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Adama (Nazareth) is paving of three kilometres of
sidewalk with a width of 12 metres using cobblestone
at a cost of 4.3 million Br.
The pavement work is among the major projects
planned by the administration for the 2009/10 fiscal
year, Salih Abdela, Infrastructure Development and
Design Follow-up Process head, said.
A
total of 30km of sidewalks will be paved using
resources contributed by the public, the
administration, the Urban Development Fund, the
Urban Local Government Development Project (ULGDP)
and the Road Fund during the year.
The project is benefiting micro and small
enterprises (MSEs) at various levels. Stonecutters
working at quarries will supply the stone to nine
enterprises engaged in the distribution of the
stones to 398 enterprises that carve the stones into
shape. The carvers sell their stones to those who
will pave the sidewalks. “There are 8,810 workers
involved in the various layers involved,” Salih
says.
“How much we earn depends on how diligent we are,”
said Alem Nigatu, who has been carving cobblestones
for the past 18 months at the Midegda Cobblestone
Carving Enterprise, where she is a chairperson. “I
make at least 800 Br a month or even 1,200 Br if I
work hard enough.”
These workers are paid one Birr to 1.20 Br for
shaping one piece of stone, but the stones are sold
for 1.60 Br to the pavement workers. These workers
make 300 Br per square metre, according to
34-year-old Bekele Dejene, who received training on
the trade from the gtz two years ago. Each square
metre requires 110 pieces of carved stones, Bekele
said.
The administration supports the process by providing
graders and loaders, assigning engineers, arranging
workplaces for the enterprises, as well as creating
market linkages between each of the enterprises in
the chain from the quarry to the pavement making,
Salih said.
The administration expects to raise 36pc of the
total cost of the project from kebele residents and
local businesses. |
