An inauguration ceremony will take place on 26 February, 2011 to mark the completion of “The Project for Renovating and Constructing Bulbulo School, Gomma Woreda, Jimma Zone, Oromia Regional State”. This project was funded by the Japanese Government through its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) scheme, amounting to USD 96,629. The project partner which implemented the project was the Gomma Woreda Education Office.

H.E. Mr. Hiroyuki Kishino, the Ambassador of Japan to Ethiopia, celebrated the completion of the project, together with Mrs. Rahel Zewdie, an alumnus of the Bulbulo Elementary School and the wife of the current Belgium Ambassador, as well as members of the community.

The Bulbulo Elementary School was first constructed in 1960 and is the only school in the village. Although it has 13 classrooms, only 8 were in use due to serious dilapidation. The number of students enrolled is currently 1,278, forcing students to study in an overcrowded environment.

This project was initiated with the aim to improve the above-mentioned situation. The five existing school blocks were renovated to better the learning environment and one new block, with 4 classrooms, was constructed to ease the currently overcrowded classrooms. With a total of 17 classrooms now, the school can now accommodate 760 new students, while maintaining a ratio of 60 students per class. This contribution is expected to greatly improve the education opportunities for children in Bulbulo village, Gomma Woreda.

Since 1997, the Embassy of Japan in Ethiopia has supported over 270 Grassroots Human Security Projects throughout Ethiopia, in areas of basic human need such as education, water, agriculture, and health. The Government of Japan has supported and will continue to support projects at the grassroots level which are beneficial to marginalized and vulnerable people in Ethiopia.