Financial Problem Threatens Center's Closure

Addis Ababa, June 28, 2001 (WIC)- Founder and General Manager of Adaptive Technology

Center that provided information technology access to visually impaired people said serious

financial problems had threatened the Center's sustainability to offer training.

Ato Tamru Ewnetu who is blind himself and Canadian educated Ethiopian told WIC the center

would totally be incapacitated unless government aid agencies and the private sector

extended their helping hands to strengthen its shaky financial position.

According to Tamiru the centre which was offering computer training to some 10 blind

students was established with 98,000 and 25,000 birr financial assistance from the Canadian

Embassy here and Ethiopian Science and Technology Commission respectively. He said he

himself had offered some 130,000 birr and expertise to establish the center.

He said the Center was offering Internet and Email access to blind people through speech

sensitizer.

The establishment of the center which is the first of its kind in Africa could be a Center to

train blind people of the continent if the serious financial problems were solved.

Tamiru called on individuals donor agencies and companies in developed countries to provide

him with standard PCs they usually damp after few years of service.

"Developed countries thrown away used articles, including computers. If these computers

installed in Ethiopia my blind fellows could access information", he said.