Total & Gash Abera Molla Launch Environmental Project

Addis Tribune (Addis Ababa)
PRESS RELEASE
April 26, 2002
Posted to the web April 29, 2002


TOTAL Ethiopia has recently decided to join with Gash Abera Molla, to help improve the Addis Ababa city environment.

The local subsidiary of the French petroleum Group TOTAL FINA ELF, which has been operating in Ethiopia for more than 50 years now, will initially be funding the rehabilitation of the Churchill Road area for a total amount of ETB 100,000.00, the aim being to develop an environmentally sound and sustainable project in the short-medium term.

The first Phase will consist in cleaning up areas of litter and pollution. Thereafter, the planting of flowers, bushes and trees will create a greener, more pleasant environment. Also, in certain areas where walls have been painted with abstract designs, paintwork will be refreshed to further brighten the neighborhood.

"With a view to insure sustainability of the above improvement works, Gash Abera Molla and his dedicated team will install 30 small and 20 large garbage bins. Street children will be employed to empty the smaller bins into the larger ones, which will in turn be cleared by the city authorities,"read the release.

The novelty of the project will be the installation, for the first time in Addis Ababa, of four mobile toilets in the Churchill Road area. Attendants will be employed to guard the premises and regularly clean them. In order for the above installations to be self-sustainable, a small fee of around ETB 0.10 will be charged for the use of the toilets. This fee will be Kept in a fund used to pay for attendants salaries as well as minor maintenance costs in one-year time and for subsequent years. Access to the toilet will be operated through the insertion of coin that will unlock the door. The possibility of adding solar powered lighting is also being considered.

Speaking about the project, Mr. Roland de Sorbier, Managing Director of TOTAL Ethiopia said, "We at TOTAL Ethiopia truly admire Gash Abera Molla's efforts to clean and beautify the city of Addis Ababa, despite all the odds. His achievements so far are remarkable and we hope based on the success of this project to continue our support in order to improve other areas of the city"

Gash Abera Molla on his part, has acknowledged the support provided by TOTAL Ethiopia and thanked the latter for its concern about the environment in which its customers and the community at large have to live in "We shall do our level best to reward the commitment of TOTAL Ethiopia and make the project a successful one" he said.

Sewyew betam yasdeneknyal ishi! To me that is a mark of a TRUE ETHIOPIAN!!! He doesn't talk, he prefers to ACT!!

actually i have to disagree. the fact that gash abera molla is doing all of this is what makes him extraordinary...an exceptional ethiopian.

ethiopians generally love talking. we dont do sh** but talk. we're all experts in everything in every aspect...we argue ourselves to pieces...that is the true nature of most ethiopians from what i can gather. cause it wouldnt make sense any other way. if the true nature of ethiopians was to do stuff like what gash abera molla was, then how come he's the only one doing it?

we must be some fake ass people yall. for real. peace.

and yeah...i apologize beforehand if im coming off antagonistic. sorry.