A Chinese heavy machinery manufacturer is helping an Ethiopian primary school with a water cellar project to address water shortage.

The project harnesses rainwater for the Oda Nebee Primary School in Oromia Regional State of Ethiopia, about 30 km south of capital Addis Ababa.

Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group (XCMG) has provided funding for the project through China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA), a Chinese NGO operating on charitable initiatives and projects.

The project at the school will also be used as a demonstration for local farmers to scale up the technology in the area.

The Oda Nebee Primary School cellar project is a pilot of 50 cellar projects that XCMG has intended to construct in different parts of Ethiopia, for communities with difficulty in access of water, according to Xiao Xiao, XCMG East Africa Regional Manager.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the project, Xiao said the project is one of the projects carried out by the company in its social responsibility initiatives.

He noted that the company would construct more such projects in different parts of Ethiopia, where there is water shortage.

"After the first water cellar is completed, we will build other 49 water cellars around Ethiopia to help solve water shortage during dry season," noted the regional manager.

Dejene Dekebe, a teacher at the school, told Xinhua that the water cellar project would alleviate water shortage in the school, where the main water source is a borehole 4 km away.

"It is beneficial not only for the students but also for the local community," said Dejene. "We don't have water and the students do not attend their lessons properly, especially during dry seasons here as they will be thirsty."

Roman, a grade four student, said the project would be very beneficial for the students.

"We are bringing water with plastic bottles because we feel thirsty, and we don't have water here (at the school) for drinking," she said.

By Africa.news.cn