May 6, 2010
Werqu Mekasha, ACDI/VOCA Receive U.S. Co-ops' Highest Honor
Ethiopian is First International Inductee into U.S. Co-op Hall of Fame
The late Ato Werqu Mekasha of Ethiopia and ACDI/VOCA were honored last night with the U.S. cooperative community’s highest tribute: induction into the U.S. Cooperative Hall of Fame.
Werqu, who died last year, received the award posthumously for his lifelong commitment to using cooperative business methods to better the lives of his fellow Ethiopians, especially small farmers. He is perhaps best known for his work with Ethiopian coffee cooperatives like Sidamo and Yergacheffe, whose coffee beans now are traded worldwide and known for their high quality.
Co-ops Help Ethiopian Farmers Succeed
Though Mekasha’s extensive agricultural cooperative career preceded his ACDI/VOCA one, it was during his stint as ACDI/VOCA country director in Ethiopia from 1994 to 2006 that his cooperative work had the most visible success.
Mekasha grew our USAID-funded Farmer-to-Farmer program in Ethiopia from a few assignments to a large U.S. volunteer program and eventually transformed those volunteer activities into long-term agriculture development projects that reached an estimated 5 million Ethiopians.
Family, Dignitaries Help Celebrate Achievement
Mekasha’s widow Yemisratch (Yemi) Demmelash traveled from Ethiopia to Washington, D.C., to accept the award on his behalf. His children, Sossena Worku and Theodros Kassa, and son-in-law, Zewdu Dejene—who reside in the United States—also attended the ceremony.
From the Ethiopian community, former U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia David Shin and Counselor Fahmi Mawi of the Ethiopian Embassy also attended.
ACDI/VOCA volunteers Stan Mitchell and Don Renquist, who worked with Mekasha in Ethiopia; ACDI/VOCA Board Chair Mort Neufville; and ACDI/VOCA President Carl Leonard and other staff attended the event as well.
Pictured: Mekasha’s widow Yemisratch (Yemi) Demmelash stands with other award recipients at the U.S. Cooperative Hall of Fame event.
