On a rainy morning in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, Gomejeshewa Bezabih, a street cleaner, was joined by multiple volunteers in removing trash from a sidewalk and sweeping the streets at Lideta sub-city.

They were the residents of the same sub-city, participating in the annual summer clean-up campaign led by the Addis Ababa City administration to improve the capital’s sanitation, drainage system and greenery.

“It is inspiring to see people come together and join us to clean the streets, campaigning for a beautiful and safer Addis Ababa City,” Bezabih said, appreciating the commitment of the volunteers to engaging in deep cleaning.

Gezahegn Desisa, director general of the city’s cleaning management agency, said that more than 750,000 residents are participating in this summer clean-up campaign, bringing together government officials, security personnel, students, business people and even fans of different football clubs.

“The campaign aims to clean and beautify all neighbourhoods of the city, unclog drainage systems, thereby reducing flooding risks ahead of the rainy season,” said Desisa, adding that volunteers are deployed across 119 districts of the city as part of the cleaning program.

The annual summer clean-up campaign was launched seven years ago by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Since then, it has evolved into a powerful civic movement, reinforcing the capital’s ambitious drive to become one of Africa’s cleanest, greenest, and most liveable cities.

Recalling the death of dozens of residents, who used to live along the riverside of the city, due to severe flooding, Desisa said the campaign intends to avoid flooding risks that are caused by improper dumping, improve life quality, and create a healthy and safer environment.

The director general said the campaign has significantly enhanced the city’s appearance, improved public spaces, strengthened environmental awareness, and elevated the quality of urban life, making Addis Ababa an increasingly attractive destination for residents, investors and visitors alike.

Launching this year’s city-wide clean-up campaign recently, Adanech Abiebie, mayor of Addis Ababa City, said the campaign is part of the city government’s commitment to making Addis Ababa more comfortable and attractive for both residents and local and foreign tourists.

“The campaign is not only to clean the city and change its appearance but to improve urban life, safeguard public health, instill environmental stewardship as a cultural norm, and accelerate Addis Ababa’s contribution to national development goals,” she said.

Marta Hailemariam, one of the volunteers, witnessed that Addis Ababa is transforming into a cleaner, greener, safer and more resilient African capital.

“This is more than just a clean-up campaign. It’s about taking pride in where we live and showing that together we can make a real difference. Let’s come together as one community to improve the beauty of our city,” Hailemariam said.

• A Tell Media / Xinhua report