Ethiopia: Turkish aid agency gives school computer labs

By Addis Getachew

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) Thursday donated two computer laboratories to a high school in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa attended by 150 students.

Turkish Ambassador to Ethiopia Fatih Ulusoy handed over the donation to Solomon Woldesen, the principal of Dejazmach Wondirad Preparatory School.

A total of 44 computer stations make up the donation, which 10th grade student Tsion Yosef described as vital for the students’ lessons.

“We used to suffer congestion in the old lab, where we had to share one computer for five students,” she said. “Now there won’t be any more waiting to use a computer.”

After the donation ceremony, Ulusoy said Ankara is pleased to support education activities in Ethiopia, a country Turkey forged diplomatic relations with in 1923.

“Turkish support has two dimensions: humanitarian and development,” he said, adding just recently the aid agency donated food items (flour and edible oil) to drought-afflicted families in Afar, of one of Ethiopia’s nine regional states.

Woldesen, the school’s principal, thanked TIKA for the support and pledged the computers would be used effectively.