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The Land of Hope and Glory, Sawa
By Sirak Bahlbi on Aug 4, 2004, 19:43
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To some it might be an extreme paradox or even a down right lie and to others it might sound a case of extreme exaggeration; however to many Eritreans who are willing and able to see beyond the mist that surround this place, Sawa is fast becoming the land of hope and glory that characterizes the very notion of Eritrean determination and values. In the occasion of the 10th year anniversary of the birth of Sawa and the historical event of the 1st Eritrean youth festival, it is an important milestone where we can pause and take a snapshot of this unique place called Sawa.
There is a great deal of anxiety and apprehension that has been surrounding the very creation and operation of Sawa. There has been numerous accusations, allegations, lies, attacks and attempts to discredit by the very people who are scared of the very principle of what Sawa stand for. For considerable length of time, Sawa has become a target of misinformation and the enemies of Eritrea have made it their business to discredit all aspect of Sawa and in a process to curtail all its development. What is very interesting is, the mist and cloud that surrounds Sawa evaporates into thin air the closer you get to Sawa; i.e. the further you travel from Sawa the further you get about the reality of Sawa. Even for some people who live within Eritrea who have never set foot in Sawa has fallen prey to the propaganda machine that is out to thwart the development of Sawa. All that can be said is, however much you read, write or hear about Sawa don’t make a judgement until you have seen it for yourself and understood its goals.
For those people who have been fortunate enough to congregate from every corner of Eritrea and not to mention from every corner of the world during July 23-28 in Sawa and take part in this great occasion, it has given us a time and place capsule in which we have witnessed a true Eritrean determination, tenacity and attitude and has given hope and glory where allegiances was affirmed, where our unity was strengthened, where our colourful culture was displayed, where all ranking officers were decorated and all Eritreans came together and with shoulders held high.
The 1st youth festival organised in Sawa has given an opportunity for thousands of Eritreans residing abroad to visit Sawa and experience the occasion first hand. It was also encouraging to see numerous non-Eritreans from abroad that arrived in Sawa to take part in the festival. This was a great opportunity to witness what really is happening in Sawa and to ask any questions they can think of. Every single individual that arrived from abroad had an all out access to every corner of Sawa and could speak to any Warsai who were trained for the last 10 years. For a military base, which has been accused of continuous allegations of torture, rape and list of other misdoings, there were absolutely no restrictions on whom you talk to and where you go. Everyone had an opportunity to talk from the lowest ranking trainee right up to the top General. For a government who had a lot to hide in Sawa from the outside world, it must have had a monumental lapse of concentration to allow unrestricted access to Sawa, or as the case may be, that they have absolutely nothing to hide and moreover the government has everything to be proud of the achievement that have been made in Sawa.
Sawa has long become synonymous with National Service military training. However national service training is just a tip of the iceberg. Sawa today encompasses a plethora of military and educational institutions that is geared to develop the youth of today into a citizens who are disciplined, productive and who can protect his/hers sovereignty. The military side of the institution does not just include the training of military service but also a range of high-level military training including heavy artilleries, air force and military science. Also the educational side of Sawa is becoming larger and currently Sawa accommodates the education and examination of students who are completing their secondary school. Also Sawa has vocational courses where students can learn metal and woodwork and in addition there is Language and computer courses that students can participate.
If you see Sawa today and if you had seen Sawa 10 years ago, it is only then you would start to appreciate about the enormity of the task that has been carried out to build this place and it is only then you would begin to understand the determination of the Eritrean people and it is only then you can begin to start to understand where Eritrea is heading. Ten years ago Sawa was a made up of few straw huts and tents and one huge determination and goal. Today Sawa is a mid-size town with more than 1000 structural buildings with the necessary infrastructure to supply electricity and water. It can accommodate tens of thousands of people with one large functional modern hotel. It has an internal radio broadcasting service and there is a currently a mode of transportation that is being designed for movement within Sawa. It would be impossible to list all the services and functions that Sawa possesses today within this article; however suffice it is to say it has all the necessary infrastructure to serve a mid-size town.
In a way Sawa is becoming a symbolic icon that mirrors the development of Eritrea after its independence. Sawa was created from a clean slate in 1994 and has undergone a steady and sustained development and finds it self in a position where we can assess the development very easily. Since there was absolutely nothing apart from wild animals, mountains and riverbeds; ten years on it is easy to assess where you started and where you are. The entire town of Sawa was built during the last 10 years, and the people who have dedicated themselves for this cause deserve our admiration and support. If you like Sawa can become the nations thermometer in which we can measure how the entire nation is moving forward and how we are posed to grab our nations future and guide it to stable, peaceful and prosperous nation.
Sawa has also undergone its own trials and tribulations, the same way as the rest of the nation. Leave alone Sawa, when you create any functions, service or installations of this kind and magnitude it will undergo its own steep curve of stabilization process and you can hear all the challenging stories of the initial rounds of the military services, they have taken the brunt of the starting from scratch and did not have the opportunity to enjoy the services that they have helped to create today. The challenges are still there, be it of different kind. The vision for Sawa is still not complete. The widening of the educational establishments will provide Sawa with deeper role in the development of the youth of Eritrea. Each and every individual Eritrean should be proud of what Sawa has become and no doubt the people who has helped to build Sawa will look back with pride and joy of what they have done. The Eritrean land of hope and glory.
Finally, there is just one simple yet a monumental significance to all Eritreans that needs bearing in mind. What if Sawa was not there? What would have happened the last 6 years? What kind of stunt the enemies of Eritrea would have pulled? What would the political and military landscape of Eritrea look like today? It doesn’t bear thinking about. Lastly, I would encourage every Eritrean to visit Sawa and make their own opinions for themselves and possibly help on its development.
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