Most aid of Africa centers on developmental projects and immediate relief; there are fewer practical efforts to promote business, trade links and commercial investment into the poorer countries. A substantial amount of current financial or development aid is a stopgap measure, alleviating short-term crises but doing little to address sustainable economic growth.

Connect Ethiopia’s proposal is to form and concentrate the links between one developed country in Europe and one in Africa.

“We believe the best way to help eradicate poverty in Ethiopia is for us to share our sophisticated western business skills, with Ethiopian business people, so that they themselves can create wealth and jobs for themselves. We also believe the Irish business community has the capacity to help one country - we can't save the world”

Philip Lee, Connect Ethiopia.