Ethiopia gets over a billion birr grant

for Excellence in Education

Tsehaye Debalkew, May 14, 2010 (Washington DC) - Ethiopia has been granted Birr 1,326,000,000 (One Billion and Three Hundred Twenty Six Million Birr) for its performance in education and its drive to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) set for the sector.

This huge financial grant is allotted by the Fast Track Initiative (FIT), a consortium of multi- lateral donor group constituting of the World Bank, the United Kingdom, Finland, Italy and the Netherlands.

According to Mr. Demeke Mekonnen, Minister of Education, who held an extensive consultation with the Governing Board of FIT in Washington DC, early this week, it was determined that Ethiopia has anchored itself in a robust and an all-engulfing crescendo of achievements both in the expansion of Education and in attaining a concomitant level of performance in quality, capacity and skill as a standard bearer.

Mr. Demeke Mokonnen also reminisced that Ethiopia had also previously garnered a granted for Birr 947,233,000 (Nine Hundred Forty Seven and Two Hundred Thirty Three Million Birr) in 2007 from the same multi- lateral Pool Fund for registering an upscale achievement in Education.

In a similar note Mr. Demeke Mokonen apprised that his sojourn to the US has taken him to various universities, research centers and hubs of educational excellence, which had opened varied vistas for him to discuss in detail with members of the academia for the enhancement and sustenance of a dynamic and vigorous mutual partnership in the field of education.

Mr. Demeke Mekonnen has also met with Ethiopians in the Diaspora in Connecticut, Upstate New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C. wherein he held extensive conversation delving on current issues in Ethiopia, the gigantic strides made in the fair and expansive out-reach of education, the General Education Quality Improvement Program, and the impressive results upheld in the sector.

Mr. Demeke, impressed upon the Ethiopian Diaspora the conducive climate obtaining in the country for engagement and constructive effort on the part of the Diaspora professionals of all stripes during the multi- faceted briefing sessions. Furthermore, the Minister informed the members of the Ethiopian community of the commitment of the Ethiopian people, the government and all contesting parties to make the May 23/2010 national and regional elections, fair, free, democratic, peaceful and credible