project manager simegnew bekele says the dam is good for the soul of a country that the world underestimates. we know that we are poor, and we have committed ourselves to come out of this poverty level. reporter: it's an expensive way of tackling poverty, especially without foreign funding. ethiopia's government is financing the mammoth $5 billion dam out of the country's own pockets. quite literally -- because there wasn't enough cash available in the treasury, civil servants' pay was withheld -- ostensibly on a voluntary basis. public donations and lotteries also channeled money into the project's coffers. simegnew: this is a project that will benefit others equally as it will benefit ethiopia. and we know this is a historic river. we have a strong relationship to the downstream countries. they are our brothers, they're our sisters. we are constructing this project in a responsible and professional manner. reporter: that may well be, but downstream, sudan and egypt are fearful the dam will restrict the nile's flow. for ethiopians though, the new dam is not only a symbol of national rebirth