Arba Minch University celebrated ‘Community Week’ beginning from 4-7th July, 2017, at Main Campus with slew of programs showcasing yearlong achievements via exhibition, panel discussion and poster presentation, etc. in the presence of AMU community and stakeholders. Click here to see the pictures.

Inaugurating the program, President, Dr Damtew Darza, lauded for making stupendous endeavor in serving the society by carrying out innumerable projects and urged the Community Service Directorate to up the ante in the changing socio-economic milieu for needs of the community is dynamic.

In valedictory address, he said for the last 15 years, Ethiopia has been registering fast economic growth and to be a middle-income generating nation by 2025, government is giving huge attention for human resource development. For which, higher education institutions are entrusted with responsibilities to produce apt professionals so that problem-solving research is carried out and community service gets the prominence to ameliorate the social situation.

Public Service and Human Resource Development Minister, Mr Tagese Chafo, officiating the event said, effort made to serve the community is promising. Nevertheless, to improve and expand the service, there is a need to execute potentially important tasks like assessing needs, prioritizing them, coordination with community and administrators and then formulate strategy to address the identified core issues in a phase manner.

Community Service Directorate Director, Dr Teklu Wegayehu, informed the gathering that yearlong achievements have been published in a booklet and exhibition has featured innovative outputs. He adds that Woze-Shara Watershed Management project has arrested land erosion, flood frequencies and increased forest cover. Sahay Solar Projects have electrified nine schools and 15 Health Centres and under Integrated Adult Education and Training project 70 elders could pass Grade-4.

Other key achievements include construction of class-rooms for Full Primary School at Limat and drinking water facility, consultancy and short-term trainings, free-legal services at Jinka, Konso, Arba Minch, Sawla, and Mirab Abaya, in-service trainings to staff, tutorials for students and saplings distribution by nurseries at Arba Minch, Mirab Abaya and Bonke. Arba Minch Town square beautification and strengthening of Arba Minch and Sawla Secondary and Preparatory Schools’ infrastructure will be carried in a stipulated time-frame.

The last day panel discussion focused on Directorate’s activities and impact assessment on Woze-Shara Watershed Project in the communities. Mr Tagese Chafo and Dr Damtew Darza distributed mark-sheets to those graduating elders; Gamo Gofa Zone Administrator, Mr Esayas Endrias, and other officials graced the event.

The innovative outputs featured in the expo were, water-bed incubators, banana fiber extractor, injera baking machine, sliding white board, heart-beat monitoring unit, Information repository and Location Service systems, Tyre-ring separator and Compound light control, etc.

Being elated for organizing such a unique celebration in an organized manner, Dr Teklu said, ‘‘We are finding ways to transfer some of the technologies to community and many shelved research outputs will be converted into projects to address the problems of society,’’ he summed up.

(Corporate Communication Directorate)