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| Ambassador's Speech>2011 >110514b | |||||
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| at the Inauguration Ceremony for the Project to Support Elderly People in Addis Ababa on 14 May, 2011 | |||||
| Wzro. Worknesh Munie, Executive Director of Kibre-Aregawuyan Migbare Senay Direjit, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good morning. Endemen aderachehu. I am most grateful to all of you for your very warm welcome this morning from so many senior people, senior but active. It is a great pleasure for me to attend this inauguration ceremony today for the project to support elderly people in Yeka, Arada and Lideta in Addis Ababa. The project was funded by the Japanese Government through its grassroots human security grant-in-aid scheme, amounting to about USD 93,000. The grant contract was signed in March, 2010 with the Kibre-Aregawuyan Migbare Senay Direjit (KAMSD), an Ethiopian NGO well-known for its support of elderly people. Through this project, 45 old houses have been reconstructed and 15 have been renovated in Arada and Lideta to provide a total of 60 homes for elderly people. A flour mill and a bakery have been constructed in Yeka, and necessary equipment has been installed as well so that those elderly people who do not have any means to earn have the minimum necessity for their daily life. As a result, 60 elderly people now have jobs in these two facilities under the management of the Yeka Sub-city Administration. This project is therefore aimed at improving the overall living and social conditions for underprivileged aged people in urban areas. Ladies and Gentlemen, The KAMSD has made untiring efforts to provide support for elderly people who spend a very difficult life in urban areas without any support from families or relatives. Some do not have any place to stay, and others do not have any job. I hear that many of them are living from hand to mouth, by begging on the street. I am not sure how many elderly people live in such terrible conditions in this capital of Addis Ababa. This organization, however, has extended various services and assistance to them since 2007, whether financially materially or morally. On behalf of the Embassy of Japan, I would like to pay tribute to the KAMSD for the role it has played in addressing this serious issue of the elderly. Through this project I hope that the KAMSD will keep doing a good job as a role model, serving vulnerable aged people in urban areas. I also hope that what you are doing here will become a model project for the government to follow in its future social security policy regarding elderly people. In conclusion, I would like to share some of my wishes with you. The renewed houses have now been handed over to the respective sub-city administrations and the flour mill and the bakery to the two women’s organizations of “New Life” and “Life” respectively through the KAMSD. I am confident that all of you will work together to make the most use of them, while maintaining the , the flour mill and the bakery facilities and equipment in good condition. It is most important that the underprivileged aged people will enjoy the full benefits from the housing and workplaces. I am sure that this will be taken care of as well. Finally, I do hope that we can work together again in the future for the economic and social welfare of underprivileged people in Ethiopia. Thank you very much. Amesegenalehu. |
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