Addis Ababa Opens 28th Tesfa Birhan Feeding Centre With Dashen Bank Support

Mintesinot Niggusie

The Addis Ababa City Administration has opened its 28th Tesfa Birhan feeding centre, expanding a city-backed welfare programme aimed at supporting vulnerable residents amid rising urban living costs.

The new facility, located in the Lideta sub-city, was built with financial support from Dashen Bank under the bank’s corporate social responsibility programme and was inaugurated by Addis Ababa Mayor Adanech Abiebie.

Speaking during the inauguration ceremony, the mayor said the capital’s development agenda extended beyond infrastructure and urban corridor projects to include social welfare programmes designed to improve access to essential services for disadvantaged residents.

She said the newly opened facility would increase the accessibility and service capacity of the Tesfa Birhan programme, particularly for elderly citizens and people without family support or stable sources of income.

The Tesfa Birhan feeding centre initiative has expanded steadily across Addis Ababa since its launch in 2021, with centres established in multiple sub-cities to provide free daily meals and related support services for low-income residents, elderly people and vulnerable groups.

City authorities have increasingly relied on partnerships with private companies and public institutions to finance the programme. Previous centres were supported by organisations including Ethiopian Airlines, the Ethiopian Customs Commission and Ayat Share Company.

The expansion of feeding centres comes as Addis Ababa’s administration pushes ahead with community-focused programmes alongside large-scale urban redevelopment projects.