COMPILED BY YOHANES JEMANEH
It was on 7 August 2020 that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed handed over a cheque with an amount of 110.7 million Birr to First Lady Zinash Tayachew for the construction of schools in various parts of the country where communities are experiencing a challenge regarding access to education.
The money is reported to be the first installment amount collected from the sale of the Amharic and Afaan Oromo versions of Premier’s book titled Medemer. Making remarks during the handover ceremony, Prime Minister Abiy said, “We will not only make promises but we also execute accordingly and thus feel extremely happy.”
Most projects that Office of the First Lady have been running with an outlay of over 716 million Birr. Four secondary schools and Kuskuam Children’s Village, whose cornerstones were laid by First Lady last October and February respectively will reach final stages of construction shortly. Her Office has been running the construction of over twenty secondary schools, and a boarding school to persons with visual impairment, Kuskuam Children’s Village while it is rehabilitating Sebeta School for the Blind.
Although the fund from the sale of the Premier’s book is not enough to accomplish the projects, the First Lady is mobilizing resources working with various local and international partners including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The schools are under construction across the nine states of the country and the construction of 16 schools will be finalized between [February and March]. It was reported that the schools’ will help tackle challenges students have been facing trekking long distances to access secondary schools in remote rural areas, which also contributes a lot in averting school dropouts.
The boarding school, under construction in Akali-Kaliti sub-city of Addis Ababa, will be ready for service in two years’ time. The construction of the schools has been undertaken in concert with states’ education bureaus and other partnering organizations.
Accomplishing these timeless and priceless projects, the First Lady has facilitated chances to students to get access to education in nearby places and save time students exert to arrive at school tired and worn out. Now they could attend their lessons properly.
This is a notable gesture to outreach many in remote areas with education opportunities, essential to shape one’s fate. This allows this generation and those in the pipeline to be gear changers in the overall progress of the country.
It as well helps to forestall the attrition of students from schools specially girl students that face more challenges such as abduction. Pursuant of further education, pining their parents, many provincial lads and lasses were forced to shelter at distant relatives carrying consignments.
The projects executed as per schedule in an exemplary manner in all corners of the country also help to see to across the board development.
A school constructed and inaugurated by First Lady Zinash Tayachew in Afar State Therefore, the First Lady has won the hearts of many Ethiopian parents for making easy the process of attending education. Accordingly, the First Lady has been receiving heartwarming praises and rewards in each respective states up on inaugurating schools
In fact, budgeting 13.8 million birr to construct a single school is challenging to secure the finance. It needs also a strong commitment and concerted effort among stakeholders to achieve these projects shortly. However, it is indispensable that the projects will have an immense role and rewarding result to the country that will have about 200 million population in the next two decades. Therefore, concerted efforts have to be continued among stakeholders to finalize the rest of the schools to realize the plan to nurture educated generation that will enable the nation to get out of poverty.
These days, the First Lady is inaugurating the projects. Accordingly, among the 20 schools planned to be constructed in the nine states, she has launched 13 of them in Afar, Amhara, Beninshangul Gumuz, Gambella, Jjigjiga, Oromia, SNNPs and Somali states, it was learnt.
The Ethiopian Herald February 3/2021
