Aid minister Priti Patel pulls plug on UK taxpayer cash for Ethiopian ‘Spice Girls’ Yegna after £5.2m ‘grant’ was exposed
International Development Secretary Priti Patel reviewed foreign aid spending after criticism over handing girl group £5.2 million grant to develop “media platform”
AID boss Priti Patel last night pulled the plug on funding for an Ethiopian pop group dubbed the “African Spice Girls.”
Following a chorus of outcry, DFID announced five-member band Yegna will receive no more money from the British taxpayer.
The band was billed as a “multi-platform culture brand inspiring positive behaviour change for girls in Ethiopia”.
But there was outrage at the vast sums of money being donated to them from Britain’s massive international aid budget.
Last night Tory MPs called the u-turn a “great victory for common sense.”
Nigel Evans heaped praise on Priti Patel for “reviewing daft spending.”
He added: “It is fantastic news that this money will now be diverted from vanity projects to saving lives.”
Five-member band Yegna were receiving the cash to develop their “media platform” including a radio drama — three years after provoking outrage when they won a £4million aid payout.
Each Yenga band member has a nickname similar to the Spice Girls.
Teref Kassahun plays the spoiled brat, Lemlem Hailemicheal is a tomboy, Zebiba Girma is dubbed the mysterious character, Eyerusalem Kelemework, is a genius and Rahel Getu is the dependable one.
Lyrics to one of their songs, This House, include: “Women are sisters, women are mothers, women are wives. Let’s respect them. Tell that guy to respect girls and we will respect him.”
Last year the Independent Commission on Aid Impact warned ministers to halt the Girl Hub project over fears it was not working.
She said UK aid in Ethiopia was “combating forced child marriage, violence, teen pregnancies”.
But she hinted the project could be looked at again, adding: “We are doing a range of work there. That is just one programme, one project.”
The money was part of a £16 million sum being paid to the UK-funded project Girl Hub over three years, which aims to “change how girls are valued and perceived” in the African country.
Last night a Dfid spokesman said: “Empowering women and girls around the world remains a priority, but we judge there are more effective ways to invest UK aid and to deliver even better results for the world’s poorest and value for taxpayers’ money.”
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A statement on the Girl Effect website said: “As the UK’s Department of International Development today advised us of the conclusion of its work with Girl Effect, we would like to highlight the impact of Yegna on millions of people in Ethiopia and the new knowledge we have gained through our work together.”