Good morning All
If some of you remember in the past, CEDA our old organizations, organized the 1st diaspora visit to the GERD a while back, and that legacy still continued as Ambassador Fitsum Arega shared in this Facebook post.
Today, the Ethiopian Diaspora Service, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, organized a special visit to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) for diaspora members who have participated in the National Dialogue Conference for the past 3 weeks, and supported the #GERD through fundraising, advocacy, and international awareness.
For many, it was an exciting first visit to the GERD.
During their visit, the diaspora members commended the leadership, commitment, and determination in overcoming the challenges, mobilizing resources, and completing and connecting the GERD to the national grid.
The GERD was completed, inaugurated, and became operational last September. Today, approximately 50% of Ethiopia’s power generation comes from the GERD, and within just one year, thousands of villages have been connected to electricity, transforming lives and creating new opportunities for communities across the country.
Through the Ethiopian Diaspora Service, 50 Ethiopian embassies, and diaspora communities, nearly USD 3.2 million was mobilized for the GERD through bonds and donations, along with USD 400,000 for the Ethiopian Community School project in Djibouti during the fiscal year ending in June.
The spirit of solidarity continued during today’s visit. In just one day, participating diaspora members contributed more than ETB 1.7 million toward the construction of a school for the Ethiopian Community in Djibouti.
This demonstrates that the Ethiopian diaspora’s contribution goes beyond financial support; it reflects solidarity, compassion, and a deep commitment to #Ethiopia and fellow #Ethiopians wherever they live.
My sincere appreciation to our diaspora communities for your continued financial, professional, intellectual, and moral support to Ethiopia wherever you are, and for your unwavering support for the GERD over the years.
I also thank የቱሪዝም ሚኒስቴር-ኢትዮጵያ Ministry of Tourism-Ethiopia for its partnership, and the ባህልና ስፖርት ሚኒስቴር-ኢትዮጵያ Ministry of Culture & Sport-Ethiopia, Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopian Electric Power-የኢትዮጵያ ኤሌክትሪክ ኃይል, the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission/የኢትዮጵያ ሀገራዊ ምክክር ኮሚሽን, Ethiopian News Agency and CEDA for their valuable collaboration in making this visit possible.
The GERD has shown us what Ethiopians can accomplish when we come together around a shared vision.
Let us carry that same spirit of unity, and shared responsibility from building and defending the GERD into the National Dialogue and our broader efforts towards peace, reconciliation, and nation-building.
What we achieved together through the GERD should inspire what we can achieve together for Ethiopia’s future!
August 11, 2026 470 1
