The vastness of the building site was at first overwhelming for the young Ethiopian mechanical engineer.
Hundreds were already digging the foundations in tough conditions for what is now Africa's largest hydro-electric dam, straddling the Blue Nile.
Moges Yeshiwas was 27 when he arrived in that remote corner of western Ethiopia in 2012, eager to gain valuable experience in his profession. The completion of the project is set to change his nation, but it also changed his life.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed formally launched the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which will help electrify the country as well as provide power to the region.
The dam wall stretches 1.78km (1.1 miles) across a valley and stands 145m (475 feet) high – it is constructed with 11 million cubic meters of concrete. It has created a huge reservoir, called Lake Nigat, which means dawn in the Amharic language.
The dam's construction on a Nile tributary, which provides most of that great river's water, was controversial with downstream countries, leading to diplomatic tensions with Egypt.
But for Ethiopia the GERD has become a symbol of national pride and, in Abiy's view, it has placed his country firmly on the world stage.
On a personal level, Mr. Moges, now 40, was also very proud to be part of it. Watching the dam's progress day by day was deeply satisfying. I came seeking employment, but somewhere along the way, it stopped feeling like just a job. I grew attached to the project, worrying about its future as if it were my own. There were challenges.
Moreover, he noted that lengthy separations from family were difficult, as he could only go home twice a year due to the remote location of the dam site.
The dam site’s remoteness and extreme heat posed additional challenges with temperatures sometimes hitting 45°C.
The GERD project was a rare unifying force as the Horn of Africa country has been rocked by political violence and ethnic strife in the past decade. While some, like the engineer, worked directly on the dam, millions of other Ethiopians were, literally, invested in it.
Despite claims by former U.S. President Donald Trump asserting that financial support for the dam's construction came from Washington, Addis Ababa maintains it was fully domestically funded.
Now, with all the turbines operational, conversations turn to the impact this power generation will have on Ethiopia. Expected to generate 5,100 MW at full capacity, the dam's energy output will more than double the country's current production levels and enable access for millions of homes.
Water and Energy Minister Habtamu Ifeta emphasized the importance of expanding the infrastructure for electricity distribution, as nearly half of Ethiopia’s 135 million citizens currently lack access to electricity. The goal is to connect at least 90% of the population to electricity by 2030.
As Ethiopia looks toward the future brought by the GERD, many citizens, like Getenesh Gabiso, dream of basic electricity that would better their daily lives.
Despite living close to a major city, she and her family still rely on firewood for cooking and kerosene lamps for light. Getenesh's hopes echo the aspirations of millions who long for the benefits of energy from the dam.
This monumental project not only symbolizes what Ethiopia can achieve but also reflects the hopes and dreams of its people for a brighter future.
