Eritrea - Ministry of Information

The memories of Festival Eritrea 1992 has not still faded from my memories. Even though it was a gathering of people from all walks of life, I believe that children of that particular period still cherish in their minds fresh memories of the 1st festival. It was then a fist of its kind to all Eritreans. As it was held next to 1st Eritrea’s Independence Day anniversary it was a unique gathering which united all Eritreans in one platform in post-independence Eritrea. It has now been 21 years since then and a conference assessing national festivals has been opened yesterday in the Expo grounds in Asmara. How effective have the national festivals been is the major topic set for discussion in the conference. Papers that discuss about the impacts of festivals that continued to be held before and in the post-independence period are being presented.

Different kinds of mines, mine detectors, heavy and light artilleries of different sorts, photographic exhibition, utensils which rather seem useless materials among others were items staged in a pavilion which stayed open for about a week as part of the programs organized to colorfully celebrate Eritrea’s 22nd Independence Day anniversary. Saving lives as much as possible was the primary goal of mine detection, destruction and deactivation activities that were carried out by the EPLF. The livelihood of freedom fighters and the weapons they used to have from the more primitive type to a modern one were displayed in the temporary pavilion just next to the building complex of Central region administration.

“Free like a bird”, is what the people of Eritrea has been reciting for the last 22 years of independence. A bird flies to the skies without any hindrance and travels to different corners of the world as it wishes. Thanks to independence, Eritreans are enjoying a full-fledged freedom. They travel and work in any corner of the country as they wish. They are making use of any possible opportunity independence grants them. Even though they started to live happily ever since the very Independence Day, Eritreans inside the country and from overseas altogether have annually been enjoying a week-long celebrations of Independence Day anniversary which  always add relish to their day-to-day living.

Different slogans written in bold letters in Tigrinya that could roughly translated as “Green land: Secured life”, “Relentless Effort for Green Campaign”, Trees: the Very Means to Existence” were among the banners hanged on different corners of Molober Club in the Expo grounds. It was an occasion to commemorate May 15, National Greening Day. The messages the slogans convey is of high value for it tells the very dependence of any living thing on the safety of natural vegetation resources. It was indeed a platform for people with an interest in forests to share their views and work together to ensure  the sustainability of the endangered species of natural vegetation and thereby to adopt mitigating strategies.

Three kilometers from Mendefera, just on the right and left sides of a village known as Kudofelasi, there exists vegetables farm area.  Situated in the middle of such farm scenery there is a large building which, at first glance, seems as if a new village is being constructed. Up on stepping one’s foot on the very beginning of a courtyard of a huge building, one could only notice of busy workers making moves here and there. The spaciousness of the courtyard makes one feel as is making tours on the streets. The large but which seems semi-finished hall, is just a reminder which makes one come back to the actual senses. The moo sound of the cattle is just a welcoming gesture which gives one a hint of the activities regularly conducted inside this building complex—dairy farm as well as poultry.

Dairy farm association of Mendefera sub-zone and its environs was founded in 1996. This association started its activities with 114 members under the umbrella of Agriculture Ministry’s branch office and the Administration of Mendefera sub-zone. This time, the number of members has grown to 1,327 with the ever-increasing interest of individuals who have been joining the association. What this implies is that, if a little assistance of experts forwarded any potential farmer could make a difference in securing dairy products of the sub-zone and by large of the country.