Environmental Impact Study of Cement Factory using a Multi-Criteria Analysis: Evidence from Messebo Cement Factory, Ethiopia

Cement is a pillar to develop infrastructures in Ethiopia. At the same time, cement production affects the local environment and nearby communities. Therefore, this paper aims to analyse the local environmental impacts of the Messebo Cement Factory in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, and to identify the consequences of these impacts. A multi-criteria analysis and community perception survey were used. Primary data were collected through key informant interviews with three purposefully selected management bodies to identify the main impacts. A structured questionnaire on ten purposively selected external experts helped to estimate the weighting factors. Moreover, sixty employees, who were selected through clustered random sampling for scoring the identified impacts, and 120 randomly selected households, were investigated for the perception survey analysis. Moreover, the study used secondary data from supplementary documents to complement the primary data. The study shows that the preparation of raw material and coal, and clinker production at the factory are the major sources of environmental impacts. Additionally, most environmental impacts of the activities in the crushing and raw milling and coal and kiln processing units are substantial and affect the surrounding communities and local environment. The local communities suffer most from the dust particles of processing materials, noise, odour, heat lost and storm water. The study recommends that the factory introduce impact reduction and prevention programs. Such programs will improve the environmental quality of the surroundings and safeguard local inhabitants. Keywords: cement production, environmental impact analysis, impacts significant determination, environmental aspects, relative significance, Messebo cement factory and Ethiopia

Assessment of Factors Affecting Sales Volume: A Case Study of Mesfin Industrial Engineering PLC

This project paper entitled “Assessment of Factors Affecting Sales Volume: A Case Study of Mesfin industrial engineering PLC” has been formulated by five leading research questions. The objective of this study is to assess the internal and external environmental factors affecting sales volume of Mesfin Industrial Engineering PLC. Taking this view in to account, the internal factors like price, product quality, place, and promotion mix elements, level of inventory of MIE has been discussed. In addition to this, the external environmental factors like natural, economical, technological, political-legal ,and the nature of competition in the market have been assessed &described and also the way these factors are affecting the company has been described. Further more, the sales trend of the company and the type of promotion tools that company employ have been assessed. Finally, based on the findings, some suggestions on how to improve the existing situation have been forwarded. This study was conducted using the case study method in the form of descriptive research. To carry out this study both primary and secondary data have been used. For the theoretical foundation and analysis, the existing literatures were investigated. To collect the primary data from the customers of the company, questionnaire has been employed. In addition to this, an interview was conducted face-to-face and questions were asked according to the interview schedule. It was carried out in the form of discussion with the sales division manager and the general manager of the company. For the purpose of this study both qualitative and quantitative data were obtained. The quantitative data were analyzed using different types of descriptive statistics by applying Microsoft Excel where as qualitative data were analyzed qualitatively .The major findings that the researcher has come up with are poor delivery, no close proximity with suppliers of raw materials, no sales professionals, absence of adequate training to sales persons and higher price. Further more, the company employees advertising as a method of promotion tool where as sales promotion and public relation are not extensively used. Personal selling as a promotional tool is not well used and nothing has been done on this area. The company’s sales volume was fluctuating for the last eight years due to longer lead time, interruption of electric power, lack of order from customers and shortage of raw materials. Based on the findings of this study, the researcher has put valuable recommendations on what the company should do to improve its existing conditions and to play a great role in the metal manufacturing industry

Awareness of Breast Cancer and Its Early Detection Measures Among Female Students, Northern Ethiopia

Globally breast cancer is the most common of all cancers. Since risk reduction strategies cannot eliminate the majority of breast cancers, early detection remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control. This paper, therefore, attempts to assess the awareness of breast cancer and its early detection measures among female students in Mekelle University, Ethiopia. An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted on randomly selected female students. Multistage sampling technique was employed to select the participants. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was used. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 16. In this study, 760 students participated making a response rate of 96 percent. Respondents with good knowledge score for risk factors, early detections measures and warning signs of breast cancer were 1.4 percent, 3.6 percent and 22.1 percent respectively. The majority 477 (62.8 percent) of participants practiced self-breast examination. In conclusion the participants had poor knowledge of risk factors, early detection measures and early warning signs of breast cancer.Therefore, the Ministry of health of Ethiopia together with its stalk holders should strengthen providing IEC targeting women to increase their awareness about breast cancer and its early detection measure

The EPRDF and the Crisis of the Ethiopian State

Present day Ethiopia constitutes a multi-ethnic society where ethnic politics and ethnic mobilization had been the path to power and the pillars to maintain it, perceptibly since the Era of Princes (1769-1855). During that period, Ethiopia was parcelled or ‘decentralized’ in disorderly fashion among local princes, who drew support from their ethnic or sub-ethnic base. To this day, ethnic grounds have been the power base of Ethiopian political elites under various banners and forms. Ethiopia is now facing yet another experimental policy under the autocratic regime of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) whose core element is the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which set up an ethnic based federal government structure with a constitutional “right” for nationalities to secede. After a decade of trial, this experiment too does not at all appear to work and has instead sown the seeds of recurring conflicts that deeply wreck the state. Despite the unwarranted foreign policy guidelines pursued by the successive regimes, Ethiopian rulers never find it difficult to sustain the backing of one or the other foreign power – powers unscrupulously bent on their national or global interests. This relationship has left the Ethiopian state in perpetual crisis. Such relationship has even lead states like that of Somalia to disintegrate

Status of Patient Centered Care in Tigrai Regional State: Patients Perspective

Back ground- A lot has been done globally, continentally and at national level to improve health status of the community. Despite the increasing scope and sophistication of healthcare, the huge resources devoted to it and the focus on improvement; it is still failing at a fundamental level. Caring and compassion, the basics of care delivery, and the human aspects that define it seem to be under strain. Objective-To assess the Status of patient centered care in Tigrai Regional state: Patients Perspective Methodology-Cross-sectional study design was employed and the study participants were 1436 patients attending in the selected health facilities in Tigray health institutions. The study participants were selected proportionally from each health facility using systematic random sampling on discharge. Individualized Care Scale tool was used to assess patient’s perception and experience on patient centered care. Interviewer administered data collection technique was employed. Epi info 7 was used for data entry and analyzed by SPSS version 20 software. Tables, figures and text were used for data organization and presentation. Results-The mean age of the study participants was 38.3 (+15.2). Majority (63.1%) of the participants were married by marital status and 37.4% were with no formal education. Similar proportion of males and females (53.4 versus 55.7) had good experience towards caring, respectful and companionate health care practice. Besides, about 70% of participants who were self employed had poor experience and 76.3% farmers had good experience concerning patient centered care.Males and females had similar level of poor level of perception (42.3 versus 45.3) towards caring, respectful and compassionate health care practice. Similarly, those with age less than or equal to 37.8 and greater than 37.8 had similar level of good practice (57.8 versus 53.7); on the other hand those who are divorced by marital status, 63.2%  and 36.8% had good and poor practice respectively. Conclusion-In this study the perception of patients towards caring, respectful and compassionate health care practice was found to be good in 55% of respondents and poor in the rest 45% respondents. Similarly, patient experience towards CRC was assessed and found to be good experience and poor experience in 56% and 44% of the respondents respectively. Hence much should be done to improve the practice of CRC through policy & guideline development, continuous Training for all health professionals and Community awareness. Keywords: Compassionate,Respectful,Care,Tigray,Ethiopi