02/01/2026
YMCA Ethiopia proudly inaugurated the Addis Ketema Football Field, marking an important milestone in our commitment to youth and community development through sports.
We were honored to welcome Honorable Mekiyu Mohammed, State Minister of Culture and Sports (Sports Development Sector), as our Guest of Honor. He highlighted that Ethiopia has a large youth population and emphasized the government’s strong commitment to developing sports infrastructure in collaboration with private institutions, cooperatives, and organizations like YMCA. He appreciated YMCA Ethiopia’s long-standing work in strengthening young people’s physical, mental, and spiritual well-being and reaffirmed the government’s support for such initiatives.
YMCA Ethiopia Secretary General Befekadu Bezabih shared that this football field is part of Vision 2030 under the Community Wellbeing Pillar, and as we celebrate 75 years of service, YMCA Ethiopia remains committed to investing in youth and community development through sports.
The inauguration was also graced by the presence of Ethiopia Tilahun, Vice President of the African Alliance of YMCAs, and Ephrem Lemma, representing the Eastern Zone of the African Alliance of YMCAs. YMCA Ethiopia Board President also attended the event and delivered a speech, reaffirming the Board’s commitment to investing in community-based sports infrastructure as a key pillar for youth empowerment.
The event concluded with a friendly football match between YMCA staff and the EBS Sports Channel team, celebrating unity, teamwork, and the joy of sport
ባህልና ስፖርት ሚኒስቴር-ኢትዮጵያ Ministry of Culture & Sport-Ethiopia
