Menchen for Menchen Eramarks 130 Million Birr For Execution Of Projects

Addis Ababa, May 22(ENA)-- The Menchen for Menchen Foundation says it has earmarked 130 million Birr for the execution of various development projects in four regional states in 2005, Foundation Vice President said.

In a news conference she gave here on Saturday, the Vice President, Almaz Boehm, said the sum would be spent various development activities including the construction and expansion of schools, health, potable water, alleviation of women burden, agriculture and natural resource protection and capacity building activities.

Almaz said the foundation was working at its level best in six various sectors to attain observable development.

She said eliminating the harmful traditional practices such as tattooing, circumcision, abduction and early marriage would be the foundation's priority areas during the reported period.

The Vice President said that the foundation had carried out various development activities with 1.8 billion Birr in the areas of education, health, agriculture, building of rural infrastructure and social service facilities for rural women in various parts of the country, among others.

For instance, it had constructed three hospitals in Mettu, Maichew and Merabete towns, she said.

It had also built 279 flourmills in various rural areas in an effort to minimize the burden rural women shoulder, she said.

Almaz said the foundation has launched activities in natural resource protection sector in Merabete locality, North Shewa Zone of Amhara State, has enabled to achieve fruitful results.

Over 2.6 million people have become direct beneficiaries of projects that were undertaken since the establishment of the Foundation in 1981, she said.