Naturally, people, organizations or entities are given awards with a view to acknowledging their outstanding achievements, contributions and excellence in a particular movement in which they have been engaging.
No doubt, awards serve as a formal byline of hard work and dedication, and they can provide the awardee with motivation and recognition, besides for the purpose of inspiring others to follow suit. These awards can also be presented in a form of public recognition thereby enhancing the addressee’scandor, reputation, majesty, among others.
Cognizant of this fact, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed bestowed upon Bill Gates the Ethiopia Special Order — the highest honor bestowed by the Ethiopian state a day before yesterday.
As loudly pronounced by the Office of the Prime Minister, this prestigious recognition celebrates the profound and enduring impact of the Gates Foundation’s transformative work over the past 25 years in Ethiopia.
True, the Gates Foundation, a non-operating private foundation, has a significant presence in Ethiopia, focusing on various development areas. The Foundation’s work in Ethiopia is highlighted through partnerships with the government. The Foundation’s efforts in Ethiopia are recognized with Bill Gates receiving the Ethiopia Special Order.
Foundation’s efforts in healthcare, agriculture, innovation, not limited to, have been highlighted, along with its strong, respectful partnership with Ethiopia.
By awarding the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Ethiopia hopes that is can be motivated to continue to make progress, in social, economic, academic, and even political sphere. It is to show appreciation to it for the hard work it has put in and the contribution it has made. Yes, the highest honor acts as a way to boast to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s achievements, to be motivated to improve its work or even a milestone in its life.
As its practical and concrete moves would have it, the Foundation supports a range of programs that work to improve health, boost nutrition, intensify gender equality; disease prevention, treatment, and research; water, sanitation, and hygiene; agriculture; and financial services for the poor in various parts of Ethiopia.
Sure, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation deserve the award, and it would help reiterate commitment to supporting Ethiopia’s government in expanding developmental undertakings at all levels of socio-economic trajectories. The Ethiopian government in turn expressed commitment to open doors for the foundation to explore ways so as to further reinforce the existing partnership, support and meaningful involvement and expand the best practices to reach out the unreached. The foundation has also reaffirmed its commitment to support the government in its drive to expand myriads of engagements to make a difference.
Interestingly, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been working closely with Ministry of Agriculture and Agricultural Transformation Agency and several other partners, has brought about numerous meaningful deeds.
It is also well recognized that the foundation’s agriculture team has been working across a whole spectrum of activities from upstream research development for crops and livestock all the way down to reaching the farmers and pastoralists with digital services and advisory.
If conditions are made inviting, there can be opportunities where the foundation can help intensify a range of activities thereby supporting the effort of the government geared towards providing citizens with a better living condition and creating livable scenarios.
In a nutshell, such an encouraging step is instrumental in initiating and driving goal directed behavior as award undeniably induces and boosts individual buoyancy, increases engagement and fuels productivity. This in turn creates an inspiriting attitude to go higher and to do more in order to achieve greater success, and to ultimately meet objectives. What has been done regarding the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation can be an exemplary path for change and a viable means for encouraging others to follow suit.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 3 JUNE 2025
