Addis Ababa: Members of the second generation Ethiopian Diaspora have pledged to contribute to development beyond knowing the culture and history of their country.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed held yesterday an Iftar program for the second generation members of the diaspora currently in Ethiopia.
Members of the second generation diaspora who were born in different Arab countries and also others that came to spend Ramadan at home participated in the Iftar program.
Members of diaspora approached by the Ethiopian News Agency stated that the Iftar program showed the solidarity of Ethiopians.
They added that they have realized the rapid development of Ethiopia beyond knowing the history and culture of their country.
Abdela Ibrahim from Saudi Arabia said that the Iftar program gave him the opportunity to get to know members of the second generation Ethiopian diaspora from different parts of the world.
According to him, since most of the development works in Ethiopia take the youth into consideration members of t
he second generation should actively participate in development.
Hanan Awol, who was born and raised in Saudi Arabia but now settled in Ethiopia, stated that the development works being carried out in Ethiopia transcend the present generation and are focused on the future.
Therefore, it is necessary to cooperate in the works underway in order to change the country, she noted.
Saladin Abdu, who came from Canada to spend the fasting month of Ramadan, said that he was able to realize the disparity between the misinformation spread on social media and the reality on the ground.
He advised members of the second generation diaspora living in different countries to come and see the current changes in the country.
Faris Ali, who was born and raised in Yemen, said Ethiopia has business and tourism potential suitable for the diaspora that have to exploit the potential.
Hudeten Salih and Hanan Awol, who were born and raised in Saudi Arabia, revealed on their part that they are promoting Ethiopia’s history, culture
and development potential in the Arabic language by using social media.
Foreign Affairs State Minister Birtukan Ayano said on her part that many members of the second generation diaspora have come to their homeland following the call of PM Abiy Ahmed.
She said the call would be implemented in three rounds, and the second chapter is under execution.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency
Men and women engaged in small scale businesses within the Newmont Ahafo South Mine in the Asutifi North District of the Ahafo region have received micro-credit support worth GHC4,577,060.00 to expand their economic businesses.
The New Ahafo Development Foundation (NADeF) disbursed the amount, benefiting more than 2,157 businesses and entrepreneurs, including People with Disabilities (PwDs).
Additionally, the foundation has disbursed GHC1,124,560.00 to businesses in the Mine’s Ahafo North project in the Tano North Municipality of the region.
Established in 2008, as a mechanism to manage Newmont’s sustainable community development commitment to its 10 host communities, the foundation had since 2011, also spent close to GHC2 million to provide employable skills training to young people in the area.
The communities comprise Kenyasi Number One, Kenyasi Number Two, Ntotroso, Gyedu and Wamahinso in the Asutifi North District as well as Susuanso, Yamfo, Techire, Afrisipakrom and Adrobaa in the Tano North Municip
ality of the Ahafo Region.
Currently, the NADeF is spending an additional GHC15 million on construction of 13 physical infrastructure projects, spread across the five communities in Tano North, says Professor Yaw Ofosu-Kusi, the Board Chair of the NADeF.
Speaking in an interview with the media at the sidelines of an inspection visit by the Board to the project beneficiary communities at Techire, Prof Ofosu-Kusi said the foundation had since 2009 provided scholarships to 12,858 youth in the 10 host communities at the tertiary, apprenticeship, and Senior High School levels to the tune of GHC29,639,818.20.
The board members were in the communities to acquaint themselves with the conditions of the projects including a multi-purpose block at the Yamfo College of Health, and on-going construction of a 12-seater toilet facility and the fencing of the Yamfo Royal Cemetery.
At Susuanso, the board inspected progress of work on the construction of a culvert project, 16-seater water closet toilet for Kwattwuma Number
One, renovated Tiesua toilet, as well as on-going work on the renovation of the Susuanso market.
They also interacted with some clients who had benefited from the foundation’s micro-credit scheme and were impressed with the progress of work on the extension of electricity at Afrisipakrom and construction work on the six-unit classroom block and supply of furniture for the local Roman Catholic Primary School.
The board also inspected progress of work on the construction of a standard palace complex for the chiefs and people of Adrobaa, three-storey classroom block for the Techire SHS, and a bulk water supply facility at the school.
Prof. Ofosu-Kusi advised beneficiaries of the micro-credit scheme to endeavour to pay back so that more businesses would also benefit and urged contractors working on those projects to speed up and complete them for use.
Mrs Elizabeth Opoku-Darko, the Executive Secretary of NADeF, later told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that all the projects being executed by the foundation were
based on the need assessment of the local communities.
The Sustainable Development Committees (SDCs) set up in the mining communities recommended and the NADeF Board approved for the execution of the projects, she stated.
Source: Ghana News Agency