Grant contract signed for school expansion in Afar State
ADDIS ABABA – A project agreement that targets teachers of Horn of Africa and Sahel countries was signed between UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (UNESCOIICBA) and Japan here in Addis yesterday. The agreed project is worth 500 thousand USD, and it aims to continue build peace and resilience in the minds’ of teachers in Africa, of which Ethiopia is part of.
Signing the agreement, Japan’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Daisuke Matsunaga said that peace-building is very important for the peace and stability of Horn of Africa, and the whole continent, and the reason why Japan supports the project. The project is about sowing the seeds of peace, reconciliation and tolerance in the hearts of young people; so, it is a very long term project.
“We have witnessed a very positive development in the region, where, for instance, the new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed initiated reconciliation with Eritrea,” he added. Moreover, the Ambassador stated that the hope and aspirations of the program is to help African people become wiser not to be exploited by other people with their own agenda, by teaching them from Japan’s own experience.
Dr. Yuniko Yokozeki, Director of ICCBI, for her part said that the project is a continuation of the past two years to consolidate the efforts to implement teacher training and development for peace-building in the Horn and Sahel countries.
Stating that concrete results have been gained in the Horn, where the Institute’s involvement with the AU became stronger, Dr. Yokozeki stated that they have trained 6500 thousand teachers in six countries of the Horn, where 1000 teachers were from Ethiopia. On the occasion, the Director recommended countries [part of the program and outside the program] to start compulsory courses in peace studies, saying that it is very important for every students to take up peace studies.
Mentioning that Mogadishu University has stated peace studies program for first year students, she called upon universities in Ethiopia to follow in the university’s footsteps and open up peace studies in their curricula. Meanwhile, a grant contract signing ceremony for the construction of school blocks for Awash Primary School in Awash Fentale Woreda, Afar State was held on the same day.
This grant contract for 89,280 USD was signed between the Embassy of Japan and the Awash Sebat Kilo Town Administration Education Office through the Japanese Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP).
Ambassador Daisuke Matsunaga, in his message, mentioned that over 400 projects have been implemented in different regions of the country since GGP was its introduction. Under the project, two school buildings which contain eight classrooms will be constructed.
Herald March 6/2019
BY ROBEL YOHANNES
