The China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation has provided a second round of donation to a school-feeding project in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.
The foundation has begun raising funds from ordinary Chinese citizens to the tune of 3.6 million Ethiopian Birr (around 171,000 U.S. dollars) since the project, named Smiling Children was launched in May this year.
The latest donations by the Chinese Foundation will provide free meals for students in five primary schools in Gulelle Sub-city of Addis Ababa, benefiting more than 1,000 needy students, on top of another 2,000 students it has helped over the past few months.
Speaking during the inaugural ceremony on Thursday at Qusquam Primary School, one of the beneficiary schools, Haileselassie Fisseha, Deputy Head of the Addis Ababa Education Bureau, said the project supports the Bureau's efforts to improve the educational quality in primary schools in the city.
"We have been striving to ensure educational relevance, equity and quality. But, we had a serious problem and that is the economic capacity of families," he said.
The project was jointly launched in May by the First Lady Office of Ethiopia, China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, Lingshan Charity Foundation, and Ye Enat Weg Charitable Association, a local charity organization to provide free school meals for destitute primary school students.
Wu Peng, Director of International Department of the China Foundation Poverty Alleviation, noted that the launch of the new project would help the peoples of China and Ethiopia get closer and further strengthen bilateral friendship.
According to Haileselassie, support from the Chinese Foundation has brought the total number of the school-feeding program beneficiaries to 20,000.
Established in 1989 and having commenced its support at international level in 2005, the China Foundation Poverty Alleviation has carried out aid projects in 14 countries.
