(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Ethiopia in collaboration with the Sri Lankan community in Ethiopia took part at the Diplomatic Charity Bazaar 2023 organized by the Diplomatic Spouses Group in Ethiopia (DSGE) which was held on 18 November 2023, at the compound of the United Nation Economic Commission in Africa (UNECA) with the participation of a large number of diplomatic missions, United Nations organizations and other regional and international organizations in Ethiopia.
The DSGE Charity Bazaar is an annual event organized with the aim to raise money for the Project Matrix, which is a subgroup of the DSGE that funds charitable projects for the most vulnerable people in Ethiopia.
The Embassy of Sri Lanka together with the Sri Lankan nationals living in the capital city of Addis Ababa and the regional city of Hawassa presented traditional Sri Lankan cuisines and Sri Lankan consumer goods at this unique gathering of local and foreign participants. Over 8000 people enjoyed the diverse cultures of the participating countries.
The event promoted Sri Lankan tourism and rich cultural identity through Sri Lankan culinary and high quality consumer products such as Ceylon tea, Batik designs, handloom items, coconuts products, Sri Lankan spices and Sri Lankan Cashew. This year’s Bazaar featured more than 100 stalls and the Embassy experienced a great demand for Ceylon tea, Sri Lankan spices and coconut products. Live counters preparing kottu roti, egg hoppers with seeni symbol, pol roti with lunu miris and string hoppers with coconut sambol attracted thousands of participants. Visitors to the Sri Lankan Kitchen and Sri Lanka Pavilion were served Ceylon tea with jaggery.
This Charity Bazaar also paved the way for establishment of informal business contacts and people to people engagement with potential entrepreneurs, travel agents and media personalities.