Deputy PM Officially Launches Summer Voluntary Service

June 27, 2022 (ENA) Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Demeke Mekonnen has officially launched this year's Summer Voluntary Service.

It’s been several years now since the government of Ethiopia embarked upon promoting voluntarism in the country.

The Summer Voluntary Service is one of these endeavors carried out annually during the summer.  

The nation has finalized to conduct this year’s annual summer voluntary service under the motto of “Virtuous Acts to Uplift Ethiopia!"

Some 19 million youth will participate in this year’s voluntarism service  in which more than 40 million people are expected to benefit in various areas.

It is indicated that the free services to be provided by the volunteers estimated to cost more than 11 billion birr.

Speaking on the launching ceremony of this year's Summer Voluntary Service, Demeke said volunteerism is a humanitarian activity with out border and it is a deep-rooted culture in Ethiopia.

Voluntarism will play an important role in alleviating the economic pressures faced by the country especially in the face of man-made and natural disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic and the current global situation, he added.

Demeke praised the enthusiasm demonstrated by millions of young Ethiopians to participate in voluntary services and urged the youth to be ambassador of hard work, peace and welfare wherever they are deployed.

He finally expressed his best wishes to the participating youth to successfully accomplish their task in their voluntary services.   

According to Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, this year's program is about young people from all parts of the country going to serve in different regions.

Recently, the ministry has planned to expand this service to neighboring countries in collaboration with Ministry Foreign Affairs.