development Organization (MCDO) conducted a high-level advocacy meeting with key decision-makers\, including the Addis Ababa Mayor’s Office\, the Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority (EFDA)\, the Addis Ababa Food and Drug Authority (AAFDA)\, the Police Commission\, Sub-city Administrators\, Sub-city key tobacco focal persons\, and leading civil society organizations. These meetings\, held in February 23\,2026\, aimed to strengthen political commitment and institutional coordination to achieve and sustain at least 90% compliance with Smoke-Free Environment (SFE) and Tobacco Advertising\, Promotion\, and Sponsorship (TAPS) provisions under Proclamation No. 1112/2019. During the sessions\, MCDO presented updated compliance data\, identified enforcement gaps particularly in the previous sub cities (namely Kirkos and Lideta) and proposed integrated joint inspection mechanisms under the Addis Ababa Smoke-Free Initiative on Kolfe-keranio\, Gullele\, and Arada sub cities.
URL:https://meqoamia.org/event/high-level-advocacy-meetings-with-city-leadership-efda-aafda-and-csos/
CATEGORIES:Addis Ababa Tobacco Smoke-free Initiative (AATSFI),Advocacy,Ethiopia Tobacco smoke free imitative,Inspection,Tobacco
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://meqoamia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Gemini_Generated_Image_lgh0mzlgh0mzlgh0.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260312
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260314
DTSTAMP:20260429T231810
CREATED:20260419T122824Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260419T122853Z
UID:5268-1773273600-1773446399@meqoamia.org
SUMMARY:Targeted Daytime Inspections Conducted in Kolfe Keranio Sub-City to Strengthen Tobacco Control Enforcement
DESCRIPTION:March 12–13\, 2026 | Kolfe Keranio Sub-City\, Addis Ababa \nTargeted daytime inspections were successfully conducted in Kolfe Keranio Sub-City as part of Strategy 3.1 under the Addis Ababa Smoke-Free Initiative (AASFI). The activity aimed to strengthen systematic inspection and enforcement mechanisms to achieve at least 90% compliance with Smoke-Free Environment (SFE) and Tobacco Advertising\, Promotion\, and Sponsorship (TAPS) regulations. \nThe inspections were jointly implemented by Meqoamia Community Development Organization (MCDO) and the Addis Ababa Food and Drug Authority (AAFDA)\, Kolfe Keranio Branch\, in line with the Food and Medicine Administration Proclamation No. 1112/2019. \nA total of 36 public-serving establishments\, including restaurants and cafés\, were inspected. The exercise focused on assessing compliance with smoke-free regulations\, including the presence of active smoking\, visibility of “No Smoking” signage\, and any evidence of tobacco advertising or promotional materials. Standardized inspection tools were used to ensure consistency\, transparency\, and accountability throughout the process. \nAs a result\, 18 establishments were issued written warnings for non-compliance\, accompanied by on-site corrective guidance. The findings indicate a moderate level of compliance\, highlighting the need for continued monitoring and enforcement to achieve full regulatory adherence. \nThe activity also contributed to increased awareness among business owners and staff regarding tobacco control regulations. In several cases\, immediate corrective actions were observed\, including the removal of ashtrays and commitments to enforce smoke-free rules within premises. Strengthened collaboration between MCDO and AAFDA was also noted as a key outcome of the joint implementation. \nHowever\, the exercise also revealed several operational challenges\, including restrictions on paper-based enforcement tools due to ongoing smart city transitions\, absence of responsible managers during inspections\, and information leakage between establishments\, which affected the element of surprise in enforcement activities. \nMoving forward\, the program will focus on follow-up inspections\, improved coordination mechanisms\, and the introduction of digital inspection tools aligned with the smart city system. Strengthening accountability and ensuring the presence of responsible personnel during inspections will also be prioritized. \nThese efforts are expected to further enhance enforcement effectiveness and contribute to the broader goal of achieving a smoke-free Addis Ababa through sustained compliance with SFE and TAPS regulations.
URL:https://meqoamia.org/event/targeted-daytime-inspections-conducted-in-kolfe-keranio-sub-city-to-strengthen-tobacco-control-enforcement-2/
LOCATION:Kolfi Keraniyo Sub city
CATEGORIES:Addis Ababa Tobacco Smoke-free Initiative (AATSFI),Drug Demand Reduction,Drug Prevention,Inspection,Tobacco
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://meqoamia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Kolfe-Keranio-Sub-City-to-Strengthen-Tobacco-Control-Enforcement.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260312T080000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260313T170000
DTSTAMP:20260429T231810
CREATED:20260418T181930Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260418T181930Z
UID:5253-1773302400-1773421200@meqoamia.org
SUMMARY:Targeted Daytime Inspections Conducted in Kolfe Keranio Sub-City to Strengthen Tobacco Control Enforcement
DESCRIPTION:March 12–13\, 2026 | Kolfe Keranio Sub-City\, Addis Ababa \nTargeted daytime inspections were successfully conducted in Kolfe Keranio Sub-City as part of Strategy 3.1 under the Addis Ababa Smoke-Free Initiative (AASFI). The activity aimed to strengthen systematic inspection and enforcement mechanisms to achieve at least 90% compliance with Smoke-Free Environment (SFE) and Tobacco Advertising\, Promotion\, and Sponsorship (TAPS) regulations. \nThe inspections were jointly implemented by Meqoamia Community Development Organization (MCDO) and the Addis Ababa Food and Drug Authority (AAFDA)\, Kolfe Keranio Branch\, in line with the Food and Medicine Administration Proclamation No. 1112/2019. \nA total of 36 public-serving establishments\, including restaurants and cafés\, were inspected. The exercise focused on assessing compliance with smoke-free regulations\, including the presence of active smoking\, visibility of “No Smoking” signage\, and any evidence of tobacco advertising or promotional materials. Standardized inspection tools were used to ensure consistency\, transparency\, and accountability throughout the process. \nAs a result\, 18 establishments were issued written warnings for non-compliance\, accompanied by on-site corrective guidance. The findings indicate a moderate level of compliance\, highlighting the need for continued monitoring and enforcement to achieve full regulatory adherence. \nThe activity also contributed to increased awareness among business owners and staff regarding tobacco control regulations. In several cases\, immediate corrective actions were observed\, including the removal of ashtrays and commitments to enforce smoke-free rules within premises. Strengthened collaboration between MCDO and AAFDA was also noted as a key outcome of the joint implementation. \nHowever\, the exercise also revealed several operational challenges\, including restrictions on paper-based enforcement tools due to ongoing smart city transitions\, absence of responsible managers during inspections\, and information leakage between establishments\, which affected the element of surprise in enforcement activities. \nMoving forward\, the program will focus on follow-up inspections\, improved coordination mechanisms\, and the introduction of digital inspection tools aligned with the smart city system. Strengthening accountability and ensuring the presence of responsible personnel during inspections will also be prioritized. \nThese efforts are expected to further enhance enforcement effectiveness and contribute to the broader goal of achieving a smoke-free Addis Ababa through sustained compliance with SFE and TAPS regulations.
URL:https://meqoamia.org/event/targeted-daytime-inspections-conducted-in-kolfe-keranio-sub-city-to-strengthen-tobacco-control-enforcement/
CATEGORIES:Addiction,Addiction Recovery,Addis Ababa Tobacco Smoke-free Initiative (AATSFI),Advocacy,Drug Demand Reduction,Drug Prevention,Ethiopia Tobacco smoke free imitative,Inspection,Tobacco
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://meqoamia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Kolfe-Keranio-Sub-City-to-Strengthen-Tobacco-Control-Enforcement.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260331
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260401
DTSTAMP:20260429T231810
CREATED:20260408T152458Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260408T152458Z
UID:5183-1774915200-1775001599@meqoamia.org
SUMMARY:UBAACM Movement Launched at Hawassa University: "Healthy Mind = Education Quality = Sustainable Success''
DESCRIPTION:On March 31\, 2026\, we held an extraordinary and historic consultative and training forum at Hawassa University. The ‘University-Based Anti-Addiction Community Movement’ (UBAACM – 2018/2026) has officially been launched\, with a significant number of students and members of the university community in attendance. \n“Meqoamia – The Science of Addiction” Training\nThe lead trainer for the event was Mr. Elias Kalayu\, Executive Director of MCDO  \, Recovery coach\, DDR Advocate and Author. Elias provided in-depth training based on his widely acclaimed book\, “Meqoamia – The Science of Addiction” (4th Edition). \nThe training focused on key pillars: \n\nHealthy Mind: The scientific nature of addiction and its impact on the brain.\nEducation Quality: The vital role of drug-free students in maintaining high educational standards.\nSustainable Success: How to navigate a successful life journey by preventing addiction.\n\nObjectives of the Movement\nInitiated and coordinated by MCDO\, the 2018/2026 UBAACM movement aims to prevent drug abuse among university students\, raise awareness\, and build capacity through skill-based interventions. \nThe level of student participation and their readiness for change during the event was highly encouraging for the movement’s future. The motto “Healthy Mind = Education Quality = Sustainable Success” was embraced by all participants as a shared vision. \nFinally\, on behalf of MCDO\, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to the Hawassa University administration and all participating students for making this program a success. \nMCDO -Meqoamia Community Development Organization March 31\, 2026
URL:https://meqoamia.org/event/ubaacm-movement-launched-at-hawassa-university-healthy-mind-education-quality-sustainable-success/
LOCATION:Hawassa University
CATEGORIES:Addiction,Addiction Recovery,Drug Demand Reduction,University Based Anti Addiction Community Movement
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://meqoamia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/photo_2026-04-08_17-48-26.jpg
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