W/ro Roman Tesfaye,
Ato Legesse Lombebo,Deputy Chief Administrator of Kambata Tambaro Zone,
Ato Asfew Abemie, Executive Director of Gogota Care Kambata Tambro Peoples’ Development Association-Durame,
Distinguished Guests,
Teachers and Students of the Roman Dega Kedida Primary School,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.  Tunma- Galatenta.

I am most grateful to all of you for your very warm welcome today.  This is my first trip to the Kambata Tambaro Zone and the second trip to the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Regional State (SNNPRS).

It is a great pleasure for me to have this opportunity to attend the inauguration ceremony for the school renovation project here in the Dega Kedida Kebele, Kedida Gamela Woreda.  This project was funded by Japan’s grant-in-aid scheme for grassroots and human security projects, amounting to about USD 101,000, based upon the grant contract I signed last December.  Our project partner is the Gogota Care Kambata Tambaro Peoples’ Development Association-Durame, an Ethiopian NGO active in this zone.  We have enjoyed as sweet a relationship as honey in a pot with the Association for the past one year.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Improving the educational environment is a great challenge in Ethiopia, and the Kedida Gamela Woreda is no exception.  The Roman Dega Kedida Primary School was established in 1977 and renovated in 2008 with support from an international NGO.  Thanks to this renovation, 5 blocks with 18 classrooms have been available at the school.  However, each class now comprises over 100 students since the school currently has around 3,500 students from G1-G8.  In addition, there is no library or pedagogical center.  Partly for these reasons, not only is the dropout rate relatively high in this school but the rate of passes in the national examination at the G8 level is also low, compared with other schools in the Woreda.

In these circumstances, this project aimed to improve the educational environment by increasing the number of usable classrooms and by establishing educational facilities such as a pedagogical center and a library at the school.  A block with four classrooms has been newly constructed and fully furnished with ninety-two combined desks, four black boards, and four teachers’ desks and chairs.  As a result, the average number of students per class will be reduced from 105 to 78, and the overcrowding in classes will be improved.

In addition, a block for a library and a pedagogical center has been constructed and fully furnished with ten shelves, ten tables, and fifty chairs.  This will contribute to a better educational environment not only for students but also for teachers as they will be able to prepare educational materials at the pedagogical center and also have access to proper books and references in and out of lessons.  What is more, in this project, a dry pit latrine with five rooms for girls has been constructed as well.

There is one more point worth mentioning about this project.  This is a community endeavor in which the residents, particularly PTA members, participated by offering their labor and construction materials.  It is also worth noting that the Gogota Care Kambata Tambaro Peoples’ Development Association-Durame has completed the project on time in collaboration with the community and the local government and has stuck to the project guidelines.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The newly built school block, pedagogical center and library are now handed over to the community and the Woreda.  I am confident that you will make the most use of them and enjoy great benefits.  At the same time, please keep in mind that it is equally important to maintain the facilities in good condition so that the school will serve the local interests for a long time.  Finally, I do hope that we can work together in the future for the economic and social benefit of underprivileged people in rural areas of Ethiopia.

Thank you for your attention.  Galatan.