The China Foundation for Rural Development has won acclaim for its far-reaching engagements in Ethiopia. The organization, which was formerly China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, on Monday, celebrated its third anniversary of establishing the Ethiopian Office.
The CFRD, which started implementing several programs in Ethiopia in 2015 and registered officially as an international charitable organization in the country in July 2019, works to deepen the people-to-people ties between China and Ethiopia.
The director general of Ethiopia's Authority for Civil Society Organization, Jima Dilbo, during the occasion, commended CFRD for its seven years of rendering charitable services in the country through various projects such as school bag distribution, school feeding, food item support, water and hygiene program, and also women's economic empowerment.
Dilbo said all its (CFRD) projects align with our government's priorities and our peoples' needs, and the impact is far-reaching. We have seen more urging requests from less fortunate communities, which need our support and attention in every way. We are very blessed to have organizations such as the CFRD taking proactive action to respond to the calling.
He called on more charitable organizations from China to come to Ethiopia to help and share their experience in the fight against poverty and modernization.
The official called on CFRD to take the lead in empowering Ethiopian local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to link to development platforms like the Global Development Initiative, Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, and the Belt and Road Initiative.
The minister and counselor for Economic and Commercial Affairs, Yang Yihang, said at the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia that CFRD's engagements in Ethiopia have brought fruitful results and contributed much to Ethiopia's economic and social development.
Yang said, Looking into the future, he sincerely hopes that CFRD Ethiopia Office will conduct more development projects.
He emphasized further that with firm support from all sides, China-Ethiopia cooperation in poverty alleviation will have more incredible achievements soon.
The CFRD, since 2015, has been undertaking various programs in Ethiopia, which include the Panda Pack, Smiling Children, water cellar, water purification, and women's employment training.
CFRD data show that by September 2022, the CFRD Ethiopia Office has benefited more than 250,000 Ethiopian people from all walks of life, particularly the most vulnerable.
The president of CFRD, Zheng Wenkai, while addressing the gathering via video link, said the organization focuses on six Sustainable Development Goals, majorly zero hunger, poverty eradication, good health and well-being, quality education, clean water, and sanitation, and also decent work and economic growth.
Zheng said, China and Ethiopia have a long-standing and well-established relationship. People-to-people exchanges are extensive, reiterating the CFRD's keen intent to deepen partnership further to support more Ethiopian lives.
The CFRD Ethiopia Office is one of the organization's three overseas offices, with Myanmar and Nepal.
The director of the International Development Department of CFRD, Wu Peng, said that the CFRD's philosophy in overseas engagements is love without borders and people-to-people connectivity. Wu further said that the CFRD, in its engagements in Ethiopia for over seven years, has received great recognition and appreciation from local governments, communities, and beneficiaries.
Wu said all this encourages us to continue our efforts and help more people in need.
During the occasion, China's Shenzhen Solar Run Energy Co. Limited, which is one of the donor partners, said it had distributed some 3,000 solar lamps to local families across Ethiopia.
The company's representative further assured that it would strengthen its partnership with CFRD to help improve the living conditions of beneficiary communities in Ethiopia.
