Addis Ababa University’s (AAU’s) Institute of Technology (AAiT) started the activity of renovating deteriorated houses for needy families located in Arada Sub-city district six of the capital, Addis Ababa, on the 8^th of August 2022.

Addis Ababa Institute of Technology (AAiT) through its community engagement program has a plan to rebuild four dilapidated houses for this year, two of which are located in Arada Sub-city that the renewal has been started right away.

Solomon Kiros (PhD), Director of University-Industry Linkage and Technology Transfer at AAiT said  that the Institute has started such community engagement duties four years ago by coordinating various investors, students and volunteers to rebuild and handed over 5-10 houses every year. “We have started this activity and this year’s entire cost will be covered by a fund found from the internal revenue of the University,” he added.

According to Dr. Solomon, they also have further plans to identify and solve other various problems of the society. “In relation to this, we are engaged to fix problems by maintaining deteriorated laboratory equipments and fixing computer labs in schools and hospitals as well as solving potable water problems at different areas of the society,” he intensified.

Teshome Kefyalew, Deputy Speaker of District six in Arada Sub-city said that they are doing many charity works at the district level within this summer. Among these, house renovation is one of the pioneer activities and has so far rebuilt more than 8 houses supported by different sponsors.

“Supported by AAU Institute of Technology, we have started rebuilding two houses that were damaged due to accident firebreak out. As a whole AAU has been our good partner and working with us on various supportive and charity activities. I sincerely thank on behalf of the administration and the district, and hope that we will do more ahead together,” Teshome said.

Mihret Measho, who benefited from the house renovation program in the district, happily said that AAU is going to rebuild their house which was destroyed by fire four months ago. She noted that they have been in a lot of wandering and problems with her four families and now they have planned to start all the work they lost due to the fire as soon as reconstruction of their house is finished.

Reporter: Tsion Aysheshim

Photo: Fikremariam Beyene

Editor: Abraham Girmay