The Ministry of Finance of Ethiopia and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) signed today a 260 000 000 Birr grant agreement to conduct the preparatory phase of reservation and restoration of the world heritage churches of Lalibela.
The agreement also includes the development of the city around its heritage jewel, according to the statement from the French embassy in Addis Ababa. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has requested the Ethiopian government to deliver additional studies and a comprehensive strategy to preserve and restore the site of the 11 churches of Lalibela.
“To support the Ethiopian government and the Ethiopian Cultural Heritage Authority (ECHA) in this endeavor, AFD is granting this additional support to the previous studies conducted in Lalibela from 2019 amounting 109 million Birr,” the statement said.
“It will moreover support the development of ECHA’s capacity and will enable the study of a complementary local development program for the city of Lalibela. This support complements the financing of the immersive exhibition “Lalibela: Carving Faith”, currently presented in Entoto Fine Arts Center until the end of December. It also compliments with the “Sustainable Lalibela” project, implemented by the French Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), jointly with the Church of Lalibela and ECHA.
“Lalibela site preservation, restoration and enhancement was a commitment that the French President Macron took in March 2019 when he visited the site with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
“AFD demonstrates today its strong support to Ethiopian authorities and Lalibela communities to preserve and promote their unique heritage in Lalibela. Through this multiple support, we are not only trying to support the design of a long-lasting solution for the preservation of this exceptional historical and cultural heritage,” said Valérie Tehio, AFD country director in Ethiopia.
“We also aim at contributing to the development of all actors’ capacities, in particular the Ethiopian Heritage authorities, and to the identification of further support to Lalibela communities and city to strengthen their economic and social development. France has a strong experience in using heritage as a lever for attractiveness and economic development and this multilayer cooperation can help Ethiopia to benefit from it”, Valérie Tehio said.
Agence Française de Développement (AFD) implements France’s policy on international development and solidarity. Through its financing of NGOs and the public sector, as well as its research and publications, AFD supports and accelerates transitions towards a fairer, more resilient world.
It also provides training in sustainable development (at AFD Campus) and other awareness-raising activities in France. With its partners, AFD is building shared solutions with and for the people of the Global South.
AFD’s teams are at work on more than 4,000 projects in the field, in the French Overseas Departments and Territories, in 115 countries and in regions in crisis. AFD strives to protect global public goods – promoting a stable climate, biodiversity and peace, as well as gender equality, education and healthcare.