Bishoftu: The World Health Organization Ethiopia's External Relations team, in partnership with the WHO Africa Regional Office External Relations team, successfully trained 49 WHO Ethiopia staff on fundraising, donor engagement, and reporting. The three-day training, which took place from November 27th to 29th, 2023, equipped staff with the knowledge and necessary skills to boost resource mobilization efforts. 

Resource mobilization is crucial for obtaining new or additional resources to support an organization's planned activities. It involves maximizing the use of existing resources, identifying new donors, and properly communicating and reporting on the organization’s achievements. A resource mobilization plan helps organizations anticipate future funding shortages and new opportunities to ensure long-term sustainability.

WHO Ethiopia's technical staff learned from best practices and digital tools to understand the donor landscape, engage stakeholders effectively, and develop high-quality funding proposals. The training consisted of a combination of face-to-face sessions, workgroups, simulation, and digital exercises to familiarize trainees with WHO Resource Mobilization platforms. “Resource Mobilization training was very needful and beneficial for the team; it is rare for such training to be organized for staff from various departments; it is paramount that everyone is involved in Resource Mobilization as it is innovative and critical for the organizations' growth.” Michael Avwerhota, Emergency, Preparedness and Response (EPR) Flagship Program coordinator. 

WHO's operational and technical support requires continuous, predictable, and sustainable resource mobilization to ensure that those in need have access to health care. Equipping staff with fundraising skills is essential to ensure the long-term sustainability of WHO's operations, especially in countries facing significant public health challenges that require immediate emergency response. WHO Ethiopia is committed to ensuring that its workforce has the capacity and skills to mobilize resources effectively. The successful outcome of the training session will undoubtedly contribute to the successful implementation of WHO's mandate in Ethiopia.