Paving the Way in Southern Ethiopia

A workshop held in the Southern Nations and Nationalities People’s Regional State (SNNPRS) of Ethiopia is the first step towards creating thousands of jobs throughout the region. SNNPRS has identified 22 reform cities in the region which are seen as key places in the development effort. In order to expand the cobblestone project in Ethiopia, which will provide more jobs and improve living conditions in cities, ecbp’s Regional Office in Awassa organized a workshop for the mayors and administrators of these 22 cities.

The workshop, the first of its kind in the country, intended to serve as a forum for these leaders to get more information about the steps necessary to bring this technology to their cities. Since some of the invited cities have already started cobblestone paving, those administrators were able to share their experiences and give advice to cities which are just beginning the process.

The workshop utilized the experiences of some of the attending mayors to share the knowledge with their counterparts in cities with an interest in paving with cobblestones.

 

Cobblestone paving is not really a new concept, even for Ethiopia, where the technology was used over 100 years ago. However, over the past two years, the idea of cobblestone paving, particularly in secondary cities, has really taken off. The concept is simple – local resources are used in a very labor intensive process to pave local roads – saving the foreign currency needed to purchase the components of asphalt and at the same time providing jobs to large numbers of Ethiopians. Now, roads in many Ethiopian cities that would have remained dusty and muddy, and therefore infrequently used, are becoming high traffic through fares.

Streets in Awassa, like many other cities throughout Ethiopia, are being paved with cobblestones making movement through these cities much easier.

 

The increase in traffic for these areas in cities that have already begun the cobblestone paving project has transformed some neighborhoods into thriving business centers. Owners of establishments which are situated on these new roads are realizing the amount of potential customers who pass by on a daily basis, and are beginning to offer products and services which cater to these people.

The tools needed for cobblestone paving were on display during the workshop so that the mayors could get a better understanding of what is necessary for cobblestone paving.

 

Organized jointly by ecbp and the Bureaus of Capacity Building and Works and Urban Development, the workshop was considered a large success by those involved.  “The mayors and administrators who were in attendance, participated in lively discussions which demonstrated the enthusiasm that they have towards the development and improvement of their respective cities,” commented ecbp’s Regional Coordinator, Susanne Wallstein.

And that is what the workshop set out to do, allow mayors to hear about the experiences in cities already implementing cobblestone paving and give them the information that they need to begin to incorporate cobblestone paving in their yearly plans. At the conclusion of the day, but before visits to some of Awassa’s cobblestone paving sites, each mayor and administrator was asked to submit a personal commitment of what they will do to advance cobblestone paving in their city. Plans were made to hold a follow up workshop in two to three weeks time where the proposed budget plans for the cities’ cobblestone projects will be reviewed and critiqued by their peers.