Derba MIDROC puts up 40 million birr school building for community
Addis Ababa (January 31, 2020) – A modern school building constructed with financial support of Derba MIDROC Cement (DMC) PLC totaling 40 million birr at the premises of Mekane-Hiwot Kindergarten and Elementary School in Addis Ababa was handed over to the community through the city’s Education Bureau.
Speaking at the handing over event in January 2020, DMC Chief Executive Director (CED) Mr. Haile Assigdie expressed his pleasure to see the school environment changed for the better to accommodate young students from around the village of ‘Ferensay Legacion/Eyesus’ and beyond.
Ato Haile said that he is hopeful that the completion of the modern school building would facilitate a smooth teaching-learning process with a standard physical class-room situation.
“The present donation is part of the overall Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts of the Derba MIDROC Cement. I hope similar efforts would also continue in the future as our CSR focal point is engaging in the assistance of young students,” the CED added.
“It is really difficult to compare our present and past situations.”
Mekane-Hiwot Kindergarten and Elementary School Director, Mr. Buzuayehu Tadesse
The School Director Mr. Buzuayehu Tadesse on his part said that the school environment has radically changed for the better. Looking back to the previous situation the Director says “It is really difficult to compare our present and past situations.”
“We had only two class rooms for our kindergarten and they were made of only metal sheets and were very shabby. In the morning it was too cold for the small kids to attend classes and in the afternoon it was too hot for them and we were in difficult situation,” he said.
“As we have now a modern building with 60 class rooms, a library, ICT Center and laboratory, the school is awarded ‘level 3’ standard by the pertinent inspection experts of the Education Bureau of the city due to the completion of the new building in just few months,” Mr. Buzuayehu indicated.
According to the Director, the G+4 building is dedicated to W/ro Rukiya Mohammed Yasin, the mother of Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Ali Al-Amoudi, Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia. The new building has improved the class room-student ratio to the national standard limiting only to 40 from the previous 70 to 80 students per class room.
“Thanks to Derba MIDROC Cement and its boss Mr. Haile Assigdie, now we have enrolled 1500 students from only 774 and students are very comfortable with the new classrooms (500 kindergarten and 1000 elementary levels).
“…now, thanks to Derba Cement, we have access to a library, ICT Center and not only theoretical education but also practical lab experiments.”
Azeb Nigusse, a grade eight student at Mekane-Hiwot Kindergarten
and Elementary School
Azeb Nigusse, 16, a grade eight student, is now very happy with the improvements she has witnessed in the school. She has pursued her education from grade 3 to 8 in the same school and she knows the past and present situation of her school.
“Our class rooms were crowded and suffocated before the construction of the new building, now we have access to a library, ICT Center and not only theoretical education but also practical lab experiments.”
She further indicated that the students have now spacious and relaxed play ground and expressed her thanks to the Derba MIDROC Cement.
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy, DMC has been making similar efforts since its inauguration in 2012 to discharge its obligations in environmental protection, ensuring social development, expanding health care and improving livelihood especially around its cement factory in Derba area.
Concerning environment protection, the company ensures all compliance with the environment and social standards of Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).
