East China’s Jiangsu province has made remarkable progress in its overseas development by tapping into the country’s Belt and Road initiative, as is evidenced by the achievements made by Jiangsu’s investment in Ethiopia.
In the past ten years, Ethiopia has become one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Jiangsu is the largest province in China with investment in Ethiopia. Many Jiangsu companies have participated in and witnessed the new changes brought by the “Belt and Road” to the country.
Ethiopia is the farthest place that the ancient maritime Silk Road once reached out to. It is the origin of the world's finest coffee and the birthplace of world’s best long-distance runners. Ethiopia, second only to the ancient civilization of Egypt in the history of the African continent, is witnessing ever-changing changes due to its participation in the Belt and Road initiative.
In the town of Dukam on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, more and more young people have quit farming and animal husbandry that use to be their source of income for generations and begun to work in the Oriental Industrial Park launched by an enterprise from Jiangsu. The park has provided 15,000 jobs in total to enable the young people earn stable income.
Newly-recruited workers are required to receive pre-job training. The Ethiopian young man by the Chinese name Shanghai said when they entered the factory, they were asked to go to work at eight in the morning, but his colleagues were often late.
Later on, in addition to skill training, the enterprise in the park also carried out disciplinary training, so that they gradually have a sense of time and team awareness. Because of his outstanding performance, he was sent to China for training by his company. Not long ago, he was promoted to be the manager of an operation line.
Shanghai, an Ethiopian worker
I can earn 18000 Ethiopian Birr a month, which is three or four times that of my school mates. I am quite satisfied with the job.
At present, the Ethiopian government has included the Oriental Industrial Park into the national poverty alleviation development plan and the national priority implementation project, which greatly guarantees the supply of water and electricity and transportation logistics.
A representative of the Oriental Industrial Park
There is a customs office in the park. It belongs to the sixth destination port of Ethiopia. The goods shipped from China to the Oriental Industrial Park are directly transported to the park. This is very convenient.
A representative of a Dutch firm in the park
China is here to help build the infrastructures. The roads have made the entire industrial park operate very efficiently.
Following the prototype of the Oriental Industrial Park, the Ethiopian government has drafted and formulated industrial park legislation at the national level. By copying the "Jiangsu experience", Ethiopia will build 14 new industrial parks.
The state of Oromia is the largest state in Ethiopia, the largest fault zone on the earth's land - the Great Rift Valley in East Africa. Here, the thatched houses with African characteristics are gathered into one village and dotted around the grassland. In dry season, the local people rely on small puddles for water. The villagers ride a camel every day to pick up water 15 kilometers away.
A company from Jiangsu delivered water to the doors of the local residents and built cisterns for the villages and schools. In August 2018, Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group wrapped up the digging of 81 cisterns for more than 6,700 residents in 7 villages.
an Ethiopian villager
Many fruits have grown on this tree as we have watered the tree from time to time. The vegetables can also provide enough nutrients to the family members. I hope my children will grow healthily and be free from illness.
In the third phase of the water supply project, Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group will dig 80 more cisterns for the local families and schools.
Since the BRI was launched in 2013, jiangsu companies have brought tremendous changes to the Ethiopian economy and improved the life of the Ethiopian people day by day.
（source：ourjiangsu.com）
