Needless to mention, ethio-telecom is unreservedly running multifarious activities to transform Ethiopia. As the case of its commitment to launch high-tech and digital inclusion, it recently organized a trip to South-South western region of this beloved nation.
On the morning of journey’s first day, a crew of Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) journalists started trekking towards Bole International Airport from their respective residents and gathered there with a view to covering the launching ceremony organized by ethio-telecom to officially introduce its 4GLTE service in South-South western region of Ethiopia at Wolayita Sodo town.
After a while, we had finished being checked at check point and the person who was in charge of supervising scenes directed us to be on board in the plane with a 155-flight number waiting for passengers. Turn by turn, all passengers got into the airplane keeping the appropriate seat numbers and started setting our respective seat belts.
Instantly, one of the two hostesses in the airplane began presenting a welcoming speech to passengers and provided us with precaution measures identifying what is permitted to act up on and what is prohibited during the flight. She underlined two phases of flight: the first phase flight takes 30 minutes and the second phase is 31 munities. After that the entrance to the plane closed.
By the way, that instance was my first time to use airplane. That was why I was quite keen and eager to react and identify each and every thing happened in the fight. I was strange not only for the plane fight but also a tour to Arba Minch was the first for me. The flight began at an instance and we started flying through the sky encircled under the circumference of 18,000 feet altitude.
Having been seated in a streamlined position in the plane, I started gazing at down to earth through a small oval shape window of the airplane. Words really became scarce to express what a splendid landscape winning my confidence! Yes, the topography of Addis Ababa city was in my heart and head, indeed. Besides, all the scenes of the countryside located between Addis Ababa city and Hawassa are of in a catchy mode.
I have seen the land covered by green scenario, spectacular forest lands at the river banks and large hectares of post-harvested locations. I was in a living air as I observed clouds moving in the sky. What I observed through the narrow window of the airplane has left me with a life-time memory of flying high.
After 30 minutes flight, we began hovering over the horizon of the sky of Southern Nations Nationalities and People’s Regional State’s capital, Hawassa, established at the vicinity of Lake-Hawassa, which holds the concept and shares a similar nomenclature.
Everything I saw from top view was pretty greener and very attractive lawn incorporating huge amount of evaporation rising from water bodies of the region so as to create cloud, which has potentially given an astounding beauty to the city of Hawassa.
When the plane came down from a high altitude, every movement around the lake became lucidly portrayed such as small boats on the lake, a variety of birds flying around the lake, flock of birds feeding fishes granted out of the lake, some others swimming, a number of people paying trek around beaches and other related fascinating sites. Now, flight is over and the plane landed safely at Hawassa airport. Here came the hostess again and instructed us all to stay in the plane until passengers from Hawassa got into and occupy the seats freed as soon as we have arrived at the airport.
Few minutes later, we commenced second phase flight to Arba Minch which takes 31 minutes from Hawassa Airport. In this section of the journey, I observed a land graciously own a majestic look as green as a state farm bedecked with lime wheat, condensed cloud spotted between the green scene and partially clean sky. The 31 minutes is consumed now. A third informative discourse follows. A usual person came closer to us to inform, guess who? The hostess.
She told us it is Arba Minch and saluted us all for using the Ethiopian. Turning my neck in the twinkling of an eye, I saw large blue and white-water bodies namely Abaya and Chamo Lakes stretching along the ecosystems of Arba Minch.
The blue one is Abbaya Lake and the white one is Chamo Lake. I felt proud of it. Another thing here I have observed is a massive hectares of lands covered by green forest and two colors of both lakes together have provided the environment with trice vision. Really, I felt proud of natural phenomena of volcanic landscape surrounding Arba Minch city. The hostess announced our arrival and extended gratitude to us in the end, and we left the airplane.
Follow me, we are at Arba Minch and started tripping to Sodo town crossing the park, Nechsar Park.
Everything was new for me. I am strange for Arba Minch environment. The crew and I went to Paradise Hotel for tea break. After a while, we were invited to visit part of national park lying on the boarder of Abaya and Chamo lakes.
A member of Arba Minch Tour guide association, Tariku Tolera elucidated about when Arba Minch was established. He said it was established in 1955. Arba Minch is very rich in underground water resources.
“Depending on a myth, our forefathers have nominated it ‘Arba Minch.’ Literary it means forty streams of water,” he said.
Abaya and Chamo lakes had magnetized my attention as they are fabulous scenes of the town of Arba Minch. Abaya Lake is blue by its color as a result of the red soil carried from the highlands and dumped into it. Because of the leaching soil enters in to this lake, the lives of Crocodiles is highly dependent on its existence. Struggle for survive makes crocodiles anxious. It has possessed 1,160 square kilometers area coverage.
Tariku further put across that Chamo is a lake lays on 551 square kilometers area. It is a white-colored accompanied with clean water and crocodiles there are tranquil ones. In general, 56 types of fish are found in both lakes.
Another natural resource is a certain park around, which is part of the Nechsar National Park, sketches on the side of Arba Minch’s town. Of the total area of 514 square kilometers, 85 percent is land and 15 percent is water body. Following Tariku’s guide, the crew entered deep into the center of the park on foot. I have seen aged long trees, birds, butterflies, naturally formed pool, initial point of clean emerging underground water comes out of three lines through pipelines.
In the park, there is one amazing creature. There are two different trees cursive with varied branches and stems erecting together as one tree. Both stems are different but their branches share the same minerals. While Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed paid a visit to this park, he was proud of and astonished how two different trees shared same minerals through interlinked physical body. And he designated these trees/a tree as a ‘synergy tree’ following his being astonished on how they are created glued. Since that day these trees have been named ‘synergy tree.’ At the end of park visit, we went to Wolayita Sodo town to attend the launching ceremony of 4GLTE technology service.
Launching the project, Ethio-telecom CEO, Frehiwot Tamiru said that the company intends to execute a three year strategy for the successful achievement of its projects. The ultimate goal of Ethio-telecom is improving customer experiences; buttressing finance capacity, bridging usage and infrastructure gaps, fostering digital literacy, and creating affordable devices and digital inclusion thereby attaining 4GLTE technology in Ethiopian for further enhancements of socio-economic and political activities.
According to Frehiwot, the launching of 4GLTE technologies in south west region of Ethiopia in six towns namely Welkite, Wolayita Sodo, Jinka, Arba Minch, Hosaena and Butajira is the result of improving the financial capacity of the Company. Three years ago, the average revenue forex of the company per month was 5 million USD, but at present it hits 16 million USD per month. In terms of digital inclusion, a wide gap of ICT access and usage can be bridged and get the community benefited out of daily socio-economic activities.
In sum, the Company has been looking forward to launching 4GLTE technologies in 103 towns throughout Ethiopia. “Wolayita Sodo’s launching ceremony was one of our footsteps to address all the target sites. Following this 4GLTE expansion in south west region, the company has reached 641 mobile sites. From 641 sites 67 sites are users of 4GLTE. After successful achievement of this project costumer of Ethio-telecom Company in south west region hits 610 thousand,” Frehiwot said.
Wolayita Zone Chief administrator, Indriyas Geta (PhD) on his part stated that inclusion of digital 4GLTE technology will make them beneficiary and pave the way to make life easy.
Ultimately, Dr. Indriyas extended his appreciation and thanked Ethio-telcom Company on his behalf and that of Wolayita Sodo community.
BY GEMECHU KEDIR
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD JUNE 3/2021
