Remarks by the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Inauguration of Cooperative FIAAN’s Solar Power Plant
Cooperative FIAAN, Douda on July 28th, 2022
It is a pleasure to be here with you today to officially inaugurate this solar system. This is not just any solar system. This one specifically supplies electricity to power pumps and an irrigation system. All for use by the members of the FIAAN farmers’ cooperative. The 47 farms who benefit from this solar power have reduced their energy costs by 74% making their cooperative project more affordable and sustainable. The United States is proud to have contributed funding for this project.
Our participation in this project is just one part of our contributions to improves lives and livelihoods here in Djibouti. In the last year, through USAID the U.S. government has provided $8.2 million in humanitarian assistance to Djibouti, supporting approximately 80,000 Djiboutians and refugees in need. We see that U.S. support is more important than ever given the impact of the severe drought and the COVID-19 pandemic. This support includes distribution of food, cash supplements, vocational training and addressing malnutrition for women and children.
The United States Government is pleased to contribute to the efforts already undertaken by the Djibouti’s Ministry of Agriculture, and to work closely with our like-minded international partners such as the European Union, FAO, and especially WFP without whose tireless efforts this day would not be possible!
We hope that the funds provided by the United States Government will help the cooperative members provide for your families, improve your standard of living and increase food security for all Djiboutians. Our goal as your longstanding partner is to contribute to Djibouti’s self-reliance in the long term—because a strong and self-reliant Djibouti contributes to our shared goals of stability, security and prosperity for Djibouti and the region.
This project is another great example of development partners working together to fight food insecurity, provide jobs, strengthen self-reliance and increase incomes.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate the commitment of the United States Government to strengthen our cooperation with the people of Djibouti.
Let us celebrate together the dedication of these cooperative members and their willingness to partner with us in this solar power plant that will increase resilience and self-sufficiency of the community of Douda and Djibouti.
