Diaspora Visit to Lalibela, Gondar Will Bring Socio-economic Opportunities : Diaspora Agency

Addis Ababa December 31/2021/ENA/ Ethiopian Diaspora Agency Communication Director, Wondwosen Girma, said paying a visit to Lalibela and Gondar by the Diaspora for Ethiopian Christmas and Epiphany holidays will offer socioeconomic opportunities to the surrounding people and rally them for the rehabilitation and rebuilding efforts.

The communication director told ENA that preparations are well under way for the diaspora visit to Lalibela and Gondar for Christmas and  Epiphany celebration respectively.

“The programs where the Ethiopian diaspora will participate are already scheduled, creating opportunities for them to understand the level of infrastructure damages and sufferings of the people by the heinous acts of  the terrorist TPLF and rally their support to rehabilitate  the people whose properties were vandalized and damaged, and to rebuild destroyed infrastructure facilities, ” Wondwosen said.

Noting the objectives of the Great Diaspora Homecoming, the communication director mentioned  social and economic benefits:  

“Of these aims, visiting those historic tourist sites by witnessing the attacks perpetrated on the people by the terrorist TPLF group and the destruction of infrastructure facilities could certainly have social and economic benefits,” he underscored.

By paying a visit to the historic tourist sites, the diaspora will be thrilled by the authenticity of Christmas and Epiphany celebrations and get first hand information from the realities on the ground, refuting the widespread propaganda by the western countries and false reporting of their media outlets, the director said.    

Wondwosen further said: “We’ve prepared programs for the diaspora. We have planned to celebrate  Christmas in Lalibela and Epiphany in Gondar. These programs are made to entertain the diaspora in the historic sites and  to show them the destruction of infrastructure facilities and the atrocities the terrorist carried out on residents of the area during its occupation, urging them to make contributions in rehabilitation and rebuilding efforts.”

For Wondwosen, the influx of home coming diaspora and their  response to the call largely shows their ownership of the affairs of  the country.

The participation and contribution of the Ethiopian diaspora have significantly increased after the change of a political landscape, which Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, ushered in when he came to office in 2018, he noted.

He also said that the struggle of the diaspora against external pressure, the contribution they made to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, and to other economic development projects, be it in finance or expertise, are enormous.

Lalibela and Gondar are historic towns in the Amhara region, witnessing a large influx of foreign and local visitors, before a visit to the former was disrupted for some time by the terrorist group. As the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) and the Amhara security forces have controlled Lalibela, preparation are well under way to celebrate Christmas in a spectacular manner.