There are many milestones Abebe Eshete – the long-term Mengistu Hailemariam era mayor of Dire Dawa – is proud of as he embraces old age.

Bekoji town, known for its Olympic gold medal winning athletes in Ethiopia, has played a pivotal role in athletics history that has dominated the world arena.

Since the start of the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) earlier this year, millions of people have been infected and forced into quarantine.

There is something quite extraordinary about the area known as Checheneya – not far from the once quite resident area turned a business district named, Bole in midst of the most desired part of the capital.

Welkete – three hours away from the capital inside the Gurage Zone, in the Southern Regional State is a booming town.

“These are hard times for many of us and we are barely pulling through,” a 63-year-old woman Almaz Tadesse said in a sobering voice echoed by many of her neighbors as she joined a line of people to collect perishable food inside the factory of Heineken in Kilinto.

Some are street kids trying to survive on the streets of the capital, but many are laid-off hotel and other workers who have hit a wall in the midst of the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic that has devastated the local economy.

With an Ethiopian population that is more than 70 percent youthful and with fast growing spending power, there is increasing fear that much of Ethiopia Would be prey to the growing influence of tobacco. This comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) highlights a growing phenomenon among a youthful smoking population making this year’s World No Tobacco Day a sombre moment.

An hour away from the City of Bishoftu known for its beach side scenery and still within the proximity of the capital, the City of Adama is a sizzling society of entrepreneurs.

In the village of Mesrake not far from the City of Debre Tsege, overshadowed by the monasteries of Debre Libanos not far away and a full-fledged hospital in the City of Fiche, the city’s lone public clinic has been busy with a growing interest from parents to vaccinate their young children.