Young Ethiopians urged to fight poverty on Patriots' Victory Day

Ethiopians on Friday marked the 76th anniversary of Patriots' Victory Day with a call for the young to get inspired by the fight against the Italian colonizers and engage in new battles against poverty.

Patriots' Victory Day is celebrated annually in the East African country to remember the victory against the Italian colonizers in the 1930s. The war, referred as the second Italy-Ethiopian war, ended in May 1936 with victory on the side of allied Ethiopian forces. Ethiopia was, by the time, the only sovereign African nation.

According to Lij Daniel Jote, President of Ethiopian Patriots Association, the young generation needs to be motivated by the patriots' commitment and the sacrifice they made for the independence of the country.

"The victory of Ethiopian patriots over fascist Italy forces is an inspiration for the young generation and taught a lesson for the need to engage in activities that will contribute towards nation building," he said.

The day commemorates the sacrifice made by Ethiopian patriots as a model for the country's current generation to repeat similar victory over poverty, he added.

Solomon Tadesse, a young Ethiopian who takes part at the commemorative ceremony held in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, told Xinhua that celebrating the day is a manifestation for the country's younger generation to work in harmony in the fight against poverty.

"Our fathers have worked hard and defended our country from colonial invasion," he said, adding that "Our current enemy is in poverty and we, the younger generation, have to keep our promises in the fight against poverty towards building a developed nation." Enditem