Teseney Sub-zone: Economic, Agricultural and multi-cultural Hub (Part I)

The Teseney sub-zone is among Eritrea’s agricultural and economic hubs. The geographical location in which the sub-zone and particularly the Teseney city are situated is very convenient for transnational economic partnership between Eritrea and the Sudan. The construction of a transnational asphalted road that connects the two countries has enabled citizens of the two nations to having speedy and effective transportation system. Viewing form this light, the Teseney sub-zone not only is an economic hub but also an area where a blend of cultural similarity exists and the people of these two nations are untied across cultures. That is why the Teseney sub-zone is a hub where vivid and lively movements of cultural and economic activities are hallmarks of its valuable assets. The Teseney sub-zone has 83 thousand inhabitants who live in 11 administrative areas. These people earn their leaving as farmers, pastoralists and as traders. Agriculturally, including that of Ali- Guider agricultural area,   the sub-zone has around 27,000 hectares of farm area most of which are cultivated during the rainy seasons. Around 1,600 hectares of vegetable and fruits farming area is also an addition to the agricultural potentials of the area. Around 160 vegetables and fruits farmers have been engaged in cultivating a variety of fruits and vegetables that could be distributed to different areas of the country. The sub-zone is also well known for its livestock resources.

How is the distribution of social services in this sub-zone? Mr.Teklebrhan Ghebreweld, administrator of the subzone has some to say about the provisions of social services institutions. There are a total of 23 schools in the

sub-zone. Let alone to see an administrative area without educational facility, most of the administrative areas rather have up to three schools. The main constraint in the education sector has been the semi-nomadic style of living of some of the inhabitants of the sub-zone. But, “we have been working to address these issues through opening educational facilities to such like inhabitants,” Mr.Teklebrhan said.

All the administrative areas of the sub-zone have access to potable water. For instance, four administrative areas of the Teseney city have sustainable provision of potable water. Likewise, Setimo, Enjhay, Fanko, Talata-Asher, Adi-Omar, Ali-Ghider and collectively 10 administrative area of the sub-zone have access to potable water supply. Mainly, the Gash River has been the main water source for Teseney sub-zone sustainably for all year-long. Likewise, Ali-ghider and Talata-Ashier have been gaining sustainable water supply. The level of underground water resources of this sub-zone have not yet decreased, despite utilizing such a resource in huge amount for agricultural and for household uses. So far, in the first phase, water supply projects worth 144 million Nakfa have been implemented in this sub-zone. In this first phase of water supply project, major tasks have been accomplished in putting in place the preliminary infrastructure that would become a steppingstone for further such like development undertakings.

As regards healthcare facility, there is a hospital in Teseney. This hospital has been rendering good services to beneficiaries from the sub-zones of Forto-Sawa, Golij, Haykota and of

course to beneficiaries from the Teseney sub-zone. There are also healthcare facilities in the administrative areas of Enjhay, Fanko and in Talata-Asher. Generally, all the administrative areas in the environs of Teseney sub-zone gain access to healthcare services in Teseney’s Hospital. Mr. Tekelbrhan said that as the inhabitants have been gaining access to transportation service at ease, there has been no difficulty to reach the healthcare centers in time.