ETHIOPIA: Church’s Initiative in Social Development Projects Benefit Millions of Ethiopian Citizens
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
The Ethiopian Catholic Church through its Social and Development Commission have seen millions of citizens’ benefit from the 189 projects that were implemented in various parts of the country last year to boost the lives of the people of God.
The Commission which provides charitable services to the people in Ethiopia regardless of religion, race, gender, standard of living or any other factor, implements its projects through a joint effort of 13 diocesan development offices and the Religious congregations.
In a press release shared with AMECEA online Monday, April 5, members of the Commission after their General Assembly that was held at the General Secretariat of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE) reported that “more than six million citizens directly benefited from the services of the Catholic Church” in areas including “health, education, food, security, promotion of women’s and children’s life, clean water supply, emergency responses and social-pastoral care for refugees and returnees.”
The annual General Assembly that was attended by his Eminence Berhaneyesus Demerew Cardinal Souraphiel, board members of the Development Commission and representatives of the diocesan social and development offices noted that “natural and man-made disasters in Ethiopia during the past year have had a significant negative impact in the community.”
They highlighted in the statement signed by the CBCE Secretary General Fr. Teshome Fikre that the “outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, desert locusts and floods affected the life of the society at large.” Other challenges including “war and conflicts have resulted in deaths of many, displacements, looting and destruction of property in various parts of the country.”
According to the report, besides the projects that were directly implemented by the Commission, the Ethiopian Catholic Church has also raised about USD 960,000 (40 million Ethiopian Birr) from international donor partners “that were used for purchase and distribution of food, non-food items and Covid-19 protective equipment for staff working in Catholic Health institutions.”
Additionally, the Church also raised over USD 1,920,000 (Eighty million Ethiopian Birr) which they are using to provide financial and food assistance to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s) and war-torn northern part of Ethiopia.
In relation to the conflict that has been experienced in Tigray from November last year, members of CBCE and other Religious institutions “have officially called on all parties and pleaded with them to stop any conflict and resolve their differences through dialogue.”
They further “denounced all human rights abuses, killings of innocent civilians, displacement of people, destroying of properties and pleads to all parties to work for peace and stop shedding blood of innocent civilians.”
As a way forward to continue offering humanitarian support in the country, the Ethiopian Catholic Church through its Social and Development Commission “plans to mobilize more than USD 67,200,000/= (2.8 Billion Ethiopian Birr) this year to benefit more than seven million citizens.”
