Three Years After Meles

Meles was a transformational leader for Ethiopia. But his influence reached far beyond Ethiopia’s

boarders. He was a leader who deeply cared about the poor and less fortunate. Always showing signs of brilliance at whatever corner and whatever topic he turns out to be. He was an outlier amongst his peers with superior knowledge and deep understanding of local and international sociopolitical issues. Ethiopians will forever be grateful for all the sacrifices he made and for inspiring them to put their country back onto its glorious past.

His shortcomings, perhaps two things: first, having died in office, not being able to really call it quit and prove his opponents and naysayers he was not clinging to power, but rather trying to push this agenda and that agenda forward for the betterment of his people. I suspect in the grand scheme of things, he probably believed he had plenty of time. Unfortunately the unexpected death came too soon.

Second, failing to include strong willed people who don’t necessarily fully agree with his politics or policies; people who have their own vision on how Ethiopia should develop. The lack of ‘team of rivals’ in key posts and in his circle if you will. I assume he took a calculated risk of surrounding himself with a lot of Yes Men in favor of developmental expediency. Because, it was clear to him what was needed to be done and he needed people to do what he asks of them; minimizing and shortening the long zigzag path that a true democratic process often requires to reach a decision point.

This in hindsight however, in the absence of a visionary leader, has left us with a lot of Yes Men, who lack vision and a sense of clear direction; aside from their constant empty rhetoric of staying the course and implementing Meles’ policies to reach his goal of Ethiopia achieving middle income country. But, they have excelled at one thing for sure, labeling anyone who questions their ineptitude and lack of commitment as detractors of the grand vision. Thus far no one has been able to reframe that defensive argument and tell the Yes Men, no that isn’t so in a manner that resonates with the masses.

Three years without Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia is certainly still making a lot of positive progress, but not as much as it should. I say this because with some changes and genuine commitment, we could achieve so much more than what we are currently achieving both on the economic and democratic fronts. Ethiopia’s biggest problem is the lack of leadership and good governance.

One of the best things Meles did was telling us time and again that our country is poor and accepting that very fact and taking that understanding to heart was the foundation of it all. There is nothing more moving and captivating than watching Meles discuss about poverty such as in this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T17u05ENHnw 

Let me finish by quoting one of the things he said, while speaking to thousands of people gathered at the Millenium Hall.  

“የሚሰሩ እጆች ይዘን

የሚያስብ ጭንቅላት ይዘን

የወጣቱ መንፈስ ይዘን

ስንዴ የምንለምንበት ግዜ መቆም ኣለበት!”

ጠቅላይ ሚንስተር መለስ ዜናዊ።

May his soul rest in peace.  

Cheers,

Daniel 

To Change Society Start With Changing Yourself

Let us all embrace the need for influence without authority; by playing a more active role for the betterment of our people, and our own shared values. The ability to influence must be of the highest power. Dependent on conviction and confidence, the power emanates from the reservoir within. Social change does not come swiftly. It comes slowly in bits and pieces. In the words of author Andy Hunt, “Only dead fish go with the flow.” Be alive and awaken. Read my opinion piece published on Fortune Newspaper by clicking this following link.  To Change Society Start With Changing Yourself 

As always, your feedback is appreciated.

I am also recommending Fortune's Editorial, Increase Anti-Corruption Measures To Build Public Trust focused on the Anti-Corruption draft bill Ethiopian lawmakers are  working on. The bill will likely be a hybrid, resembling the best of democracies; at least on a paper. But its practicality will depend on its implementation. Corruption is like a contagious disease. To curtail, control and reduce its pervasive nature, requires resolve, not only from government leaders, but from all well intentioned citizens.  

Cheers,

Daniel 

In Defence of Financial Protectionism in Ethiopia

Every year the Ethiopian government seems to prepare itself to dissent against international institutions’ reports on the country’s economic policies. Often, Ethiopian policy makers find themselves at odds with the likes of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) annual report. In an era of Internet driven globalization, market exchange has come to our fingertips. The benefits of pro-liberalized economic policies are irrefutable; but we must be cautious against any rush to liberalize Ethiopia’s financial sector. Indeed, a conundrum of sorts. Follow this link to Fortune to read the opinion piece.

http://addisfortune.net/columns/in-defence-of-financial-protectionism-in-ethiopia/ 

Career Fair Fever In Addis Abeba

Catching up with the global trend, Ethiopia’s capital city hosted three career fair events in one week.  Devex, LonAdd and Society of Human Resource Management in Ethiopia (SHRME) brought together diverse career professionals and employers. The career fairs provided a platform for a face-to-face human interaction; a CV or an online communication would not have captured otherwise.

Follow this link to read the full article on Addis Fortune, or just read it here below.  
http://addisfortune.net/articles/career-fair-fever-in-addis-abeba/ 

October looked like the career event month of the year in Addis Abeba. There were three career fair events in just one week; record high for the capital that has seen only one career fair a year for the past few years. Devex, LonAdd and Society of Human Resource Management in Ethiopia (SHRME) brought together employers and job seekers for efficient and innovative employee recruitment.

Inside Sheraton Addis’s spacious corridors, Yohannes Leta is seen standing by a door to a large hall with two of his compatriots. Yohannes, chatting with his friends Kebede Etana (MD) and Tamru Demeke, contemplates whether to leave or stay and interact with the international crowd. The diverse crowd, consisting of over 35 nationalities, were there to take part in Devex’s two-day Partnership and Career Forum event from 21-22 October 2014.

Devex, a social enterprise and media platform based in the US, is a membership organisation that focuses on connecting various stakeholders in the development field. Since its first event in 2007, the Addis forum, opened by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tedros Adhanom, was its third Partnership and Career Forum event. It follows six previous Career Fair events held in Washington DC, Manila, Brussels, London, New York and its very first event in Africa, held in Nairobi last year.

Devex aims to bring together government institutions, local and international development organisations. Devex’s staff based in Barcelona, Manila and Washington DC offices teamed up with Eshi Events (a local event organising company) to bring the plan into actualisation along with 15 local volunteers. This specific event was attended by over 30 international development organisations, including USAID, Oxfam, African Development Bank (AfDB) and the British Council. The US based RTI International was the event’s executive sponsor.

Joining these international organisations were 180 local organisational representatives and 280 mid to senior level vetted career professionals.

These professionals, like Yohannes, needed to have over seven years of work experience to attend the event; they had to register through Devex’s website, submitting their Curriculum Vitae (CV) and pay 300 Br. Participants such as Yohannes were there to explore career mobility opportunities with international organisations.

Devex claims to have 600,000 members worldwide. Non-members had to pay 15 dollars or 300 Br to attend the event it organised in Addis Abeba, although that does not translate into profit, according to Devex’s President and Editor-In-Chief Raj Kumar.

“It is sustainable; it breaks even, but no profits. Development is an industry that has a social mission, but it is still a business and that is a great model,” the president said.

The biggest takeaway for some of the mid to senior level professionals was the realisation for the need to self-promotion. Yohannes lamented his lack of communication and his difficulty in articulating his thoughts in English. Citing previous personal experiences, Kebede added, “Employers want to hear what you can do for them. Often times we end up reverting and talking about what is on our CV. Employers, however, expect spontaneous and dynamic communication beyond what is on the CV.”

Two days after Devex’s event had concluded, on 25 October 2014, LonAdd, a local HR Consultant Plc, had organised a similar career fair, which took place at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) inside the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) compound. .

Established five years ago, this was LonAdd’s first career fair. The company provides HR Consultancy including recruitment, training and payroll services to other companies. Netsehet Workneh, the co-founder and Managing Partner sees the need for career fairs and recruitment firms to meet the increasing demand in the city particularly by foreign companies.

Hiwot Abera, who partook in LonAdd’s event, seemed to take a different approach from that of Yohannes’ at the Devex event. Hiwot walked from one company booth to the next lining-up behind a few young recent graduates and spoke to company representatives.

On the same weekend with LonAdd in a different part of the city, SHRME a professional association, that aims to promote the human capital development in Ethiopia, organised a two-day career fair. The 24-25 October 2014 fair at the Addis Abeba University was organised at the request of the Ethiopian Development Research Institute (EDRI).

The association, established in 2008, was contracted by EDRI for 4,400 dollars to organise the event. SHRME will host a similar event for EDRI in February 2015, said Aida Yewondwossen, Project Manager for SHRME. SHRME began organising career fair events in Ethiopia in 2008.

EDRI, a semi-autonomous think-tank and development research institute engages in economic research and policy analysis. According to Girum Abebe (PhD), Senior Associate Research Fellow with EDRI says, the fair was for scientific policy research aimed at a select group of unemployed youth. EDRI, using a normal enumeration from the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), went house to house and gathered a list of over 10,000 names that have completed high school and are unemployed youth. The targeted research group is ages 18 to 29 years old. From the list they used 4,422 as a sample and invited 500 individuals. Amongst those invited for the career fair, Girum says some 300 visitors may have graced each of the two days of the event.

“Only 50 to 60 companies in total came for the two-day fair,” says Girum, who was less than enthused by the results, because EDRI had invited 120 companies.

The demand for career fairs is increasing, because stakeholders find it incredibly re-sourceful, says Aida. In addition to providing a range of HR related consulting services, SHRME organises HR networking events every Friday evening at Capital Hotel. The networking event is open for a fee of 150 Br per event for non-members and 100 Br for members. Individuals can obtain membership for an annual fee of 300 Br.

SHRME is currently gearing up for its sixth annual career fair, which it hopes to attract a thousand or more attendees. The fair is scheduled for 29 November 2014, at the Addis Abeba Exhibition Centre.

One of the more interesting discussions at the Devex event was Managing Your Career In a Changing Landscape, a question and answer breakout session that gave career professionals an insight into how large organisations sift through a vast number of applicants. On the answering end were Joyce Chew, Deputy Director for Global Recruiting Programs for the Gates Foundation, David Munyoro, Chief Recruiting Coordination Officer for the African Development Bank, Celia Kiene, a recruiter with Coffey, (a UK based professional services firm) and Hellen Kong’ong’o, HR Regional Director for RTI International. Kong’ong’o said, the demand and trend for expertise varied from country to country, but that there are specific qualities employers look for. Her organisation, for example, looks for “Soft skills, a combination of core education and experience and a candidate’s attributes such as ethics, integrity and high degree of adaptability.”

“This kind of career fair provides an opportunity to meet a lot of people in a short amount of time. It gives you that personal touch,” said Abeselom Debebe, who was interacting with job seekers at the UNECA.

Abeselom, a managing director with FA IT Services Plc, a company he helped found six years ago, after returning from the UK, where he had lived for 20 years, added that, “The growing trend in these career fairs is a sign of Ethiopia’s growing private sector.” Although, he did not have any vacancy and was not looking to hire, he used the event to collect CVs, so that he will have them readily available when he gets new projects.

From the looks of it, Hiwot, in her 30s, was making sure she spent some time with many of the potential employers, irrespective of whether they had an opening or not. She left a copy of her CV, took their contacts, and where possible filled in application forms.

Netsehet, who urged companies to create internship opportunities for young professionals, says career fairs offer employers access to a large pool of candidates in a short period of time. It also helps them extend their corporate brand and identify future talents.

Peter Joyce, RTI International’s Global Center on Youth Employment General Manager, moderated a panel discussion entitled Africa’s Rising Workforce: Empowering Youth to Drive Economic Growth and Job Creation, shared his frustration regarding what he said was the lack of hands-on technical skills opportunities for African youth. Citing Ethiopia as an example, secondary and post-secondary students, in particular, lack technical experience, he said.

According to a 2012 International Monetary Fund (IMF) report, Ethiopia had a high urban unemployment rate of 17.5 percent. Furthermore, the report stated that core challenges for the country included a skills mismatch due to an inadequately focused education system and a lack of job opportunities in the labour-intensive sectors and demographic dynamics (referencing uneven rates of increase between the youth entering the labour force and the number of jobs available).

Yohannes, a Monitoring & Evaluation supervisor with a USAID funded project, admits his communication shortcomings. He also recognises the perspective gap that exists between Ethiopian job seekers and Western recruiters. Ethiopians tend to be conservative and find it challenging to highlight and articulate their personal skills and career achievements, because they are afraid of being perceived as arrogant and cocky. On the contrary, HR professionals for international organisations seek clarity and confidence from potential candidates.

“I am currently self-employed, doing some construction finishing work,” says Hiwot, who was looking for employment opportunities. “When I get a contract, I usually hire others to do the actual work. It is on demand basis; so it does not require a lot of my time.” She added.

She had just finished doing a brief interview with Jenny Ecuyer of Jolly Gift Collections Company, where she hopes to land a sales or marketing position in one of Jolly’s branch stores around the city. Between the United States, United Arab Emirates, and Ethiopia, she has almost 10 years of international work experience.

LonAdd brought together over 24 companies and over 1,300 young professionals. The recent graduates interacted with recruiters and attended many of the breakout sessions at the UNECA conference halls.

The Devex’s event was different in its scope from the other two career fairs. Devex forum was aimed at creating a platform to connect those in the developmental field. Observing the full schedule of the two-day event, it was full of optimistic representatives looking for new partnerships. International organisations hoping to establish or expand their presence on the continent are finding Addis Abeba to be a great central hub.

Echoed throughout the two-day event was how the global developmental trend is localising development and the need to empower local change agents. Subsequently, there is consensus for international donors to help build local capacity. Allowing local organisations and states to take ownership of their developmental goal. As a result, candidates who understand the local culture, politics, and nuance are in much need to implement a successful program.

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BY DANIEL BENJAMIN
FORTUNE STAFF WRITER

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Collection of bits & pieces from around Addis Ababa

Here is a one minute video I recorded with my mobile phone showing how Addis Ababa (Africa's political & diplomatic hub) is being built.   

From “What’s Out Addis” Sep 2014 print edition

 “I will marry when I complete my education. Finding a husband is as easy as catching flue” says one girl taking part in a workshop by Yegna (a young girls’ band).

ETHIOPIAN PIANIST HAILED AS RISING STAR

Meet Samuel Yirga, a young Ethiopian Pianist. Samuel who is “now a regular fixture at Mama’s Kitchen, a trendy cocktail lounge /restaurant in Bole.” “Hecame to music late, first touching a musical instrument at the age of 16, but is now hailed as the great new hope of Ethiopian jazz. Samuel’s first solo album, Guzo, or ‘journey’ in Amharic, met with critical and commercial acclaim. SOURCE: Ethiopian Observer. Check Samuel’s website at www.samuelyirga.com

BABUR

“Babur, seemingly onomatopoeic, but in reality the Amharic pronunciation of the French word for an English invention – the steam engine – now designates a Chinese built electric railway.” Writes Yves Stranger. http://www.whatsoutaddis.com/index.php/arts-culture/qalu/453-babur

MESKEL ADEBABAY,

Addis Ababa says Yves Stranges - is currently undergoing more change than in its 120 year history and it sometimes seems new landmarks rise everday – while old ones disappear just as fast. A city that in Meskel Square, with the wisps of smoke of the Meskel bonfire now escaping from under the railway line leapfrogging over the square is, quite literally, at the crossroads. http://www.whatsoutaddis.com/index.php/city/highlights-past/454-meskel-adebabay

YOUNG UNICEF ACTIVIST WORKS TO PROMOTE GIRLS' EDUCATION

Check out what the young Canadian Ethiopian Hannah Godefa who started her Children’s Education engagement when she was 7 years old. Hanna says, “Being a UNICEF national ambassador "has been one of the greatest joys of my short 16 years of living," http://www.whatsoutaddis.com/index.php/people/addis-folk/455-young-unicef-activist-works-to-promote-girls-education

How about two more short inspiring stories from two young Ethiopian American ladies…

Ethiopian Designer Looks to Take Handbag, Local Fashion Business by Storm

“People are often surprised when they open a FOMI bag and see a ‘Made in Ethiopia’ label, which I find very satisfying because that is always my objective, to defy people’s expectations of what is possible in Ethiopia. Words from Afomia Tesfaye,  Fair Trade Luxury Leather Designer. Full story at http://afkinsider.com/?s=Afomia+Tesfaye

Last but not least, here is another dedicated young Ethiopian American designer and entrepreneur ZAAF’s founder Abaynesh ‘Abai’ Schulze.  What drives Abai…in her own words, “ I get to create something from nothing. I love the process of solving problems and being able to see something tangible and meaningful as a result of one’s own hard work. And of course, it is a privilege to work with gifted artisans, and to create world-class products that are well received around the globe, while impacting the economy of Ethiopia in a growing way. Seeing “Brand Ethiopia” assume its proper, unique and positive place throughout the fashion world is very exciting.”

http://thecorporatecanvas.co.za/2014/10/06/meet-abynesh-abai-schulze/

Blessed Sunday,

Cheers :)

Daniel 

Daniel’s Reflection on Ethiopian Business Review (Part I)

Reader's Reflection on Ethiopian Business Review (EBR) is Daniel's reflection on some of the articles published on the monthly magazine (this in particular is on the Aug 2013 Edition No6 which is not yet posted on EBR's website). In this post I am sharing the summary of few of the articles from the magazine.

Reflection on the article, 'Discovering Oil in Ethiopia: A Curse or A blessing? The Macroeconomics of a commodity Boom' by Alemayehu Geda (PhD)

There are reports of a possible oil discovery in Ethiopia, if it does so happens, it will require a careful macroeconomic management in the short run to minimize the adverse effect it will have. One of the possible challenges is going to be, the traditional export sectors could get neglected, a term known as the “Dutch Disease” the domestic currency the Birr’s value will increase in relation to the foreign currency which encourages the consumption of foreign goods and when the domestic currency’s value increases it also leads to decrease in export. The second challenge of a resource boom could lead to mishandling of the resources (corruption) tag of war amongst political elites and distrust and a sense of marginalization between groups; as well as decline in the culture of savings both the public and the private sector.

The take away point: Oil resource discovery in Ethiopia would be tremendous, in that, it would help the country achieve its pursuit to become a middle-income country in the near future and decrease the number of Ethiopians living under poverty, which stands at ~29% of the population. Dr. Alemayehu provides some insights as to how responsible actors could prepare to reduce the inevitable by sighting best practices and policies followed by other countries. I also hope and suggest leaders and decision makers especially those in the specific sector read a book by Pro. Paul Collier called 'Bottom Billion', and pay close attention to the chapter in the book that talks about the natural resources trap. 

Daniel’s Reflection (DR) on The Rise of The Middle Class in Addis Ababa.

Lets look in to at least two of the possible indicators of a growing middle class in a society, vehicle

ownership and housing. Cars are extremely expensive in Addis. A used car that could be bought for USD 3,000 or less in the USA, with out a doubt is marketed and sold for more than USD 10,000 in Addis Ababa. Data shows that in the past 5 years the number of customers has increased dramatically and when comparing 2008 to 2012, the number of imported cars increased by three fold (an increase more than 162%).  The number of car assembled with in the country has also followed the same positive slope. All of this with out having credit services; yet, it seems there are way way too many cars on the streets of Addis. People say, owning a car is no longer a luxury thing, but rather has become essential for work and to get things done around town.

The trend of housing and urban life style is no different. As Addisu Deresse writes, people are no longer looking only for decent living places and backyards. They are looking for spaces that fit their personality, reflect their status and ambitions. There is a growing market for interior designers to satisfy the taste of the growing middle class. With growing economy comes the specialization of skills and more work hours in order to optimize on one’s competitive advantage and that leads to people outsourcing some aspects of their tasks to others; including families hiring maids or people just simply eating out and eating in less. As a result, restaurants and services are seeing constant increase in their customers and noticeable change in their customer’s demographics. To get a sense of in depth insight on the rise of the middle class in Addis Ababa, read ‘On Sale: The Growing Car Market and the Emerging Middle Class by Berihun Mekonnen and ‘The Metropolitan Way of Life: The Changing Life Style of the Urbintes’ by Addisu Deresse. 

The take away point: Although there are no shortage of restaurants and services in Addis, I believe that the market for high-end restaurants and services, is still untapped. If you stumble on to one of such status, it is usually full to capacity. As pointed out in the article, people are choosing for the high-end goods and services over prices, which I think is an indicator of the growing economy and standard of living.

Check back again, soon I will post few more summaries of articles that I found are good read. I will also try to post the links to the original articles onces they become available.

Cheers,
Daniel

My Four Choice of Words for Ethiopian New Year's Resolution

I feel HAPPY and blessed with a receptive brain that is capable of learning a lot of things if I choose to Click here to learn more insight about the Ethiopian calendar.  This gives most Ethiopian Diasporas, an opportunity or excuse (depending how you look at it) to reflect, reassess, recycle, restart and prioritize our New Year resolution twice in a year. I am no different. So, I too, try to immerse myself in the spirit and dig in deep to reflect on my previous resolutions and subsequent progress.
feed it.  Today Sept 11, 2013 is a fresh New Year to Ethiopians. Ethiopia does not follow the Gregorian calendar or Western calendar. To Ethiopians, today is actually September 1, 2006.

This year I feel more confident, realistic and driven. Maintaining this upbeat attitude and feelings will be the most important part. Making sure those motivations do not become fleeting feelings. I will have to write my goals using the SMART plans and structure my plans and goals into something that are actionable and measurable; well at least until January 1, 2014, when I am sure I will be reflecting and on today’s resolution yet again. I am focusing on four words to help me achieve the goals and resolutions I wish to pursue. Success, how ever small or big we all dream is inevitable, for it is a mere reflection of one’s internal satisfaction to the time, money and energy we invest towards some task or project. Therefore success is largely dependent on our inputs towards it. There are no short cuts and there is no alternate for hard work, but there are essential additions to supplement and enhance hard work. I guess I am trying to rephrase the saying, “Success is when hard work meets opportunity”. My four choice of words for 2006 are:

1. OPPORTUNITY – Take everything for what it is worth and try to capitalize on it, growth and progress will naturally ensue.

2. LIMIT – I have heard many wiser men say, the one thing that stops people from reaching there potential is the limit that they put on themselves. It is true at the curves and boundaries are the sweet spots for learning & absorbing. One’s capabilities and interests must surely be explored and tried one step at a time, it shall be achieved. “I might not be there yet but I am closer than I was yesterday”. And as the story goes, Thomas Edison failed more than 10,000 times when he was trying to create an electric light bulb, but he saw it differently saying, “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”

3. ACTION – True learning comes from engaging and trying theories in practical terms to gain more experience. Doing one’s plans timely requires focus, efficiency and productivity (my choice of words in my previous resolution that still will be in play this time around).

4. SYNERGY – Connect things and fill in the gaps to optimize on everything. “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”

However, with all of that, there is one thing that is hard to plan or execute, but with life’s grace, more than anything else, the role other people play in our lives is unmatched. Through their guidance, assistance or just simply by being in it, they become the source and the reason of our motivation. The reasons how and why certain people enter our lives and are able to influence us is as diverse as the purpose they are in it to begin with

With that being said, we don’t know our influence on others but the influence of others on us. It is beautiful that way. I for one always feel so many people have helped, guided and influenced me for which I am grateful (whether big or small and you might even not know it).

Amongst other things, one of my goals for this year is to learn more through reading and writing. I plan to share what I learn or what I observe with you through one of my many social media accounts and e-mail. I would love for you to share your feedback what ever it might be; it is a great help to me as I try to progress each day. I will post what ever I feel is worth sharing on my Lifelong Student blog, facebook and/or twitter accounts.

If you are on one of those and we are not connected please add me on to the your circle of friends.

www.danielethiopia.blogspot.com

https://twitter.com/DanielEthiopia

or on facebook I am Daniel Ethiopia

Cheers and to my Ethiopians Happy New Year. May 2006 bring you joy and fulfillment. Here is less than one minute video a glimpse of Addis Ababa around Bole area.

~Daniel

An Experience of Being in Addis Ababa When the Ethiopians National Soccer Team Wins

Watch this short video  that my coworker and I recorded Ethiopians watching their Walya's in agony as they trail the Wild Beasts of Central African Republic 1:0 the first half; then the city burst into joy as the Walyas came back to win 2:1 and be only two games away from qualifying for the World Cup in Brazil next summer for the first time in Ethiopian History.

Another memorable day in the motherland, such a blessing it is to be in the midst of my people, sharing the joy.

ድል ለዋልያዎቻችን። ሁሌም ይቻላ!

Daniel Ethiopia
September 7, 2013
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Daniel’s Chronicle of Addis Ababa (Part I)

Dear family and Friends, sorry for not keeping you up to date as I thought I would. However, unfortunately the Internet service here in Ethiopia is not as cooperative; hence, it is good excuse for my ‘better late than never’ update. Rather than attempting to update you all via e-mail and what’s not I figured I would just write a blog post and hope you find it worth the read of what I have to share.

There is something about me and writing, I start writing something and I tend to leave it half done; telling myself this isn’t ready to be shared, it out to be articulated, researched or simply explained better. Then one day at a time, the topic becomes long past overdue and I lose the urge to spend some more time editing and reviewing it before sharing it with others. I am going to try to start a different habit of writing and sharing, that is, I am going to try to share what I find myself writing however brief or inadequate it might be.

Let’s consider this one as the pre-emptive resolution to the new Ethiopian New Year just around the corner. It has been five years since the last time I visited the motherland; and my family & friends ask me very much similar question. Those outside of Ethiopia ask how is it? And those in Ethiopia ask how did you find it? The questions from those in the Diaspora seems to be more or less open ended while the questions from those within Ethiopia seem to have a suggestive tone (as if they have no doubt that I should be witnessing change).

It is not easy to answer the questions with just simple generalized statements. So I thought to myself, why not try to describe things as I am experiencing them by explaining and describing things as accurately as I find it; thus attempt to give people a very small lens to their senses and leave the translation and definition to their own imagination as much as I can.

The nonstop flight with Ethiopian airline from DC to Addis ended with a loud applause by the passengers as our plane smoothly landed at Bole airport. Through out the flight, the flight attendants kept addressing me as ‘antu; “erswo” an Amharic word used to show respect when addressing people who are either older than oneself or to imply respect (given, that I am a young man, I thought it showed the airlines humble customer service and professionalism, although I have heard to the contrary from fellow country man, every time that I have taken Ethiopian I never been disappointed). I don’t really remember Bole airport’s conditions or its set up to know if there is change or not…the process was fast and before I knew it, I was outside of the airport gazing at the plentiful of old taxis and gazing at the city. I don’t ever remember being so alert and eager to soak in anything and everything in details. The whole city seems much greener than I used to remember it, the taxis seem to be much older and worn out than what ever I was expecting.

Driving through the city is much different than how I remember it five years ago. Literally the whole city seems under construction (sometime back when I lived in the outskirts of Houston, Texas, my friends and I used to joke how if you leave your house for a week, when you come back to your home, you would notice new houses next to your house and you would wonder how and when they got built), in Addis Ababa it is as if that thought is on steroid. Some old neighborhoods and blocks are unrecognizable with new buildings and business centers. Yet so many things look incomplete and so much gap to be filled. What seems a barely finished and inaugurated building already has broken edges, non functioning electrical hand dryers, water faucets, doors, and stained walls already screaming for repainting etc.

I was at George Washington University one day for African Business Forum, and I remember one of the panelists Pro. Yohannes Assefa saying when ‘I travel to different countries through out, I try to think of 10 feasible business ideas in the time span that take me from the airport to my hotel’. Here you need not travel from airport to your hotel room for 10 business ideas, you can stand at an intersection survey your area and guaranteed you would think of dozen business ideas that are lacking. The city is heaven for creative and entrepreneurial spirited minds. As I arrived at my temporary home from Bole airport (a nice apartment to my standards) I could not believe the number of vehicles around. Nowhere in America have I seen that many cars in any residential neighborhood. It seems at least in these apartment complexes there are more cars per household than in any apartment settings in the US (perhaps adequate attention was not given to parking spaces when the apartment complexes here were designed). I tried to take shower before heading to work but unfortunately there was no running water (still many weeks later there rarely is running water in the morning after 8am and around 8pm…but that is no problem we have big buckets full of water and my roommates and I don’t seem to be bother by it at all.

Though my body kept feeling it was up for a while and it must been late in the afternoon (thanks to Jet lag), it was only 9:30am local time when I showed up to my workplace office about an hour and half later after I landed.  Just few minutes into it I was asked if I want Coffee or Tea. Thinking to myself I ordered neither I said none. Little did I know, we get free Coffee or Tea at about 9:30am and another one at about 3pm (yes its kind of normal thing in Ethiopia at least in bigger offices). Big smiles. 

I went 6 floors down to one of the cafes for lunch, had Injera firfir and after the very first bite, my thoughts were what the hell is the Injera around DC made of? I must have forgotten how delicious the authentic Injera could be. Thanks to what America has thought me, I asked to take with me my left over (I think the fact that the locals use ‘take away’ as their vocabulary for any order that is to go is indicator of Ethiopians are not accustomed to taking their left over).  I paid about 70-80 Birr, which equates to approximately 4 - 5 Dollars for my one Injera meal with a freshly made mixed juice for drink. There I had completed my first half workday in the motherland.

Most people feel life is expensive and living standard in Addis is very high. I suppose it is a matter of perspective and what the reference is. To me certain things seem to be expensive compared to the Washington DC area, and of course certain things are much cheaper. But there is one thing that is undeniable what ever the reason is; money just seems to be leaving one’s pocket at a much faster rate. I tell my friends jokingly, I frequently have to look back and check to see if money is slipping out of my pocket J Here are sample of things that are much more expensive here, a shoes that I could buy around DC for about 35 - 50 Dollars, here, it is well over 100 Dollars. If you want to dry-clean a shirt it is a bit over 2 Dollars where as in DC you can get it done for less than 2 Dollars. What are cheaper here? Mainly things that are labor-intensive products/services that are Ethiopia based; example freshly made avocado juice, getting hair cut etc…these things would be at least 2-3 times cheaper than what one would pay around DC. Either way you need to carry a lot of cash with you. As one of my friends put it, when you start planning your day, you honestly need to think about do I need to buy anything today? If yes, how many thousands of cash do I need is the next question that needs to be addressed. A shoe that I am wearing was 2,400 Birr (approx $128), wouldn’t have paid more than $35 in the states. If you want to buy a jacket or something else it is going to be a pocket full of cash (you get the point).

  

A lot of rest rooms in the city seem to be designed by the same engineers, unless the door to the men’s restrooms is closed, the Urinals are often times on the wall directly from the door and when people open the doors there is no privacy. The ladies as they pass to their ladies restrooms could have a good view of the men aiming there if they so wish too J. But nothing matches the difficulty of finding restrooms in service facilities that have toilet papers. I only have found few restrooms that have toilet papers; you got to carry one of your own to be safe. What else is somewhat different, well, around here I notice people pick up someone else’s (coworkers, friend and families) phone calls with out hesitation and answer the call. It seems normal and they do it so genuinely. For the whole time that I have been here, I think it has at the very least rained once a day and the 13 months of sunshine is being waited on patiently. Café’s are everywhere and full of customers at least on the weekends, during lunch and after work hours. I am not sure how it is like in between the rush hours, but I wouldn’t think it changes much. People are chill and when you go to restaurant and like places, you will have to wait for sometime unless you ask for services yourself…in most places the bill is only brought to you once you have asked for it (the gap regarding customer services or the lack of it as I see it actually needs its own topic…coming soon)

What has been the most surprising thing for me is, I used to follow the Ethiopian current events/politics fairly close while living in the Diaspora; but around here not so much. Why? Because, there is not as much catalyst as there is when you live in the Diaspora. In the Diaspora, certainly in DC there is nonstop discussion of topics related to Ethiopian politics or current events. Perhaps people lean towards that as a way to stay connected and feel close to home. Around here, people go about their daily lives and there seems very very little talk about politics. Even though I am in the heart of the land I have never felt so distanced from Ethiopian current events due to the lack of access to information of variant viewpoints. The Internet is slow or sometimes just doesn’t work at all, so it certainly discourages you from having to Google online news. I interact with people a lot but they neither seem to be concerned nor interested to discuss politics. Except two things many residents are convinced standard of living is very expensive, but I am not sure if people over look the other side of the equation, why things are expensive? To me there seems to be unlimited demand and people seem to be spenders but no one discusses that side of the equation. The second one is corruption, a topic that circulates a lot even in Azmari bet (who can help me define Azmari bet in English) as jokes and satires.   

The other thing that I have notice is how people seem to be so relaxed and walk with their heads help up high no urgency in their steps and seem to be living in the moment. People walk slowly and cheerfully as if they have no place to be at a specific time they would just get where ever they are going when ever they get there. It makes you a bit jealous but living here you adopt quickly to the circumstances.

All and all if I had to choose one thing to use as a sample to reflect or summarize the status of Addis Ababa, I would say the road system epitomizes life and everything in general in the city. In some areas it is quite wonderful and very nice. Yet, even in those nicely built roads including the newly inaugurated Bole road, so much work is still needed, the drainage on the side of the road for instance are wide open as can be seen on one of this picture and very dangerous for people walking in the dark or even during the day, but possibly not paying attention to their steps. Some roads in the city terribly need repair and redesign. Addis Ababa is a city that defines ‘Work in Progress’ and certainly its worst days seem long behind it. 

Disclaimer, this is just bit of my observation, on my next post I will share my experience about services from government offices or off there lack of and promise to keep it to a specific topic. Share whatever view comes to mind as you read this.

 

Warmly from the Motherland,

Daniel