MCMDO and ATI Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Strengthen Collaboration Across Ethiopia
Mothers and Children Multisectoral Development Organization (MCMDO) and the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marking the beginning of a strategic partnership aimed at advancing agricultural transformation, nutrition, livelihoods, and community resilience across Ethiopia.
Signed on 4 June 2026 in Addis Ababa, the agreement establishes a framework for collaboration in capacity building, research, training, project implementation, community development, and knowledge sharing. The partnership brings together ATI’s national leadership in agricultural transformation and MCMDO’s extensive experience in humanitarian response, health, nutrition, livelihoods, resilience building, and community development.
The MoU reflects the shared commitment of both institutions to leverage their complementary strengths in support of Ethiopia’s development priorities. Through this partnership, ATI and MCMDO will collaborate on joint planning and implementation of development programs, capacity-building initiatives, research and knowledge management activities, resource mobilization, proposal development, and institutional strengthening efforts.
During the signing ceremony, representatives from both organizations discussed their respective areas of work and explored opportunities to create greater impact by linking agricultural transformation with improved nutrition, livelihoods, and community wellbeing.
ATI highlighted its growing interest in strengthening collaborations that connect agricultural development with broader resilience and community development outcomes. Speaking during the event, ATI Deputy Director General Dr. Firew Tegegne emphasized the importance of prioritizing women and children in development efforts.
“Mothers and children are at the center of every thriving community. Investing in their wellbeing, nutrition, and economic empowerment creates positive change that extends to entire households and future generations.”
Reflecting on the significance of the partnership, Dr. Solomon Getachew, Executive Director of MCMDO, described the agreement as an important milestone for both institutions.
“The signing of this MoU marks more than the beginning of a partnership; it represents the alignment of two institutions whose strengths complement one another in powerful ways. ATI’s national leadership in agricultural transformation and MCMDO’s deep-rooted experience in community development, humanitarian action, nutrition, and livelihoods create a unique opportunity to generate lasting impact at scale. Together, we can transform agricultural gains into healthier families, stronger livelihoods, and more resilient communities across Ethiopia. We believe this partnership has the potential to become a model for collaborative development in the country.”
MCMDO representatives also shared lessons learned from years of implementing nutrition-sensitive agriculture and community development programs across Ethiopia. During the discussion, the Development Programme Director of MCMDO, Nebiyu Ayalew highlighted findings from field interventions that revealed important links between Infant and young child feeding practices, household decision-making, and child nutrition outcomes.
“Our experience has shown that improving nutrition goes beyond increasing food production. We found that most of our intervention area families practiced as per the standard protocol. Through awareness creation and community engagement, we worked to promote healthier household consumption practices. We now look forward to scaling these successful approaches to reach more communities.”
The partnership will focus on strengthening agricultural value chains, improving food and nutrition security, supporting climate-smart and environmentally resilient agricultural practices, promoting knowledge exchange, and enhancing the resilience of vulnerable communities. It will also create opportunities for both organizations to jointly develop innovative solutions that improve household wellbeing while contributing to sustainable agricultural growth.
With ATI’s nationwide technical expertise and MCMDO’s extensive operational presence across multiple regions of Ethiopia, the collaboration is expected to expand opportunities for farmers, women, youth, and vulnerable households, while contributing to more inclusive and sustainable development outcomes.
The agreement underscores the shared vision of both institutions to build stronger communities, improve livelihoods, and create lasting positive change for current and future generations of Ethiopians.
