The Africa Regional Coordinator is located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and has partnered with the Africa Disability Alliance (ADA). Formerly known as Secretariat of the African Decade of Persons with Disabilites (SADPD), the ADA is a technical agency that has created a credible niche in disability programming and policy implementation processes by working in partnership with the African Union (AU), governments, Civil Society and

Continental/Regional and National Disabled People’s Organizations (DPOs) in Africa. The ADA has also worked with academic instituations and researchers in the field of disability knowledge generation and management. The ADA is headquartered in Pretoria, South Africa, and has offices in Dakar, Senegal, and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Meet the Africa Regional Centre Officer: Dagnachew B. Wakene

Dagnachew Wakene: Based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Dagnachew (‘Dag’) B. Wakene has his first degree in Law (LL.B) from the Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia; and his second degree is a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) majoring in Rehabilitation, Disability and Development, which he completed at Stellenbosch University in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Dagnachew has been working in the past ten years as a researcher, educator, projects coordinator and advocate locally, regionally and internationally with a particular focus on Inclusive Development, Human Rights and Law. While doing his Masters studies, he severed as a Research Associate in an inter-regional, multi-partnership research initiative known as the African Policy on Disability and Development (APODD) – jointly led by the Centre for Rehabilitation Studies (CRS) at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, and the Trinity College Dublin (TCD) of Ireland. Since 2011, he has been working as a Researcher at World ENABLED – a non-profit initiative created by persons with disabilities and based in Berkeley, California. Over the past two years, Dagnachew has actively been involved as a Campaign Associate in the ‘Post-2015 Development Agenda’ deliberations representing the disability cause and his continent at various regional and global fora, including the Conference of State Parties (CoSP) to the UNCRPD and the High Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, among others. He is also serving as a Board Member at the African Disability Alliance. Dagnachew is a Polio survivor.  His writings and other contributions on different topics related to disability can be accessed online.

Contact Information

Dagnachew B. Wakene (Regional Officer)

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel: +251.911.133.659
Email: dbwakene@gmail.com
Skype: dagnachewwakene