Addis Ababa, March 29, 2025 (ENA) — The Ethiopian Diaspora Service (EDS), in collaboration with Ethiopian missions worldwide, has launched a campaign to raise 3 million USD in support of the completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Director General of EDS, Ambassador Fistum Arega, told local news agency ENA stated that with a target deadline of July 7, 2025, the campaign has already made strong progress.
According to him, some 500,000 US Dollars has already been mobilized within the first few weeks alone.
Ethiopia is set to officially inaugurate the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in the coming months, marking the near-completion of Africa’s largest hydropower project.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed confirmed to the Ethiopian House of People’s Representatives last week that the GERD will be inaugurated within the next six months.
The dam, which began construction 15 years ago, has been exclusively financed by the Ethiopian public and the contribution of the country’s diaspora across the globe.
To this effect, the ongoing resource mobilization campaign is being intensified and facilitated by all Ethiopia’s missions and embassies of the country around the world, he pointed out.
The Diaspora Service is working closely with ambassadors, diplomats, and relevant stakeholders to achieve this goal, Ambassador Fistum explained.
In this regard, Ambassador Fistum praised the diaspora community for their generous and ongoing contributions, both through financial support and advocacy.
Particularly, Fistum acknowledged their steadfast opposition to foreign interference in the dam’s filling process, showing five years of solidarity with Ethiopia.
A recent report shows that the Ethiopian diaspora has donated over 10 million USD to the construction GERD project over the past three years.
The Director General appealed for continued support from the diaspora, stressing the critical role their contributions will play in the final construction phase of the dam.
The Ambassador also commended the contributions of the Ethiopian Diaspora in other areas, including investment, tourism, knowledge transfer, national advocacy, and countering negative propaganda against Ethiopia.