The Ethiopian section of the SMLH-ONM, Société des Membres de la Légion d’Honneur and Ordre National du Merite, as part of their three-month food support project for disadvantaged students of Hizbawi Serawit School and their families, donated the last and third round assistance on Saturday August 1.
The project that was launched on June 6th aims to benefit 100 students and their families in need of support from the school. To realize this project members of SMLH, Zemen Bank Labour Union, Icare ye Lycee LiJ, and other companies and individuals came together to contribute their part as their corporate social responsibilities.
“Our association, SMLH-ONM has provided basic need support for 100 students and their families aiming to alleviate the challenges that they face in relation to the COVID 19 pandemic for the last two months,” said Teguest Yilma, President of SMLH-ONM Ethiopia.
“Over 500 family members will be beneficiary of SMLH’s initiative,” Teguest explained saying “this is to encourage the students to focus on reading and studying as much as they can while they stay at home because of the pandemic.” She also thanked all those who supported the initiative.
Students and their families received basic food items like teff, edible oil, pasta, flour and sanitary products. This will continue for another one month, until September the end of the rainy season and hopefully school will resume, she said.
For SMLH that is formed to strengthen cooperation and friendship between French and Ethiopian communities, providing support for Hizbawi Serawit School is not the first time; the association has also inaugurated a tap water and hygiene facilities for the students.
Commander Pierre-Francois Ferri Navy- Military Advisor at the French Embassy said that France will always stand with Ethiopia. “France will assist in everything it can to support Ethiopia,” the Commander said during the event.
These students were part of the Addis Ababa City Government school feeding initiative that provides breakfast and lunch to children who go to school, but since schools have been closed due to the pandemic, the program has been halted.
Zerihun Korme, Yeka Sub City Woreda 2 Education Bureau Head also said that the community should stay vigilant about COVID 19. “The families and the students must be more careful in protecting themselves and others around them in these difficult times.”
Several actions have been carried out by the members of the SMLH for the benefit of the Hizbawi Serawit School, in particular through educational projects.
SMLH Ethiopia has supported the school in Addis Ababa which is located in a popular and historic sector north of the capital. Close to the French Embassy, this district, called “Farensaï”, was reserved in the 1960s by emperor Haile Selassié for the settlement of the families of the combatants who participated in the first peacekeeping operations in Korea and Congo.
The association of SMLH Ethiopia was formed in 2013 by the recipients of the French government’s award of the Legion of Honor and Ordre National du Merite in recognition of eminent services rendered to their country and the strengthening of Franco-Ethiopian bilateral relations. SMLH-ONM Ethiopia brings together the decorated of these two French national orders living in Ethiopia, both French and Ethiopian nationals.
Since 2017 the section was joined by those honored with French ministerial awards, mainly academic awards in arts and literatures as well as agricultural merit, and maritime merit among others.