Self-reliance is the golden principle by which Eritrea achieved its
independence from foreign domination. Again, after independence, Eritrea's
development strategy is based on self-reliance and the state is working
accordingly. I am reminded of the saying: "Seeing is believing." Someone
who has got the chance to explore Eritrea before and after independence
needs no explanation. The achievements registered in Eritrea over the last
18 years in the national reconstruction activities in the transportation,
education, health, and agriculture sectors are enormous. These achievements
are from scratch; scored under the principle of Self-reliance. As compared
with other developing countries that got their independence sixty years
before, the young state, Eritrea, has recorded extraordinary national
progress.
In the beginning, when Eritrea emerged from a 30-year long arduous armed
struggle for national independence, it inherited a ruined physical,
economic and social infrastructure and plainly an empty treasury. Ever
since the attainment of national independence, the people of Eritrea have
been fighting to win the bigger and more challenging dream - to construct a
new country from a war-battered economy. To meet this national dream,
numerous tasks in the reconstruction of the social, economic and physical
infrastructure are being taken up. The government has been fighting against
various challenges in different sectors. Lying infrastructure is one of one
of the sectors in which the government has been doing intensive efforts. So
far, in the last few years, great successes have been achieved in
infrastructure activities in the country. Many residential buildings,
health and educational facilities have been built; including roads,
railways, dams, residential houses, infrastructure facilities of airports
and the like.
A brief overview of some of the achievements registered in Eritrea over the
last 18 years in the national reconstruction activities in the fields of
transportation, education, health, and agriculture sectors alone would
provide us with adequate demonstration on the success of the
nation-building process. In the field of education, as part of both the
country's short and long-term development strategies, the government of
Eritrea has invested heavily into the development of one of its greatest
resources, its people. As shown by various indicators, Eritrea's
commitment to the physical and intellectual development of its people is
enormous. With the few resources available to it and even in the midst of
war, the country has been able to take command of the educational capacity
of its people. To meet a qualified human resource, the government has been
doing vast investment on the construction of educational infrastructure.
This is because the government has the belief that the current national
reconstruction process of Eritrea is centered on educational reformation.
As a matter of fact, the only university existed in the country at the time
of independence in 1991, the country now spread out universities and
colleges, which offer graduate degree and diploma programs. It has
established about eight colleges at tertiary level within a short span of
time to build human resource required for the present and future.
High-level education institutions with a special attention on science and
technology have been constructed. Eritrean Institute of Technology, Halhale
Business and Economics College, Hamelmalo Agricultural College, Marine
Colleges at Massawa, Health College at Barentu, and College of Medicine in
the capital Asmara are some among others. In view of that, lots of youths
are graduating from these colleges every year. They are now playing a part
in the national development programs. The emergence of these new classes of
trained youth from these colleges blended with disciplined minds and
skills, instead of raw graduation, will greatly help in the growth of
high-level trained manpower to the nation. This will certainly have
enormous drive in solving the problems of the nation thorough applied
research and the generation of new knowledge. Furthermore, the number of
elementary, junior, and secondary schools is increasing. According to
reports from the Ministry of Education, the number of schools has increased
by almost 90 percent since independence. Consequently, the enrollment of
students also increased from 60 thousand to 700 thousand.
In the health sector, hospitals and clinics now located throughout the
country increased by over 200% and are providing services to communities
that were formerly neglected before independence. Since the dawn of
independence, several referral hospitals, maternal and pediatric health
centers have been constructed. At the regional level, referral hospitals
have been constructed in Asmara, Barentu, Mendefera, Ghindae, Assab.
Additionally, clinics have been built at almost every village and town in
Eritrea. Meanwhile, according to reports, health professionals have
increased almost by 90 percent. As a result, remote villagers, and the
urban dwellers are equally enjoying access to social services of health
facilities.
In the transportation sector, based on reports, transportation, mostly in
the rural areas, more than 1500 km long earth roads, 605km long gravel
roads and 527 km long asphalt roads have been constructed since
independence. These roads, in addition to their social significance, they
have been playing a role in enhancing tourism. To say more, the amazing
Shebah-Serejeka, the road that crosses tourist destination places in the
northern escarpments of Eritrea is an example of hard work determination of
Eritreans. It is one of the main lines through which international tourists
visit the hills and the coastal areas of Eritrea. Demhina-Karibosa, the
road under construction by Biddho Construction Company and the
administration of zoba Debub is another example. It connects the historical
sites of Adulis and Zula with Qoahayto, Keskese, BelewKelew, and hence, its
importance to tourism. More interestingly, as it connects many villages
with the cities, it is important for the socioeconomic well being of the
people of Eritrea in general and those who are living around it in
particular. Meanwhile, others, such as the Massawa-Assab and Barentu-
Teseney roads were constructed and asphalted. Additionally, the 119 km
Asmara -Massawa railway has been reconstructed. The rail system was
entirely dismantled, its iron rails used to make bunkers. The railway has
now been renovated; it has stared rendering transportation service. It is
expected to give additional impetus to the development of tourism industry
to the country. This effort optimizes the fundamental principle of the
Eritrean national development program -- 'progress through self-reliance'.
As part of infrastructure development, construction of bridges by national
construction companies was also a successful activity. Important bridges,
such as, Engerene, Primakantry, along the road to Teseney, Adi-Keshi and
Haykota have been constructed. The renovation of the port city of Massawa
is another significant work during the last few years of independence. The
war had left Massawa in ruins. Port facilities in Massawa were badly
damaged by heavy bombing after the city was liberated in February 1990.
Water and sewage systems in the town barely functioned. Heavy military
vehicles had torn up the few asphalt roads. It is under further
reconstruction in a bid to serve as a free zone port. Parallel with it, an
international airport has been constructed, and Massawa. Housing
projects that suit the Eritrean free zone are underway.
Such a project is not limited in Massawa only but also in many of the
regional centers, such as, Asmara, Keren, Barentu and so on. Because the
vast potentials of the agriculture sector in Eritrea require infrastructure
development, improving agro-infrastructure development would be important
to guarantee food security. More than 80 percent of the people of Eritrea
depend on agriculture. And Building dams and introducing new agricultural
projects are therefore the means by which agriculture can be modernized.
The government has been taking steps to enhance it, and has been
satisfactory. Scores of dams have been constructed. Gherset-Teseney, Fanko,
Semomo, Warsay, Digsa are some among the most commendable ones.
In short, Eritreans are constructing their state from scratch, doing it
much as they won their sovereignty - through their own efforts and on their
own terms. The principles by which Eritrea achieved its independence from
foreign domination, namely self-reliance, continue to drive the development
efforts of the country today with intensity. But then again, one needs to
remember: national reconstruction is a process; it takes time and effort;
it is not an overnight assignment. Moreover, National unity and a bright
atmosphere of national consciousness and positive spirit of preparedness is
the number one criterion to rehabilitate and reconstruct the war battered
country. Period.
By: Seare Habtemichael
Received on Wed Feb 06 2013 - 23:15:53 EST
