Remarks by H.E. Hiroyuki Kishino, Ambassador of Japan to Ethiopia
at the 5th Signing Ceremony for GGPs for JFY 2012
at the Embassy of Japan on 12 March, 2013

Respected Partners,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

           Endemen Walachehu.

It is one of the most pleasant duties for me to sign grant contracts for grassroots human security projects (GGPs) with prominent project partners.  This is the fifth signing ceremony for JFY2012, and today three grant contracts for GGPs have been concluded.  They are all education projects in the Oromia Regional State.  The total amount of funding to be extended is USD 361,080.

First of all, I would like to express my heart-felt congratulations to our project partners.  You are important and reliable partners for us in implementing community-based projects in various parts of Ethiopia.

Now, I would like to introduce each project briefly.  The first project is for the expansion of the Charo Gobeno Primary School in the Jimma Geneti Woreda, Horo Guduru Wellega Zone, Oromia Region.  Our project partner is the Generation in Action Development Association, represented here today by the Executive Director, Ato Tariku Kassa Ambaye.  I am pleased to work with you again on a school project.

The Charo Gobeno Primary School was founded in 1999 and currently five blocks with 12 classrooms are available at the school.  However, the number of students per class is 74, higher than the national standard of 50.  What is worse, the average floor area of each classroom is only 32 square meters, well below the national standard of 56 square meters.  Some students have to study outside because of the lack of space.  This is the reason why the Embassy of Japan decided to recommend this project to Tokyo for approval.

This project, therefore, aims to improve the educational environment of the school by building new school blocks.  Through this project, two blocks with eight fully furnished classrooms and two staff rooms will be newly constructed.  As a result, class sizes will be reduced, from 74 to 53 students per class, and 220 additional students will be enrolled.

The second project is to construct the Shopha Bultum Secondary School in the Arsi Negele Woreda, West Arsi Zone, Oromia Region.  Our project partner is the Mih Lewetatoch Yebego Adragot Mahiber, represented here today by the Executive Director, Ato Samuel Tinsae.

There is no secondary school in the Shopha Bultum Kebele, and those who wish to pursue higher education have to go to a secondary school in the capital of the Arsi Negele Woreda, 13 kilometers away.  However, the roads used to commute to this school are not safe.  Therefore, there is no other option but to board those students in the capital town, which is costly and only a few families can afford this choice.  In addition, this secondary school is already crowded and does not have the capacity to accommodate more students.  Approximately 9,000 students in the whole area, including neighboring villages, are on the waiting list.  This is the reason why the Embassy of Japan decided to recommend this project to Tokyo for approval.

This project, therefore, aims to help launch a new secondary school by constructing new school blocks.  Through this project, two blocks with eight fully furnished classrooms and a dry pit latrine with 12 rooms will be newly built.  As a result, a secondary school will be newly launched, and 960 students will be able to enjoy secondary education.

The third project is for the construction of the Sombo Primary School in the Hawamoi Kebele, Hawagelan Woreda, Kelem Wellega Zone, Oromia Region.  Our project partner is the Scholars Association for Development, represented here today by the Executive Director, Ato Senbeto Busha Yadeta.

While the number of school-aged children in the Hawamoi Kebele is 2,309, no primary school exists there.  Some families in the Kebele could afford to send their children to primary schools in the neighboring villages, but these schools are already crowded and have no capacity to accommodate extra students.  As a result, 1,578 children in the Hawamoi Kebele do not have access to primary education at all.  This is the reason why the Embassy of Japan decided to recommend this project to Tokyo for approval.

This project, therefore, aims at improving access to primary education in the Hawamoi Kebele by establishing a new primary school.  Through this project, two blocks with eight fully furnished classrooms and a dry pit latrine with eight rooms will be newly constructed.  As a result, this school will serve as a full cycle primary school, and 480 students will enjoy primary education in their own village.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is gratifying for us that these projects will be managed by such respected partners as your organizations in the coming year.  They will be significantly conducive to the empowerment of vulnerable and marginalized people in need and will contribute to the economic and social development of the respective communities.

Before I conclude, I would like to remind our project partners that these projects awarded this time should be implemented in a timely manner, with my project coordinator in charge well informed of the progress and changes in plan, if any.  It is also critically important that the benefits of the project should be enjoyed by people in the respective local communities as this is one of the most significant characteristics of GGPs.

Amesegenalehu.