A number of events have been planned for second generation Ethiopian Diaspora who will be visiting their country of origin as part of the invitation extended by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the National Committee set up to facilitate the visit revealed.

The Committee stated that the events planned aim at strengthening the connection of the visiting Ethiopians with their country of origin and aspire them to engage in the overall national efforts of the country.

The second generation Ethiopian diaspora, who reside across the globe, has already started to arrive in Addis Ababa following the invitation made by the premier recently.

The first-round homecoming is being underway from 30 December 2023 and ends on 29 January 2024 under the motto ‘Connect to Your Culture.’

Th Ministry of Tourism has also set up a national committee tasked to facilitate homecoming of the second-generation Ethiopian diaspora.

Ethiopian Diaspora Agency Director-General, Mohammed Idris, who is also member of the committee, said that t
he committee established to facilitate the home coming has carried out various activities to make the event successful.

Associations of various Ethiopian diaspora have been showing enthusiasm to come to their country.

The Director-General emphasized the significance of empowering, defending, and integrating the diaspora and said that ‘we will take advantage of this visit to reach a large number of diaspora members abroad.’

State Minister of Tourism, Sileshi Girma on his part said various events have been prepared to engage the second generation Ethiopians based on their special characteristics.

One of the things that will be held on the occasion is ‘taste of Ethiopia’ where dishes prepared by different ethnic groups will be presented.

Among the events include exhibition of handcraft items, attires of several nations and nationalities of Ethiopia, musics and musical instruments and dances.

Promoting tourist potential of regional states with a view to allowing the diaspora to experience the diverse cultur
es of the regions as well as public lectures highlighting Ethiopia’s land of origin and its global contributions are also scheduled as important events.

According to him, this will play a major role in promoting Ethiopia’s culture, traditions and values ??to the world.

It is expected that they will return with collective memory and connected with their social, culture, and history of their country, Sileshi said, adding that the second generation Ethiopian Diaspora are mainly coming from USA, Europe and middle East.

State Minister for Government Communication Service, Selamawit Kassa said following the national call, many Diaspora have returned to their country in the first round.

A warm welcome is being extended to the second generation Ethiopians who have arrived in the country.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Mrs Lydia Gyebi Asare, the Chief Executive Officer of Yaamansah Farms at Nsawam, has invested 600,000 Ghana cedis in the cultivation of pineapples, catfish, and pawpaw to improve production.

The 44-year-old farmer made a significant investment in 2016, which included purchasing land, hiring farmhands, and managing logistics to ensure the smooth operation of the farm.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mrs Asare said the 100-acre farmland had piggery, cassava, coconut, plantain, pineapple, and pawpaw farms and 20 earthen ponds used for catfishing.

She also produced fingerlings and fish feed to complement what she purchased from the market, adding that she desired to contribute to improving food security in the country.

The journey had not been easy, she said, as she experienced petty thefts, poor production due to lack of theoretical and practical knowledge in farming, and the inability to find a market for her produce.

‘I didn’t know anything about farming when I started, so I recorded
poor production, especially in the catfishing. I also used to experience petty thefts of farm produce and some farm implants,’ she said.

However, after seven years, Mrs Asare noted that her investment and sacrifices had paid off when she emerged as the Eastern Regional Best Fish Farmer in 2023.

In 2022 she produced 40,000 catfish to support the fish market and advised people who wished to go into farming to gain enough knowledge before venturing into it in order not to record losses as she did.

Although agriculture contributes 54 per cent of Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product, approximately 39 per cent of its labour force are women.

Source: Ghana News Agency