On Friday, October 18, 2024, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch Polytechnic Satellite Institute, and Alliance College signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Centre for Frugal Innovation (ICFI) to collaborate extensively on promoting frugal innovation among students and local entrepreneurs in Arba Minch. This agreement will foster opportunities for ICFI students and Arba Minch entrepreneurs to consult and learn from each other, with frugal innovations being showcased to international audiences.
The MoU was signed by Dr. Damtew Darza, President of Arba Minch University; Ato Fasil Solomon, Dean of Alliance College; Ato Workneh Hailemichael, Deputy Dean of Arba Minch Polytechnic and Satellite Institute; and Professor Peter Knorringa, Director of the International Centre for Frugal Innovation and Professor of Private Sector & Development at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) at Erasmus University.
The Launch
Frugal innovations have long been practiced in Arba Minch, though they have not been recognized as such until now. By integrating frugal innovation principles into curricula and training programs, the partnership aims to boost the local economy and enhance the resilience of (future) entrepreneurs.
As part of the launch, Drs. Albert Kraaij from ICFI and Geertje Dingemanse-de Wit, director of Alliance College’s Business Incubation Centre, adapted Dutch training materials for Arba Minch’s context. They led a five-day training focused on agriculture, food, and food entrepreneurship with 24 entrepreneurs, who presented 15 frugal innovations. A jury selected the educational handicraft tour by Jano Handicraft as the most innovative and viable project. Albert and Geertje will monitor the participants to evaluate the implementation of their innovations and identify barriers, using design science methods to improve future training sessions.
Frugal Talks: Arba Minch x The Hague
On October 22, 2024, Café Frugalité hosted the 'Frugality and Food Systems' Frugal Talk, bringing together students from Arba Minch University and Alliance College in Ethiopia, alongside Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Universities students in the Netherlands. This global classroom event explored innovative and sustainable approaches to food production, preparation, and processing in both Western Europe and Ethiopia.
The session addressed key questions on frugality in food systems, such as how to utilize waste in food production and strategies for making food affordable in times of inflation. Two frugal food cases were presented: a mushroom cultivation project using coconut waste and a local community initiative minimizing food costs. Alliance College’s Sustainable Community Feeding Program showcased how local initiatives can combat food insecurity, even with limited resources, by feeding street children in Ethiopia. From the Netherlands, the KEPT Farms Initiative demonstrated sustainable farming practices that optimize resource use while reducing environmental impact.
This Global Classroom setting fostered insights on sustainable, frugal food solutions and set the stage for future collaborations, providing opportunities for students to learn, innovate, and contribute to more equitable and sustainable food systems.
