Why is Mr. Abebe Belew So Concerned about the Oromo Community of Washington DC?

November 27, 2014

The Oromo Community Organization (OCO) of Washington, DC received the FY2014 African Community grant award from District of Columbia Government Mayor’s Office on African Affairs (OAA) for Healthcare Awareness Training and Assessment program. The (OCO) has implemented the grant successfully per guidelines and instructions received with the Grant.

The OCO won the FY2015 African Community Grant award from the Office of African Affairs (OAA) for the second time.  We would like to say congratulations to our community members and thank to the OAA for the award. This grant will be used to expand the health training program we have started and strengthen services by:

• Increasing awareness about DC Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
• Providing health awareness training about high risk diseases (cancer, heart disease, tuberculosis)
• Provide health awareness training about Ebola, its transmission and prevention methods.
• Provide regular health checkup services for Community members at the Oromo House.
• Produce and broadcast health-related information, interviews, and program updates in Afaan Oromo language on local media platforms.
• The grant was awarded to eight Community-Based Organizations, which provide important services to their community in the District of Columbia. The OCO is one of them.

The Oromo Community Organization of Washington DC is the non-profit organization established in 1988 exclusively for one or more of the purposes as specified in Section 501(C) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code and its mission is to foster a unity of purpose and networking among the Oromo Diaspora in Washington, DC Metro Area in order to support one another, and to promote the preservation, continuity and development of the Oromo language, culture, traditions, and provide social services.  To implement these major objectives the OCO raises grants from other donors not only the DC government.

However, surprisingly Addis Dimts Radio http://www.addisdimts.com/ host Mr. Abebe Belew conducted an interview with the Deputy Director of Office on African Affairs of DC on November 22, 2014 and argued that why and how the Oromo Community Organization of Washington DC was awarded the FY2015 African Community Grant from the Office of African Affairs (OAA)?

Among the eight grantees mentioned above, including the Ethiopian Community Organization, Mr. Belew singled out emphatically the OCO grant in his emotion emitting questions. He also questioned the integrity of OCO in implementing the grant and urged the Director to make proper scrutiny. What is the motive of Mr. Belew?

FYI: Mr. Abebe Belew has a hand in article posted on Washington Post dated April 2, 2012 under the title “As separatists in Ethiopia disarm, a new chapter for D.C’s Oromo community it will change Ethiopia and it will change Washington” That created tremendous confusion among our community members and beyond

For detail, please read the Washington post dated April, 2, 2012.

Oromo Community Organization of Washington DC
6212 3 ST NW
Washington DC 20011
Tele: 202-234-1511
Email: info@oneoromo.org
Website: www.oneoromo.org