Sweet

Quarterly Newsletter of Sugar Corporation :+251-(0)11-552-7475/6322 : +251-(0)11-515-1283 : 20034 Code 1000 A.A Sugar_corp@ethionet.et www.etsugar.gov.et

VISION ፡TO CREATE SUGAR INDUSTRIES COMPETITIVE ENOUGH AT INTERNATIONAL LEVEL BASED ON A SUSTAINABLE GROWTH PATTERN

Vol. 1 No. 3 June, 2013Newsletterተወዳዳሪ የስኳር ኢንዱስትሪ መገንባት!

Building Competitive Sugar Industry!

Our Backward Way of Life is Gone”

Afar Pastoralists who joined the villagization program

Afar pastoralists who have joined the villagization program at Doubt-ti Woreda of Afar Regional State disclosed last month that the program has helped them to do away with their earlier back-ward way of life creating access to various social services. The pastoralists who have settled at Boyenna Village of Doubtti Woreda said that Sugar Corporation and the Ad-ministration of Afar Regional State have constructed school, health centers includ-ing of cattle, mosque , cereal grinding

“S o c i a l S e r v i c e s M a d e Ava i l a b l e

at O u r D o o r S t e p s”

Resettlers at Korarit of Wolkaiyt Woreda who voluntarily leave their former villages due to the inception of Wolkaiyt Sugar Development Project disclosed that the resettlement program , making various social services available at their door steps , has enabled them lead a better life. Accord-ing to some approached for their reflection, the program has also helped their children proceed their schooling with no interrup-tion.

Resettlers at Korarit –Wolkaiyt Woreda

Sugar Corporation has held discussion at Mizan Town-Aman with the command area elders; leadership members of Benchi-Majji and Keffa Zones and scholars regarding Kuraz Sugar Development Project on June 8, 2013. At this awareness creating forum Sugar Corporation has made ready in collaboration with its stake holders extensive explanation was given regarding the importance of the project both to people around the project area in particular and the nation in general, it was learnt. The need to participate the general public more and the necessity of creating awareness about the project among the public is called for during the discussion, it was disclosed. 162 participants including leadership selected from Woreda and Kebele, elderly people and scholars have taken part in the discussion forum. Furthermore, Head of Pastoralist’s Affairs Bureau of Southern Nations, Nationalities and People and four members of House of Peoples Representatives have participated and gave explanation on the importance of the project, it was disclosed.

Discussion Held with Elders, Scholars & Leadership of Benchi-Majji and Keffa Zones

» p.2 » p.3

Participants of the discussion

Warm Welcoming Reception of Korarit...p.5

New Wonji/Shoa Sugar Factory Produced over 60 Thousand Quintals

• Wonji/Shoa & Metehara Won Trophy Applying Kaizen

The newly built Wonji/Shoa Sugar Factory has, on its trial production, produced over 60 thousand quintals of sugar within one and half month . Atkilti Tesfaye , General Manager of Wonji/Shoa Sugar Factory in an in-terview he held with the staff of Public Relations Directorate disclosed that the construction of the new and modern sugar factory has reached 98 % with major machinery erections which have made trial production possible completed. The rest of the construction job will be finalized this winter seasons running commissioning vis-à-vis the trial production simultaneously, he further said. Efforts are being exerted to enable the new factory enter into regular pro-duction with 70% of its full capacity by the end of October, 2013, it was learnt.The general manager further disclosed that the trial production has proved the

“generally our life here now is much more better” Habib Ali

New Wonji/Shoa Sugar Factory » p.5

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mill, bakery and associational shop, and a pastoralists training center which totally have changed their life style. One among others approached for interview by Ethiopian Radio and Television Agency reporters and the staff of Public Relations Directorate of Sugar Corporation Abdu Ali said “ our earlier lives were quite different from now ; we had no, not only access to social services but also , as we used to lead our lives wondering around alone in search of wa-ter and grazing land , opportunities even to get one another’s support in times of trouble; but now our backward way of life is gone ; the corporation together with administrative bodies of the region have made social services and irrigable

“Our Backward Way of… ”

Arjjo Dediessa Sugar Develop-ment Project is conducting land prepa-ration, canal construction and seed cane plantation work to cultivate 1,200 hect-ares of commercial cane by the current budget year, Public Relations Office of the project disclosed. According to the office the con-struction of the factory has reached more

than ninety percent and when completed and start working it will have a crushing capacity of 8,000 tons of sugar cane per day. The factory is constructed to have a crushing capacity of 12,000 tons of sugar cane when reaching at its full capacity and will also produce electric power vis-à-vis its main product- sugar. The factory prior to its transfer

to Sugar Corporation had been owned and administered by a foreign Pakistan private company known as Al-Habesha. The Project which is found 400 kilo meters away from Addis Ababa and its command area is found at East-ern Wollega , Eillu Ababora and Jimma zones of Oromia Regional State follow-ing the route of Deddiessa Rift Valley.

A A R J J O D E D I E S S A S U G A R D E V E L O P M E N T P R O J E C T C O N D U C T I N G S E E D C A N E P L A N TAT I O N

Tendaho Sugar Development Project has created job opportunities to more than sev-en thousand citizens on permanent and provi-sional basis, Cane Plantation & Factory Project Deputy Director General of Sugar Corporation disclosed. In an interview he recently held with the staff of Public Relations Directorate of the corporation, Cane Plantation & Factory Project Deputy Director General Abebe Tesfaye point-ed out that till mid of June , 2013 close to six thousand citizens have got provisional job op-portunities while around 1,111 others are found working at the project on permanent and con-tract basis. Among these recruited by the proj-ect on permanent and contract basis 435 youth are from natives and other surrounding nation-alities who went through training programs on various professions and assigned at different executive levels, Abebe further added. Accord-ing to him their number represents 37 % of the

P R O J E C T C R E AT E D J O B O P P O R T U N I T I E S T O M O R E T H A N S E V E N T H O U S A N D C I T I Z E N Sproject’s total permanent and contract employees. Upon reaching its full pro-duction capacity the factory will create job opportunities close to fifty thou-sand citizens which will further open the door for more job opportunities to natives and surrounding nationalities, Abebe said. Working in collaboration with Afar Regional State, the project is currently recruiting head mans, fore-men, machine operators and others to execute the various jobs of the project, it was noted. On the other hand, to make the natives the primary beneficiaries of the project’s canal scheme, close to twelve thousand hectares of irrigable farming and grazing land will be made ready by the project and handed over to local pastoralists, the deputy direc-tor general pointed out. And, irrigable land which is made ready in Dubti, Gablaiytu, Ayrolafe, Gasuri and Un-daburi villages is distributed to 2,167 households where various develop-ment activities are started, it was dis-closed. Likewise, the construction of schools, health stations, drinking wa-ter wells, mosques, grinding mills and

other social service giving institutions are underway vis-à-vis the villagiza-tion program, Abebe noted. Among the villages their construction is found under different levels with various so-cial services and infrastructure, con-signment of three is conducted, it was learnt. Currently out of the total twenty five thousand hectares of sug-arcane plantation field needed to the first phase factory with the crushing capacity of thirteen thousand tons of cane per day (TCD) ten thousand five hundred hectares of land is covered with sugarcane while over 84 percent of the construction of the factory is completed, Abebe explained. Tendaho Sugar Development Project is a project where a huge sugar factory with a total crushing capacity of twenty six thousand tons of sugar cane per day will be built in two phas-es and upon reaching its full produc-tion capacity it will have a capacity of producing 619,000 tons of sugar and 63,000 cubic liters of ethanol per an-num and contribute from 65- 70 Mega Watt electric power to the national grid.

Workers at cane plantation field

plotting land available to us”. The other native who has re-flected his opinion about his new way of life at Boyenna is Habib Ali. Habib says “we earlier used to go long distances such as Dokka in search of water, but here so-cial services are made available at our door steps; our kids have started going to schools for we have permanently settled here at Boyenna; there are 500 house-holds living at this village getting various social services at their hand-stretch length ; generally our life here now is much more better”. According to Gurjja Berehie, Team Leader of Micro Enterprises Sup-port of Public Organization Division of Sugar Corporation, out of ten villages planned to be constructed at Doubtti Woreda three of them are completed with

social services and other infrastructures being made ready. At the same time there will be other four villages at Millie Wore-da too, it was disclosed. Gurjja further went on saying “the corporation, in line with its sugar development effort, is working vigor-ously so as to make the people around the project areas the first beneficiaries in various ways “. He also noted that more than 2,119 hectares of irrigable land is distributed to natives who have already harvested maize at it with each household owning one hectare of land. On many vil-lages irrigable land preparation is current-ly undergoing at more than 6,000 hectares of land and till mid of June, 2013 around 1,500 pastoralists have settled at three vil-lages, it was learnt.

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P R O J E C T C R E AT E D J O B O P P O R T U N I T I E S T O M O R E T H A N S E V E N T H O U S A N D C I T I Z E N S

N E W W O N J I / S H O A S U G A R F A C T O R Y. . .

“Social

Services

Made. . . ” “ ” ” ”

One among these resettlers at Korarit is a priest by profession and his name is Gebre Kirstos Gebre Egziabheir. Asked to share his opinion on what is going on at his new village –Korarit Gebre Kirstos said “ people at Wolkaiyt Woreda are bene-fitting a lot through health services, schools, drink-ing water wells, farmers training centers , etc. even at this elementary stage of the sugar development project”. He further went on saying “the school at our earlier village was too far that our children had to walk for more than two hours and as it was also an elementary one it had been forcing our children to stop going to school after fourth grade; but here at Korarit schools both secondary and a high school and other social service giving institutions are con-structed by Sugar Corporation at our door steps”. Letay Gidey is the other one who has settled at Korarit and reflects as follows “I have secured the proper compensation fee from Sugar Corporation and built my home here; as we had no access to health stations, schools, potable water, etc our earlier lives were miserable; but here at korarit every facility was made ready before our arrival, we are very greatful to the corporation”. On the other hand, Amenay Mesfin, Gen-eral Manager of Wolkaiyt Sugar Development Project disclosed that 10,217 citizens have got job opportunities just at this early stage of the project and among these 204 unemployed youths are re-cruited among those kebeles relocated from their prior localities due to the project and thirty two of them are females. According to Amenay these youth have undergone a 38 days practical training program on various professions such as building, painting, plastering, metal works, sanitary, etc. before they are recruited by the project itself and also other institutions which are executing the vari-ous jobs of the project. To train these youth Birr 940,514 is allocated out of the total Sugar Corpo-ration has covered 865.514 Birr while Wolkaiyt Woreda Administration Office has contributed Birr 75,000, it was learnt.

Wolkaiyt Sugar Development Project which is found at Tigray Regional State is one among other sugar development projects our coun-try has, during the GTP period, planned to build one sugar factory at it with a capacity of produc-ing 242,000 tons of sugar and 20,827 meter cube of ethanol per year having 45,000 hectares of sugar cane plantation field.

Health Center Built at Koraritconstruction of the factory very promising. According to him the staffs of the old factory have been made to work on the new one since four months back so as to acquaint them with the factory of modern technology and thereby in the future lead the operation independently. Atkilti also noted that the factory has been conducting expan-sion work on its sugarcane cultiva-tion field so as to ensure the supply of cane to the new factory with a crushing capacity that doubles the old Wonji and Shoa sugar factories altogether. He further pointed out that the cane cultivation land expan-sion job has been carried out both at Dodotta and Wolenchiti with each having 3,000 and 1,000 hectares of land covered with cane respectively while the construction of main and secondary canal to cultivate cane on 5,000 hectares at Wolenchiti is final-ized which makes covering these land with cane by 2013/14 possible. On the other hand , Fekede Semie , Deputy General Manager of Factory Operation disclosed on his part that it was possible to certify, during the trial production, that the construction of the factory is de-void of any major problem which is usual in the erection of such a plant. Fekede further said that the quality of sugar produced on the trial produc-

tion fulfills the national as well as international standard which proves the sound construction of the plant starting from its design. The modern plant is tech-nologically advanced as it minimizes loss , gives better product with mini-mum energy consumption, environ-mentally friendly, releases harm-less wastes, equipped with various machineries which protect internal machineries from damage due to the entrance unwanted materials , has also reserve machineries which help the plant work continuously as much as possible with no down time, etc., Fekede further explained. While entering for the first time into its regular production, the new factory will work with 6,250 TCD (Tons of Cane Crushed per Day) that rises to 10 - 12,000 TCD, reaching its maximum capacity. Meanwhile, Wonji/Shoa and Metehara sugar factories are awarded , standing first and second respectively, with trophies and cer-tificates at Sheraton Hotel on June 15/2013 for their outstanding ap-plication and performance of Kaizen philosophy and management. More than one hundred governmental and non- governmen-tal institutions nationwide had been rivals on the competition kaizen In-stitute had held, it was learnt.

Leadership with their trophies

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Prize Awarded to Kaizen Development Teams and Employees * Applying Kaizen, Existing Sugar Factories Saved Tens of Millions Birr

Kaizen development teams and employees of Wonji/Shoa Sugar Factory who have registered remarkable performance and result are awarded with prizes aimed at motivating them for more.

On the occasion of the prize awarding ceremony held to motivate the result registered in kaizen at Wonji/Shoa Sugar Factory, His Excellency Abay Tsehaye , Director General of Sugar Corporation , extended his congratu-latory message to the leadership and employees of the factory for the great result they scored within a short period in minimizing expenditure, showing high motiva-tion and satisfactory production gained through the appli-cation of kaizen. Abay further said “ we are proud of you for bringing about tangible results on the cane cultiva-tion, cane chopping and transportation process, factory sewerage schemes and on the remarkable jobs done on the warehouse , garage and the workshop of the factory using only your creative mind and following your suit-able new working system while asking no extra budget and machinery”.

Mengesteab Gebrekidan , Deputy Director General of Kaizen and IT Division of the corporation on his part dis-closed that applying Kaizen Wonji/Shoa, Metehara and Fincha sugar factories have been able to save tens of millions Birr during the past nine months out of which 71% is registered by Wonji/Shoa Sugar Factory. He further said that, through the application of Kaizen, it was able to raise the awareness of employees in bringing about sus-tainable improvement with minimum cost, looking towards themselves rather than at external ones while facing problems, working and deciding in teams, improving the service giver and recipient relationships and in making

working places clean, well organized and attractive ones. The dedication as well as the initiative of employees and management members of both the corporation and the sugar factories are the reasons behind the screen for the commendable result registered, Mengesteab added.

Attakleti Tesfaye, General Manager of Wonji/Shoa Sugar Factory, on his part disclosed that the factory is found applying Kaizen at institution level forming 589 develop-ment teams with 3,973 members drawn from all divisions which above everything else out ways in bringing about attitudinal change among the employees. He further pointed out that various works have been done which have made the philosophy and application of Kaizen the main principle not only on working places but also on the residential areas too. Applying health extension packages at residential areas of the factory has enabled to register good result while community policing is also found being exercised, Attakleti added.

Eventually, management members and employees of Wonji/Shoa Sugar Factory who have scored remarkable result have received prizes from His Excellency Abay Tsehaye, Director General of Sugar Corporation and other senior management members.

Applying Kaizen philosophy and management at facto-ries, projects and the head office, Sugar Corporation is found working vigorously so as to bring about a working atmosphere that enables to reduce administrative and production costs; improve production quality and maximum resource utilization ; increase product and productivity as well as establish a system that partici-pates all the employees.

P r o j e c t C r e a t e d J o b O p p o r t u n i t i e s t o 6 , 6 9 5 C i t i z e n sKuraz Sugar Development Project has created job opportunities to 6,695 citizens, the project General Manager disclosed.

According to Nuredin Asaro, General Manager of the project a total of 6,695 jobs were created for the local communi-ties during 2005 budget year out of which 505 are permanent ones.

The report from Public Organization Division of the project on its part pointed out that out of 33 micro enterprises orga-nized in the project, 17 have saved more than 30 thousand Birr with their bank account while in a bid to assist these asso-ciations, a micro enterprises service giving

station is opened at the main town.

Other thirty students who have completed grade 10 and selected from Nyangatom and Salamago woredas have gone through a three month tractor operator training program held at Chancho training center on the month of May /2013 , it was learnt.

It is to be recalled that Sugar Corporation had earlier trained 202 youths recruited from families of the local pastoralists and farmers of Jinka town and eight woredas of South Omo Zone on masonry/building/, carpentering, welding, painting, electric installation and plastering.

Youths at work

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Unlike prior governments of Ethiopia the power of the ruling government emanates from the Ethiopian nations, nationalities and peoples. Hence, any government polit-ical, social and economical activity is exer-cised as long as it is to the benefit of the general Ethiopian people.

In a bid to bring the economic develop-ment of this nation to the level of middle income economies the government has set a five years growth and transforma-tion plan. Accordingly, to realize the plan mega projects are now being carried out in different strategic economic sectors. And, one among these is the sugar devel-opment sector.

Based on a profound study and proving the huge potential of our country to the sector, the government has planned to build ten new sugar factories at various regional states while conducting expan-sion work at the existing ones. As a sugar

development project calls for the construc-tion of large dams & long distance canals; the building of both residential and non residential houses & service giving institu-tions which are many in number ; the culti-vation of vast sugar-cane plantation field and etc , these huge task has befallen on the shoulders of Sugar Corporation.

As sugar development projects demand large sugarcane plantation field, it unavoidably brings about displacement of the people living at the command areas. And, it is at such juncture that the gov-ernment is expected to prove its popu-list essence and conduct resettlement pro-grams out of the will of the people to be

relocated effecting proper compensation fees and making ready irrigable tilling land and grazing land to them. Hence, as a gov-ernment institution & working hand-in-glove with concerned regional administra-tive organs Sugar Corporation is carrying out the resettlement of those living at the projects’ command areas creating access to various social services and infrastructures.

W A R M W E L C O M I N G R E C E P T I O N O F

K O R A R I T - W O L K A I Y T W O R E D A

The Newly Emerging Town - Korarit

B e l e s C u lt i v a t e d O v e r 1 , 5 0 0 H e c t a r e s o f C a n e* 31 km main canal gone operational

Beles Sugar Development Project has cultivated over 1,500 hectares of cane using furrow, sprinkler and rain gun, proj-ect general manager disclosed. The general manager, Melkie Tadesse said 7 thousand hectares of land leveling is completed to cultivate commercial and seed cane at 6,200 and 800 hectares of land respectively. A 31 km main canal has gone operational diverting Beles River, it was learnt. According to Melkie the construction of three sugar fac-tories is already started by Metal and Engineering Corporation while assembling sprinkler for 10 thousand hectares of land is underway. On other hand, out of the total 10 thousand residential and non residential houses to be constructed for the factories 1,828 residential houses, 70 blocks for day laborers and another 23 for social service purposes are under construction in seven ar-eas of the project command area, he added. Among these some have already started giving services while others are closer to their completion, it was disclosed.

Communities of the project area have become ben-eficiaries of various social services and infrastructures such as schools, health centers, roads, potable water and other services made ready by Sugar Corporation, Melkie disclosed. Similarly, police stations, farmers training and district (kebele) centers are constructed around their villages, it was learnt. In relation with compensation fee, 53 million birr was paid to relocated residents from the projects command area, he further pointed out. The project has also created permanent and temporary job opportunities for more than 12.6 thousand citizens, it was learnt. Beles Sugar Development Project has 75 thousand hect-ares of land for its sugar plantation which is mainly found in Am-hara National Regional State with some in Benishangul Gumuz National Regional State. It will have three sugar factories which are now under construction and when completed & reach at their full capacity, each will have a capacity of crushing 12 thousand tons of cane per day and together they are expected to produce 726, 000 tons of sugar and 62, 481 meter cube ethanol per annum.

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As most of those communities living around the corporation’s projects had been leading their lives devoid of social service giving institutions & various infrastructures, Sugar Corporation has been filling the gap. And, one among these is Korarit of Wolkaiyt Woreda which is located at Hummerra Zone of Tigray Regional State.

Wolkaiyt Sugar Development Project is a typical example where a resettlement program of communities living at the project’s command area is being carried out with full consent of those to be reset-tled . The program is being handled with the proper compensation fee to each and every household and building various social service giving institutions and infrastructures at Korarit. And, therefore, Korarit of Wolkaiyt Woreda which had been left unpopulated except one house-hold with sad story till few months before is now changing into a sort of town.

Sugar Corporation has built one high school, two secondary schools and an elementary school, a health station, a farmers training school, a kebele admin-istration office and twelve water wells at Korarit which help the settlers in bringing with the services at their hand-stretch dis-tances. And, the new residents of Korarit who had had sad stories to tell due to lack of social services in their prior villages are now telling everyone that they are feeling like a singing bird as the resettle-ment program will end their lives which were full of ups and downs.

One of the beneficiaries is a priest by pro-fession named Mirutse Gebre Michael. Mirutse says “ prior to our arrival here we have discussed with government offi-cials about the project & its immediate and long run benefits; and we were also told that every social service institu-tions will be available at our new village

; and when we at last come to Korarit we proved that all is there constructed as promised “. Mirutse further went on saying “the school we had at our earlier village – Kallemma was with the level of elementary one and my children used to rent a house at a town called My-Gaba to proceed with their high school learn-ing which was cumbersome economi-cally”. He is now happy that every social service is at his door steps unlike before.

Letay Gidey is the other woman who had settled at Korarit and she reflects as follows “I have secured the proper com-pensation fee from Sugar Corporation and built my home here; our earlier lives were miserable; we had no access to health stations, schools, potable water, etc; but here at Korarit every facility was ready before our arrival, we are grateful to the corporation!”.

Unlike others Fantahun Mekonen’s family had been living at Korarit alone for the last twelve years. Approached to share his observation about the change taking place at Korarit Fantahun says “ I lived here for 12 years ; I have a farm land, cattle and bee-hives here at Korarit “ and he suddenly ,frowning his eyebrows starts to struggle his tears back from falling down his cheeks and went on saying “ No other household was around while I was leading my happy life with my late wife by the name Ethiopia; But, luck had not been with me that six years back my wife was seriously sick due to a disease known as Kalazar around hot climate areas like Wolkaiyt and Hummera and she was also pregnant with our third child ” .

Fantahun further says “ Then I took her seriously ill body to a town known as Adi-Remetse on foot which had taken about seven hours; I had no other option for there was no transport facility here by then; then taking a transport from Adi-Remetse I took her to Hummera Hospital though she took her last breath there just after giving birth; She was the most unfortunate one as me and my kids will no more face the same challenge ; thanks to Sugar Corporation that every social service has come to our door steps ; here after my children who had been living with the parents of my late wife since then

will come and live with me and they will for the first time enroll in the school con-structed here by the corporation; Thanks to God! All the miserable experiences are gone!” To Fantahun and his family, unlike others, it is the social services and infra-structures themselves which have come to his village - Korarit!

Sugar Corporation has not only provide social service giving institutions and infrastructures to those who have joined the resettlement program but also created job opportunities to 204 unemployed youths recruited among those kebeles relocated from their prior localities due to the project and thirty two of them are females. These youth have undergone a 38 days practical training program on various professions such as building, painting, plastering, metal works, sani-tary, etc. before they are recruited by the project itself and also other institutions which are executing the various jobs of the project. And, to train these youth Birr 940,514 is allocated out of the total Sugar Corporation covers 865.514 Birr while Wolkaiyt Woreda Administration Office has contributed Birr 75,000.

Masho Dessie is a trainee who has got married last year and has only month’s

“I got practical training on painting” -Masho

Project General Manager Amenay Mesfin

“ All the miserable experiences are gone!” Fantahun

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old baby. Asked about the opportunity created to the youth at Wolkaiyt and the training program she says “I got a prac-tical training on painting which I believe has made me capable of doing the job with full skill; it is a very great opportu-nity to the youth like me as such opportu-nities had never been there to our parents here at Wolkaiyt”. According to Masho it is with the help of her husband and her parent in taking care of her new born child that she was able to attend the train-ing program and graduate at the profession of her choice-painting. Masho further added “I quit school at 7th grade, now I have a plan to continue my schooling at the night shift program while I am working at the project; I wish all other females of my age get the same opportunity”.

The other trainee is Asbey Gedey who had no job after completing his high school at 10th grade. Asbey on his part says “Unlike many with disability, I had no doubt in getting the door open for me and when the opportunity came I became one among others selected for the training”. Asbey further added “I got enough training on san-itary science which was substantiated by practice that made me, acquiring the nec-essary skill, capable enough to do the job by my own; I am really grateful to Sugar Corporation for doing everything includ-ing the accommodation facilities and the pocket money during our stay here at the project; as I had been jobless, I am very delighted about the job opportunity I have got at the project”.

According to the Project General Manager Amenay Mesfin 10,217 citizens have got job opportunities just at this early stage of the project and the factory upon its comple-tion and reaching its maximum production capacity is expected to create job opportu-nities to 80 - 100 thousand citizens directly and indirectly. Amenay added “Wolkaiyt Woreda has got great opportunity to invest-ment due to the inception of the project; even at this early stage of the project both local and foreign investors are requesting for licenses to build hotels with four star level, fuel stations, livestock breeding and others”.

Ato Haillie Gebre Medhin, Deputy General Manager of the Public Organization Division at the project says that the office has a plan to train around 130 youth in the second round in agriculture related profes-sions such as animal husbandry, fishery,

cooking and irrigation development skills. Haillie further pointed out that those who are resettled at Korrarit have started con-structing their houses on their own even before they have received the compensation fee for they believe that they are the primary beneficiary of the project. According to the deputy general manager each household has got a farm land that ranges from 0.75 to 1.75 hectares based on their former ownership while there is enough grazing land around.

In line with social issues the project office is also executing the seed and commercial cane plantation as well as the construction of dam and canal, residential and non-res-idential houses and the factory construc-tion job almost according to the plan set for the budget year. Abreham Mulu , Deputy General Manager of Agriculture Division of the project office on his part noted that the project has cultivated seed cane at 512 hect-ares of land at two places namely Kalliema of Wolkaiyt Woreda and Raya of Southern Tigrai Zone each with 300 and 212 hect-ares of land respectively. Mulu further dis-closed that the project office has planned to cultivate both commercial and seed cane at 3000 hectares of land by the coming winter seasons among which 800 hectares will be covered with seed cane so as to be able cultivate 8000 hectares of commercial cane by the year 2006 and 2007 E.C. To

curb the problem of the water pump irriga-tion system interruption caused at Kalliema seed cane plantation activity due to electric failure, the project office has worked with the concerning regional as well as federal offices that the wood made polls are made to be substituted with concrete electric polls through which the electric power line comes to the project from Shirie Town.

On the other hand, as the construction of both the Zarriema May-Day Dam and the 70 Kilo Meters long main canal is crucial to the projects sugarcane plantation develop-ment, Sur Construction P. Ltd. Company is working twenty four hours so as to complete the job within thirty months as per contrac-tual agreement with Sugar Corporation. General Manager of Zarriema May-Day Dam Construction Project Engineer Araya Girmay pointed out that the level of per-formance of the construction has reached 10.5 % till mid of April. He further went on saying “the construction of the main canal is going on side by side with the dam con-struction job; we are working vigorously to conclude the diversion conduit construction till mid of the coming month of September”.

Therefore, Sugar Corporation, while running the Wolkaiyt Sugar Development Project as part of the GTP, has given due attention to the interest of the people living both in and around the project’s command area. And, the people at Wolkaiyt Woreda have not only started benefitting from the project even at its early stage but have also great hope at its front! Wolkaiyt has not only been introduced with various social service giving institutions and infrastruc-tures but has started attracting investors! It is to flourish as an industrial zone soon! There! Korrarit of Wolkaiyt Woreda has also continued with its warm welcoming recep-tion of its guests! AS EVERYTHING HAS ITS OWN TIME TO COUNT!!!

Engineer Araya Girmay

School Constructed at Korarit

Quarterly Newsletter of Ethiopian Sugar Corporation