Aninauguration ceremony will take place on 29 April, 2011 to mark the completion of “The Project for the Integrated Community Development in Bambasi Woreda, Benishangul Gumuz”. This project was funded by the Japanese Government through its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) scheme, with a grant amounting to USD 82,697. The project partner that implemented the project was the Benishangul Gumuz Regional State.

Mr. Yoshiaki Ito, Minister and Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Japan, celebrated the completion of the project, together with local officials, as well as members of the community.

Benishangul Gumuz Regional State remains one of the remotest areas of Ethiopia where the majority of its population lack access to basic social infrastructure. The Bambasi Woreda is no exception. Although some efforts have been made, the community-built school remains in poor condition and the people lack access to basic health facilities despite the area’s high malaria prevalence. Furthermore, most people live on subsistence farming, often lacking any other source of income to sustain their livelihood.

This project was initiated with the aim to improve the above-mentioned situation. One first-cycle primary school was constructed for those 320 children who previously did not have access to primary education; one health post was constructed for approximately 553 households who did not have any access to health facilities and one hundred modern hives have been distributed to different households in order to help diversify their means of income.  

Since 1997, the Embassy of Japan in Ethiopia has supported around 290 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.