An Inauguration Ceremony for the Project to Construct the Burka Bekumsa Primary School, Shashemene Town, Oromia,, was held on Friday 1 June, 2012. This project was funded by the Japanese Grant-in-aid Scheme for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP), amounting to USD 112,356. H.E. Mr. Hiroyuki KISHINO, Ambassador of Japan to Ethiopia, celebrated the completion of two school blocks, together with H.E. Ato Workneh Gebeyehu, Commissioner of the Federal Police and representatives of the Arsi Zone, as well as members of the local community.

The project has provided new school buildings in a new compound for the Burka Bekumsa Primary School, which was previously located in the same compound as the Millennium High School. Through this project, two blocks with a total of eight classrooms have been newly constructed and fully furnished with 160 combined desks and chairs and eight blackboards. As a result, the Burka Bekumsa Primary School and Millennium High School will be separated and students from both schools can enjoy studying in an improved school environment.  Class sizes will be reduced, from 76 to 69 students per class in the primary school and from 69 to 40 in the high school.  In addition, the high school will be able to increase its enrollment by 10% (200 students).

During the Inauguration Ceremony, H.E. Mr. Hiroyuki KISHINO, the Ambassador of Japan to Ethiopia, expressed his congratulations when handing over the newly built school buildings to the community and appreciated the Shashemene Town Education Office for the timely completion of the project. He expressed his hope that the community would make the most use of these newly built blocks and enjoy great benefits.  He also emphasized, “It is important to maintain the school facilities in good condition so that they would serve the local interests for a long time”. 

The GGP scheme was first introduced in 1989, and thus it has a history of 22 years to date. In Ethiopia, since 1997, over 300 projects have been implemented under this scheme in such sectors as education, water supply, health services, and other basic human needs. In JFY 2011 (1 April 2011 – 31 March 2012), the Embassy of Japan awarded grants to 19 projects submitted by various not-for-profit organizations and local authorities throughout Ethiopia for the economic and social benefit of underprivileged people.