"Today is a date in which we celebrate the beginning of the final chapter in our dam's construction."

Demeke Mekonnen, deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia, addressed the crowd of tens of thousands in the capital celebrating the progression of Ethiopia's most anticipated project of the 21st century. Through a decade of daunting construction, the country has recently finished the first stage in filling the reservoir of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (or GERD). Ever since its inception in 2010, the GERD has assured economic salvation for the millions stuck in poverty within Ethiopia. While controversy regarding the dam's effect on the surrounding nations have remained, negotiations have redeveloped last month between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan under the African Union. Swipe right to learn more information about the GERD and just how impactful it is to Ethiopia and other countries!