Diaspora Members Visit GERD, Hail It as ‘Ethiopia’s Liquid Gold’ on the Abay River

Addis ababa: Members of the Ethiopian Diaspora visited GERD today, expressing pride as they witnessed firsthand the scale of the country's landmark hydropower project.According to Ethiopian News Agency, the diaspora members hailed the dam as 'Ethiopia's liquid gold.' The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Africa's largest hydropower project, has entered operation, marking a major milestone in Ethiopia's drive to expand electricity generation and meet rising power demand at home and beyond. Members of the Diaspora who traveled from cities including Denver, London, Toronto, and Washington described the visit as an emotional moment after years of supporting the project from abroad.More than 50 diaspora members visited the dam, which has served as a powerful rallying point for Ethiopians worldwide since construction began in 2011. Their support has included fundraising, advocacy, and international engagement aimed at defending the project and promoting Ethiopia's development aspirations.For Mamy Worku, who traveled from Denver, Colorado, seeing the GERD in person was difficult to put into words. 'It is beautiful, gigantic, ginormous. I don't think I have words to explain how excited I am,' she said. Worku called the dam 'Ethiopia's liquid gold,' recalling the sacrifices made by Ethiopians abroad to help finance its construction. She said some diaspora families reduced personal expenses and even sacrificed money intended for gifts to their children to contribute to the project.For Dr. Leulseged Abebe of London, the visit represented the fulfillment of a dream built over years of advocacy. 'It is a dream come true,' he said. Abebe recalled the role played by Ethiopians in the United Kingdom in supporting the GERD, including the creation of the 'It Is My Dam' app, a global fundraising initiative that helped channel contributions from Ethiopians around the world. 'We have struggled a lot for the completion of the dam,' he said, reflecting on years of campaigning and mobilization.From Toronto, Alfia Ibrahim Abdulahi expressed similar excitement. 'It is unbelievable. I can't believe I am here, and I invite everyone to come and see,' she said. She highlighted the Canadian diaspora's financial mobilization and stressed the importance of unity in supporting the project. 'Unity is everything,' she said, noting that Ethiopians from diverse ethnic, religious, and political backgrounds came together around the GERD.On his part, Director General of Ethiopian Diaspora Service, Ambassador Fitsum Arega, said the diaspora's contribution went far beyond financial support. Ethiopians abroad wrote letters, lobbied U.S. congressmen and senators, mobilized funds, and engaged in international advocacy to support the project and communicate Ethiopia's position to the global community, he said. The ambassador further revealed that diaspora communities mobilized 3.2 million USD after the completion of the project, demonstrating that their commitment to Ethiopia's development has continued beyond the construction phase.He said the diaspora's engagement has also expanded into international promotion and advocacy, helping communicate Ethiopia's development story abroad and respond to what he described as misinformation surrounding the country and its projects. For many of those visiting the GERD, the towering structure on the Abay River represents much more than electricity generation. It is a physical manifestation of years of sacrifice, fundraising, advocacy, and collective determination.