Young Experts in WaterWorX WOPs: YEP interview series – Ethiopia
“I enjoy what I currently do, and I understand better how my strength can play a role to improve the utilities in Ethiopia.”
Eyob Bekele started in the Young Expert Program 2020, working with VEI in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Under guidance of the WaterWorX WOP Programme, he develops personal and professional skills to take a major role in the development of an Excel based commercial dashboard from customer billing data. This helps structure Non-Revenue Water (NRW) monitoring, water meter calibration and replacement, and reduce commercial losses.
Eyob: “I am proud to be part of the WOP team and be instrumental to the water sector of my country.”
Within Addis Ababa Water and Sewerage Authority (AAWSA), Bekele assessed NRW commercial losses together with short-term experts from VEI, the Netherlands. He learns how to analyse raw billing data and transform it into an interactive dashboard that provides insights in the billing administration and helps prioritize interventions and actions to be undertaken. Supporting water and sanitation providers with management information that is useful to enhance their revenue collection is crucial for water operators to show good practices, interesting for external financiers to invest the expansion and rehabilitation of its infrastructure.
Eyob: “Eventually, I believe it will help the utility become a more data-driven organisation by systematic monitoring of their financial and operational performance.”
“With the chances given to me by WaterworX, I am excited and challenged to pursue my career path. I want to improve at all levels. This keeps me motivated. So far it is an incredible career journey filled with warmth, friendship, and support.”
“I enjoy what I currently do, and I understand better how my strength can play a role to improve the utilities in Ethiopia. Next year I intend to actively take part in the Community of Practice on Commercial Operations and share my experiences within peers from all over Africa.”
“I recommend young employees of water utilities to use the opportunities of Young Expert programmes.”
For more information: eyob.bekele@vei.nl
WaterWorX YEP interview series here
