The Ministry of Youth and Sport invited the British Council to attend and receive a certificate of recognition during the 2009 Summer Voluntary Service Closing Ceremony which was held on 6 September 2017 at Kereyu Resort in Adama, Ethiopia.
The closing ceremony was a unique event which was attended by H.E. Abadula Gemeda, the Speaker of the House of Peoples' Representatives and which celebrated the performance and contribution of voluntary services provided nationally during the summer.
It was noted during the ceremony that the Summer Voluntary Service was the first endeavour of its kind in the country in which more than 10 million youths provided voluntary services valued to be more than 1 billion birr.
The activities which encompassed the entire country included blood donation, education, traffic and road safety, health, social services, environmental protection, prevention of harmful traditional practices, provision of summer training and etc.
The British Council received the recognition certificate in acknowledgment of its participation and achievement towards supporting volunteerism activities in the country.