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Japanese Workplace Philosophy Kaizen Being Used In Ethiopia

Japanese Workplace Philosophy Kaizen Being Used In Ethiopia

From BBC News

“Sorting, setting in order, shining, standardizing, sustaining,” proclaims a handwritten poster stuck to the wall of a shed where women gather twice a week to make craft items in the village of Faniekir.

Kaizen, the workplace philosophy that helped guide Japan’s recovery from the ruins of defeat in World War Two, has reached the rural uplands of southern Ethiopia.

Simple principles of tidiness and self-discipline are among the foundations of an approach that so impressed the late prime minister Meles Zenawi that he adopted it as national strategy.

Now it is helping women in southern highland villages develop businesses to supplement their farming work.

“We’ve got social recognition. Since we organized this, farmers come and sell to us and local government administrators respect us,” says Amelewerk Haile, who chairs the Faniekir women’s craft group.

“As women we cover many domestic expenses, plus we get more recognition from our husbands because we have got more skills.”

Mr Zenawi learned of kaizen at a 2008 Tokyo conference on African development – and its themes now feature in numerous Ethiopian projects supported by Japanese aid.

Written by Paul Melly/Read more at BBC News