The vastness of the building site was at first overwhelming for the young Ethiopian mechanical engineer.
Hundreds were already digging the foundations in tough conditions for what is now Africa's largest hydro-electric dam, straddling the Blue Nile.
Moges Yeshiwas was 27 when he arrived in that remote corner of western Ethiopia in 2012, eager to gain valuable experience in his profession. The completion of the project is set to change his nation, but it also changed his life.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed formally launched the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd), which will help electrify the country as well as provide power to the region.
The dam wall stretches 1.78km (1.1 miles) across a valley and stands 145m (475 feet) high – it is constructed with 11 million cubic metres of concrete. It has created a huge reservoir, called Lake Nigat, which means dawn in the Amharic language.
The dam's construction on a Nile tributary, which provides most of that great river's water, was controversial with downstream countries. Diplomatic tension with Egypt cranked up and there was even talk of conflict.
But for Ethiopia, the Gerd has become a symbol of national pride and, in Abiy's view, it has placed his country firmly on the world stage.
On a personal level, Mr Moges, now 40, was also very proud to be part of it. Watching the dam's progress day by day was deeply satisfying. I came seeking employment, but somewhere along the way, it stopped feeling like just a job. I grew attached to the project, worrying about its future as if it were my own.
Despite the challenges of lengthy separations from family, extreme heat, and long hours, the collective spirit was evident in this national project. Millions of Ethiopians supported the dam through donations and government-issued bonds.
Now that the turbines are operational, Ethiopia eyes a future powered by the dam, aiming for electricity access for 90% of its citizens by 2030. The dream shared by many rural communities, like Getenesh Gabiso's village, illustrates the hopeful anticipation of renewed life through electrification.
With such potential transformation in mind, the GERD emerges not just as an engineering marvel but as a unifying force, embodying the aspirations of individuals and a nation.
