Deep from an Ethiopian - An Ethiopian blog

Addis Ababa: The Capital Ethiopia and Africa Call Their Own

2013-05-15T14:33:00.001+03:00

Coordinates: 9°1′48″N 38°44′24″E

The capital Ethiopia, and Africa alike, are proud to call theirs is located in the middle of the country. The city has an area of 527 km² and a population of about 3.5 million. Ever since its establishment, it has been the source of great pride and many achievements.

Montage of Ethiopia's Capital, Addis Ababa

Below are a few facts and places where one can find out more about the city and the country in general - museums.

Fun facts about Addis Ababa, the Capital of Ethiopia

- The Ethiopian capital city was founded in 1886. Empress Taytu chose the site and her husband founded the city.

- The name of the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, means "New flower" in Amharic - the Ethiopian national language.

- Lying at an altitude of 2355 meters, it is the highest capital city in Africa and the fifth highest one in the world.

- The Ethiopia capital has its lowest point in the Bole International Airport area and its highest is the top of the Entoto Mountains.

- Addis Ababa is home to the largest open air market in Africa - The Merkato.

- The city is also home to mankind's earliest relatives Lucy and Selam (both Australopithecus afarensis).

- The capital Ethiopia, and Africa as a whole, call their own is home to the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) among many other international organizations and institutions.

- The Ethiopian capital is famous for its fair weather. As a matter of fact, Addis Ababa was voted to be the city with the best and most stable weather in the world.

Where to Find Out More:

Museums:

· NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ETHIOPIA

The National Museum of Ethiopia which is located in Arada Kifle Ketema, adjacent to the Faculty of Technology of the Addis Ababa University and St. Mary’s church.

· ETHNOLOGICAL MUSEUM of the INSTITUTE of ETHIOPIAN STUDIES, AAU

The Ethnological Museum of the Institute of Ethiopian Studies (IES) is located within the main Sidist Kilo campus of the Addis Ababa University (AAU).

Traditional craft - Ethnological Museum

· HOLY TRINITY CATHEDRAL MUSEUM

The museum is located in Arat Kilo, Addis Ababa inside the Holy Trinity Cathedral and bordering the Houses of Parliament.

Holy Trinity Cathedral - Addis Ababa

· PATRIARCHATE MUSEUM and LIBRARY

This recently modernized museum was established in 2004 to preserve and protect the heritage of past religious leaders and preserve religious icons and items. The museum (fully known as the Ethiopian Tewahdo Orthodox Church Patriarchate Museum and Library) is located at the Patriarchate Office and close to the National Museum of Ethiopia.

· St GEORGE’S CHURCH MUSEUM

St George Church Museum is located in Arada Kifle Ketema, Addis Ababa, inside St. George's Church's compound.

St. George Church - Addis Ababa

· NATIONAL POSTAL MUSEUM

The Ethiopian National Postal Museum is located on the ground floor of the General Post Office building on Churchill Road.

· ZOOLOGICAL NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM (AAU)

The Zoological Natural History Museum is located within the Arat Kilo campus of the Addis Ababa University.

Church Affiliated Museums:

- Entoto Mariam Church Museum - Entoto

- Bata Mariam Church Museum - inside Baata Church

- Gofa Gabriel Church Museum - inside Gofa Gabriel Church

Specialized Museums (State & Public Run):

- Geological Survey Museum - inside Ministry of Mines

- Addis Ababa Museum - near Meskel Square

- Korea Veterans Association Memorial Museum - around Sidist Kilo area-Addis Ababa

- Ethio-Djibouti Railways Museum - inside Railway Station (La Gare)

- Jan Meda Sports Museum - Jan Meda/Sidist Kilo area

- Gebre Kristos Modern Art Museum - Sidist Kilo, AAU campus

- Berhan Ethiopia Cultural Centre & Museum

- Red Terror Martyr's Memorial Museum - Meskel Square

Sources:

Ethio Museums

Wikipedia

Ethiopia: Most World Heritage Sites in Africa

2013-05-08T19:33:00.003+03:00

According to the UNESCO World Heritage list, Ethiopia has the biggest number of world heritage sites in Africa. With a total of nine natural and cultural heritage sites the country tops the list.

Ethiopia and Morocco are first and second, respectively, among African countries on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Although they both have nine world heritage sites each, Ethiopia has been ranked higher because of two main reasons.

The first is that Morocco has been grouped in the "Arab States" geographic zone as opposed to Ethiopia being in the "Africa" zone.

The second, and more important, reason is that while all of Morocco's 9 sites are classified as cultural heritage sites, Ethiopia has 8 cultural and 1 natural heritage sites which allows for a higher ranking.

Trivia: Ethiopia not only has the highest number of world heritage sites on the African continent, but one of the sites, the Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela, was one of the first sites that were chosen as a heritage site for the African continent at the list's conception. In 1978 the churches along with Senegal's Island of Goree were the first to be put on the list.

Trivia: Among Ethiopia's sites on the list of World Heritage Sites, UNESCO has made attempts to increase the awareness of the importance of the African human origin sites in Ethiopia. The aim is to conserve and protect the areas from deteriorating.

The full list of Ethiopia's natural and cultural heritage sites on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list (by year of inscription):

The Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela (1978)

Located in Lalibela, a town in the Amhara Region, the site is home to 11 medieval cave churches that were built in the 13^th century.

Trivia: Built during the reign of King Lalibela it was intended to create a new Jerusalem after the capture of the original Jerusalem in 1187 - hence Lalibela also being known as "New Jerusalem". The plan appeared to the saint king in his dreams.

Simien Mountains National Park (1978)

The only natural heritage site in Ethiopia is also located in the Amhara Region of the country. The territory of the park encloses the Simien Mountains range that includes Ethiopia's highest - Mount Ras Dashen.

The park is home to a multitude of endangered species. Among them are the Ethiopian Wolf (also known as the Red Jackal), the walia ibex, the gelada baboon - all which are endemic to Ethiopia - and the caracal.

At the moment, this natural heritage site is the only one of the Ethiopian natural or cultural heritage sites that is also on the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger.

Trivia: The Simien Mountains National Park was established in 1969 by Clive Nicol who wrote about his experiences in his book From the Roof of Africa.

Fasil Ghebbi (1979)

Fasil Ghebbi is a fortress and castle that is located in Gondar, a city in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. It was built by Emperor Fasiledes who ruled Ethiopia from 1632 to 1667.

Covering an area of 70,000 Sq. m. Fasil Ghebbi also has many structures in its enclosure. It has palaces, churches and monasteries and even a market place. The first person to observe that "dotted among the palaces are what remains of the pavilions and kiosks of the imperial city" was Thomas Pakenham (Author of The Mountains of Rasselas: Ethiopian Adventure) who visited Fasil Ghebbi in the late 1950's.

Trivia: The city has a mixture of building styles from Arab, Hindu to the Baroque style that was brought by Jesuit missionaries.

Axum (1980)

Axum is a city that is located in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. It is the site of royal tombs, ruins of castles and, most importantly, stelae and obelisks that date from the 1^st to the 13^th centuries that were built during the time of the ancient Axum Empire - one that was said to have given birth to the a state that was the most powerful one between the Eastern Roman Empire and Persia.

Trivia: Axumites traded with ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Asians. They had fleets that sailed as far Ceylon (Sri Lanka).

Lower Valley of the Awash (1980)

The Lower Valley of the Awash can be considered the exact location of where mankind was born. Located in the Afar Region of Ethiopia, it is the place where the approximately 3.2 million years old Lucy (Australopithecus) was discovered in 1974.

A place that has yet to yield all of its secrets was to also be the place where Ardi (Ardipithecus ramidus), a fossil that was 4.4 million years old (1.2 million years older than Lucy), would be found in 1994. In 2000 Selam (Austrolopithecus afarensis) or "Lucy's baby" (despite the fact that she dies about 120,000 years before her) would be discovered.

Trivia: Lucy, mankind's earliest fossil, was given the name because after discovering her Donald Johanson and his crew were celebrating in camp and were listening to "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" - a popular Beatles song.

Lower Valley of the Omo (1980)

This cultural heritage site is located in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region in the southern part of Ethiopia. It is the location of many fossil findings, the most famous of them being Homo gracilis.

On the banks of the Omo River archeologists have found fossil fragments like the important finding of the now extinct Australopithecus man and Olduwan hominids of the early Pleistocene era.

Trivia: The Omo region is the yardstick by against which all other ancient deposits in East Africa are measured by. Evidence was researched for the site to establish bio-stratigraphical, radiometric and magneto-stratigraphical scales spanning between one and 3.5 million years.

Tiya (1980)

Another cultural heritage site in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region Tiya is also an archeological site. The site contains 36 monuments (including 32 carved stelae that, as of date, are covered with symbols that have not been decrypted). It is assumed that the stelae are of funerary significance because there are tombs scattered around the stelae.

Trivia: The site is from an age of ancient Ethiopian culture that is yet to be precisely determined.

Harar Jugol (2006)

Harar Jugol is a fortified historic town that is found in the Harari Region of Ethiopia that was founded by Arab immigrants from Yemen in the 7^th century. The city is encircled by a wall. It encompasses 102 shrines and 82 mosques making it considered to be the fourth-holiest city of Islam. Some of the mosques date back to the 10^th century.

Trivia: When the Addis Ababa - Djibouti Railway was being built it was intended to run through Harar. But because of geographical and financial constraints the line had to be diverted away and the city of Dire Dawa was born in 1902. It is sometimes known as "New Harar".

Konso Cultural Landscape (2011)

The Konso Cultural Landscape, found in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region, is a cultural site that features 55 kilometers of stonewalled terraces and fortified settlements in the Konso highlands of Ethiopia.

The fortified settlements constitute of a spectacular example of living in a cultural tradition that stretches back 21 generations (more than 400 years). The whole area demonstrates the shared values, social cohesion and engineering knowledge of the people.

It also the ingenuity of mankind and how he can not only survive but also thrive in a hostile (dry and rocky) environment.

Trivia: The terraces are used to not only retain the maximum amount of water needed but to also discharge the excess - all this while protecting the soil from erosion.

Sources: UNESCO and Wikipedia

Allround Automations Developer Challenge in Oracle Magazine – Ethiopia not Included

2013-02-14T12:25:00.001+03:00

One of the joys of reading Oracle Magazine, apart from its purely informative value, is that every once in a while you get a chance to enter in a competition where you stand to win a prize. In the January/February 2013 issue of the magazine (page 3), there happened to be a challenge: “Use Your Programmers Point of View” where you were supposed to extract PL/SQL script from a jumble of characters. The answer code that comes after running the script is then entered into another website.

The Allround Automations challenge in Oracle Magazine

The answer code to the Allround Automations challenge in Oracle Magazine

It is only then that the contestant will be able to find out whether or not they are eligible to enter the contest. And the chances for challengers entering the challenge from anywhere in Africa are further cut down: the only countries eligible are Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon and South Africa.

Only 4 countries out of Africa

This begs the question: “Why?”

Well, the most probable answer would be:

1 – The rest of Africa isn’t considered to be too big of a market for the PL/SQL market. In these times of austerities it seems a good idea to try and tap these markets and ensure first penetration and conquering of the vast market potential. Africa is really skipping a step via the IT revolution that is spreading across the continent – those that aren’t willing to take advantage of it (both providers and users of technology) are in for a DARK surprise.

2 – Logistics are unavailable and Oracle/Allround Automations can’t ship the prizes - 50% discount on PL/SQL Developer, a new iPad or an ASUS TF700. While one can understand the problems that are created by having the hardware shipped the same excuse cannot be valid for the discount on the software.

3 - A third reason may be that the big guns perhaps think that there isn't anyone in Africa that can answer the challenge - in other words, underestimating the technical know-how (which is, admittedly, the main reason for this post). The vast untapped technical knowledge in Africa needs to be discovered and put to proper use. This means that we should all do our best to show our potential.

That having been said, international software companies need to make sure Africa gets the recognition it deserves. In Ethiopia, Oracle usage is rapidly growing. The most respected companies in the country run their systems on or using one form or another (whether in the fore- or background) of the company’s software or applications.

Hopefully, this will change soon.

Ethiopia: soleRebels Footwear in Taiwan

2012-11-05T20:24:00.001+03:00

soleRebels Footwear, Ethiopian artisan crafted shoes, are now available for purchase in Taiwan as the first standalone retail shop opens in the Asian country.

Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu - soleRebels

soleRebels Footwear is the brainchild of Ethiopian entrepreneur Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu. It is a footwear company that produces handmade shoes out of recycled materials. These artisan crafted shoes have not only become quite popular in Ethiopia but have also made a global impact: they are now available in Taiwan.

Bethlehem is one of the most prominent personalities when it comes to entrepreneurial innovation. She has been the winner of many prestigious awards among which is the Most Valuable Entrepreneur (MVE) that was awarded her at the Global Entrepreneurship Week in 2011. soleRebels Footwear is not only Ethiopia’s sole business that is a recognized Fair Trade Organization (FTO), accredited by the World Fair trade Organization (WFTO) the global authority in fair trade but also a
global first in the footwear industry. It is these recognitions and achievements that have made Bethlehem an active voice for not only young entrepreneurs but also women entrepreneurs in Africa.

Founded in 2005, the organization makes shoes from recycled materials as well raw materials that are manufactured and bought on the local market. The employees are all considered to be stakeholders and are paid wages that are 4 times Ethiopia’s legal minimum wage and thrice the industry’s average wage not only giving them a steady occupation but also allowing them to make use of their creativity in a profitable way. But more importantly it is one of the very few fully eco-friendly organizations in the country.

Men's Riff reVerb hi

Starting from humble beginnings the organization now commands a market turnover of millions of dollars. It is this entrepreneurial genius that has made it possible for her to appear and rub shoulders with famous business leaders like Richard Branson and to also take center-stage at global conferences all over the world.

While there are several retail soleRebels outlets in countries like the United States, Canada, many locations in Europe and also in Japan, the new outlet in Taiwan is the organization’s first standalone international retail store.

soleRebels’ new store is located in Kaohsiung, the second largest city in Taiwan. The organization has plans to open a total of 30 outlets in the country, with three more locations expected to open by the end of 2012 alone.

Women's tooToo moc UP

Talking about her unique entrepreneurial spirit, Bethlehem says: “Love what you are trying to do. If you don’t like what you are doing, you are not going to be successful”.

soleRebels shoes can be bought in Addis Ababa at Adams Pavillion – 2^nd floor, right above Kaldi’s.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – On Travel Website Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Cities

2012-10-31T22:00:00.000+03:00

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia has been named by Lonely Planet as one of the top 10 cities in the world to be visited for the year 2013. Wondering why? Find out.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia has been a popular destination for foreigners visiting the country for over a century. Founded in 1886 by Empress Taytu Betul, the wife of Emperor Menilik II, the city has never stopped growing. It has ever since been the seat of power of the successive governments that came afterwards. Today, it has become the place where tourists, expats and locals like to intermingle in a laidback attitude. It has become so popular a destination that the most popular travel site, Lonely Planet, has included Addis Ababa in its “Best in Travel – Top 10 Cities” list, ranking it at number 9 out of 10 cities, spanning three continents, to be visited in 2013.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

According to the site, the most endearing attributes of Addis Ababa are the fact that it is an “Ethiopian city evolving at pace” - in lieu of the fact that the city’s skyline has been changing at a very rapid rate, especially in the last 5 to 10 years.

Everywhere one goes in the city there seems to be something either being built or being brought down to give space for something new. Traffic jams are nowadays more common than ever as Addis Ababa’s residents put up with the inconveniences in anticipation of the changes that are to come.

But, the bustling energy of the city, or the “confidence and stamina” as Lonely Planet puts it, belies the gusto with which the city’s residents have for fun and entertainment once the sun sets.

Every corner of the city caters to its specific clientele – from the luxurious Sheraton’s “Gaslight” crowd to those that bar-hop the lowly, meter-by-meter shacks that pass as drinking establishments along “Chechnya” (so called because of the hidden risks that came with hanging out in the area - like the snipers during the war in the place’s namesake). One need only find the crowd one can associate with and plunk down for an unforgettable night on the town.

One common thing that can be noticed in all the places is the sprinkling of foreign faces that stand out and yet, oddly, do not look out of place. Tourists, expats and diplomats alike rub shoulders with the local populace without giving it a second thought. The intermingling becomes absolute sometime midway through the night when everyone (that still can) is on their feet dancing to tunes ranging Ethiopian folksongs at “azmari-bets” to selections from the latest, bestselling albums on the charts.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise then, that the “groovy city”, Addis Ababa, is one of the best places to visit. Home to big organizations like the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) it has had a groove for as long as there have been visitors from abroad to add a flavor to the local spicy nightlife. And one thing that can’t be denied is that Ethiopians have always known how to have a good time. Just ask the old-timers that used to hang out in the “Arada” and “Piazza” of yesteryears.

On a final note, unlike the major metropolises where the prices of commodities and real-estate have leapt in folds with each foreigner that has set foot in it, the Ethiopian capital has been going it at a pace all of its own – for now at least. This was the point that Lonely Planet meant by “Best for: culture, food, value for money”. Any foreign currency can be stretched to an unbelievable limit as can be seen by the number of wily foreigners that have made the city their home and can also be seen braving the crowds of Merkato looking for bargains instead of opting for the pricier goods at the supermarkets on Bole road.

So, time to pack your bags! See you in Addis Ababa!

Ethiopian Kids on Computers Excel without Teachers

2012-10-29T14:38:00.000+03:00

Ethiopian kids on computers would probably be the last thing anyone would consider to be something that would neither make headlines or even be something that was possible. Until now...and what a surprise it has been.

The OLPC Motorola Zoom tablet

Imagine your surprise if you were to go to school to find a box of goodies left at your doorsteps. Now imagine that this was in a rural village where the children had hardly been exposed to electricity let alone modern gadgets like computers and laptops. That’s exactly happened when students in Welenchiti and Wenchi in Ethiopia, about 150 km south of the capital Addis Ababa, came to school one morning to find boxes left at their schools’ doorsteps. Opening them, they discovered that they contained laptops but there were no instructions about how to operate the them included in the packages.

The laptops were part of an experiment being conducted by the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) organization. The devices are Motorola Xoom tablets that are solar powered and designed to be wear-and-tear resistant. They have software installed on them that allow children to learn the basics of their school curriculum and also allows them surf the internet (wherever access points are available.

The aim of the experiment was to find out if kids on computers would be able to take off as they would in any western country. But in this case the hitch was that the kids had no previous exposure to technology whatsoever, they barely - if at all - knew how to read and write and there was no one there to teach them.

In short - they were expected to not only read and write but also learn to operate a technologically advanced gadget without having a sense of what it was in the first place. Every week an OLPC worker would visit the children to swap memory cards that registered how the computers had been used. The results were amazing:

The kids were found to be singing the alphabet song in both villages.
A child that could neither read or write at the time of receiving the laptop, after playing a literacy game, was able to spell “LION” under the correct animal.

Nicholas Negroponte, founder of OLPC, while describing the Ethiopian experiment at MIT Technology Review’s EmTech Conference, said that the results were encouraging. He went on to add:

The One Laptop Per Child logo

“I thought the kids would play with the boxes. Within four minutes, one kid not only opened the box, found the on-off switch … powered it up. Within five days, they were using 47 apps per child, per day. Within two weeks, they were singing ABC songs in the village, and within five months, they had hacked Android,” Negroponte said. “Some idiot in our organization or in the Media Lab had disabled the camera, and they figured out the camera, and had hacked Android.”

Elaborating further on the comments made by Negroponte, OLPC’s Chief Technology Officer, Ed McNierney added:

“The kids had completely customized the desktop—so every kids’ tablet looked different. We had installed software to prevent them from doing that,” he said. “And the fact they worked around it was clearly the kind of creativity, the kind of inquiry, the kind of discovery that we think is essential to learning.”

So, this begs to challenge the old beliefs that children always need the guidance of their teachers and that not being exposed to something doesn’t necessarily mean that a person will not be able to not only figure out how to use it but also how to customize it to cater to their own needs.

Maybe seeing kids on computers will stop being a status symbol and more of a new way of learning. It is about time.

Different Tourist Attractions: Church of St. George – Lalibela, Ethiopia

2012-09-21T17:45:00.001+03:00

Among the different tourist attractions in the world the Church of St. George in Lalibela, Ethiopia, is arguably one of the most famous ones. Tourists travelling to the country have made it a point to visit it making it one of the country’s most visited sites. As a matter of fact it can be considered to be one of the great places to visit in Africa.

Church of St. George - Lalibela, Ethiopia

Location: 12°02′N 39°02′E

What is it?

Lalibela is a town in the Amhara region of northern Ethiopia. It is home to a collection of 11 monolithic rock-hewn churches. The churches were created in the 12^th century by King Lalibela who lent his name to the town.

While the Church of St. George (Bete-Giorgis) in Lalibela, Ethiopia is the most famous of these churches (for being the most finely hewn and the best preserved of the 11 churches), the one that holds the record for being the largest monolithic church in the world and also the home of The Lalibela Cross is the Church of Savior (Bete Medhane Alem).

The Lalibela Cross

This cross is considered to be one of Ethiopia’s most religious and historical heirlooms. Thought to be made by King Lalibela himself in the 12 century, it is 60 centimeters tall, weighs about 7kilograms and is made of gold. It was stolen in 1997, sold by a dealer in Addis Ababa for $25,000, located in Belgium in 1999 and returned to Ethiopia in 2001. The Bete Medhane Alem is quite often called the “Eighth Wonder of The World”.

History

During the reign of King Lalibela the town now named after him was known as Roha. He is thought to have reigned from 1181 to 1221. His name means “the bees recognize his sovereignty” – after his mother saw that a swarm of bees surrounded him when he was born, and his mother took it as a sign that he would one day reign as Emperor of Ethiopia.

The now world-famous Ethiopian rock-hewn churches believed to have been built either during King Lalibela’s rule or were commissioned by him. Legend has it that the king had a vision of the Jerusalem in Israel and was instructed by angels to build a similar new Jerusalem for those that couldn’t make the pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

In all there are 13 churches in Lalibela (the total number of Ethiopian rock-hewn churches is 153, but none of these are nearly as famous or grandiose as the ones built by King Lalibela). Their names are:

Bete Medhane Alem: Home to the Lailebela Cross and the world’s largest monolithic church.

Bete Maryam: Thought to be the oldest of the churches.

Bete Gologotha: famous for its art and being the place where King Lalibela’s tomb is located.

Bete Giorgis: the most beautiful and best preserved of all the churches.

Bete Amanuel: thought to have been a royal chapel.

Bete Merkorios: thought to have been a former prison.

Bete Gabriel-Rufael: thought to have been a former royal palace.

Bete Abba Libanos

Bete Meskal

Bete Denagel

Bete Lehem

Amazing Facts

The hoof prints of St. George's horse
Photo from: Katie Prescott

The churches were excavated rather than built. A wide trench was dug out on all four sides of the rock. The rock itself was then painstakingly chiseled to create the interior out of it. The structures have doors, windows, columns, multiple floors and roofs. Around them drainage ditches, trenches, baptism ponds, ceremonial passages and hermit caves and catacombs were also dug out.

There is a legend that angels came out at night and helped the workers by picking up where the workers had left off. Another legend has it that in one of the churches, Bete Maryam, there is a stone pillar on which the king himself wrote the secrets of the churches’ construction – it is covered by cloth and only priests are allowed to see it. And, finally, there is also a legend that the hoof prints of St. George’s horse can be seen from when he came down to visit the king.

Ethiopia’s Lalibela churches are not only places of pilgrimage and devotion today, they are one of the main reasons tourists travel to Ethiopia and Africa and Lalibela is also one of the world’s most precious heritages registered by UNESCO.

Virtual Business Tips for Business Owners – An Online Workshop Notice

2012-09-14T13:01:00.000+03:00

Connect Ethiopia

Many of my readers here were quite interested in the Elance workshops that were held here in Addis Ababa in November of 2011. As a matter of fact there were more applicants than could be taken on. Those that attended the workshop informed me that they had learned a lot and that they were glad that they had found out new ways of working online.

Connect Ethiopia, with Pat Walsh, is getting ready for another presentation. This time it is in the form of virtual business tips for business owners. The title of the presentation is: “Outsourcing to the Cloud: Benefits for your Business”. It is online and while it is still absolutely free, the seats are limited and admission will be on a first-come-first-served basis. So, business owners that want to learn about, and take advantage of, how to hire professionals in almost any field, here’s the full message with details:

Pat Walsh

On behalf of Connect Ethiopia I am presenting a workshop on "Outsourcing to the Cloud: Benefits for your Business" on Tuesday morning September 25th next in Dublin Chamber of Commerce, 7 Clare Street, Dublin 2 from 8am to 10am (11:00 to 13:00 Addis Ababa time). Admission is Free.

Utilizing Elance.com and the global phenomenon of Remote Outsourcing this workshop will demonstrate how to:

• Access 1,700,000 Rated and tested professionals

• Get instant access to remote talent including Web Developers, Programmers, Digital Media Experts, Graphic Designers, SEO consultants, Architects, Engineers etc

• Approve work before you pay

• Reduce your Business Costs

• Manage your outsourced projects

• Help Ethiopians with our Connect Ethiopia Project

During the workshop we will do a live linkup to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to demonstrate real time cloud outsourcing in action.

For more information and to reserve your place click on: http://linkd.in/NXjQtg or email katherine@connectethiopia.ie

Places are limited and are on a first come first served basis

For more information see: www.elance.com and www.connectethiopia.com

And for about the presenter see: http://ie.linkedin.com/in/pjawalsh

Hopefully you can attend.

Ethiopian Airlines’ Boeing 787 – Africa’s First Dreamliner Delivered

2012-08-17T15:52:00.000+03:00

Ethiopian Airlines’ Boeing 787 Dreamliner landed in the history books as it arrived at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport on August 17^th, 2012. The aircraft, named “Africa One”, is the first of its type in Africa and the airlines is only the second in the world to own these technological marvels.

After a welcoming ceremony, the aircraft with the tail number ET-AOQ was put on display. People were excited to be inside a Boeing 787 and there was a queue several hundred meters long. Everywhere flashes were going off as people took pictures of its interior and exterior and other amazing features.

Shared below are some Boeing 787 pictures of the interior and exterior. Click on the pictures to view in album mode or enlarge.

Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787

Ethiopian Airlines is a member of Star Alliance

The lion logo on the exterior of the 787 Dreamliner

Side view of Ethiopian Airlines' 787 Dreamliner

Fore view of Ethiopian Airlines' 787 Dreamliner

G&E left engine on Boeing 787

First Class seats inside a Boeing 787

Boeing 787 pictures of interior

787 Dreamliner windows

Overhead storage inside the 787 Dreamliner

Personal entertainment systems in 787

ET-AOQ Tail

Boeing 787 Dreamliner ET - AOQ

Aft view of the ET - 787 Dreamliner

GE engine on ET Dreamliner

Another side view of the Ethiopian Airlines Dreamliner

Cockpit exterior of 787 - Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines 787

Forward pic of Boeing 787 exterior

Front view 787

Front view of the Ethiopian Dreamliner

Engine close up of Ethiopian Airlines 787

Right aft landing gear of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Under the left wing of ET - AOQ

Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 (Dreamliner)

Boeing 787 Dreamliner - Economy Class

Economy Class - Personal Entertainment System

Aisle of Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Exterior of 787

Front - Side view of ET 787 Dreamliner

Ethiopian Airlines - Dreamliner side view

Underneath the Ethiopian Airlines 787 Dreamliner

Landing gear of Ethiopian 787

Close up of 787 Landing gear

Cockpit close up of Ethiopian Airlines' Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Danakil Depression (Dallol Depression) – in Ethiopia, Out of This World

2012-08-09T17:28:00.001+03:00

Note: You can click on all images to enlarge them.

The Dallol Depression also known as the Danakil Depression is a place in northeastern Ethiopia that is famous for many reasons. The main reason is of course that it is the all year round hottest place in the world. The temperature averages around 34°C (94°F) and the fact that is one of the lowest points on earth at 130 meters below sea level.

The Dallol or Danakil Depression in the NE of Ethiopia

The Danakil Depression is located in the Afar region of Ethiopia. This region is famous for being the cradle of mankind as it was here that various human fossils were discovered: Ardi (Ardipithecus ramidus) and Lucy (Australopithecus afarensis).

Ardi (Ardipithecus ramidus)

Apart from the Dallol Depression, Afar is also home to the mount Erta Ale (or Ert’ale – smoking mountain in Afar language), is known to hold the longest-existing lava lake in its summit. It is thought to have existed since 1906. Lava lakes themselves are very rare phenomena with only four currently existing in the whole world.

Ertale (Ert'ale) in the Danakil Depression with its two crater lakes on its summit

Ertale at night

The Ertale crater at night

The Dallol Depression is quite rich in mineral resources. Potash is currently being mined by various companies – but little do people know that Potash was being exported from Ethiopia in the 14th Century (Yes, you read it right – 14th century) – and is today quite abundant in the area. It is estimated that there are 140 – 150 million tons of it in the area.

Salt mining in the Dallol Depression

Another mineral that comes out of this region is salt. Salt mining is one of the very few ways that the local people can make money. But luckily, salt is very abundant. As a matter of fact the whole region lies on a salt bed that is about 3 kilometers thick. The miners risk the harsh conditions of the land and brave the heat to mine the salts with their bare hands. The salt is then transported on the backs of camels (the only form of transportation that can survive this hostile environment) to where they are sold.

Camel Caravan Lake Dallol - Danakil Depression

But, what is truly amazing about the Dallol or Danakil Depression is the beauty of the place. The salt flats, the desert and the myriad of colors that the landscape has in general. There are blues, whites, yellows, purples, reds and greens in a place where not even a single leaf grows.

These colors are the result of the volcanic nature of the area. The heat pushes up hot springs which in turn bring out various minerals from the earth’s core. As soon as the water reaches the surface it is rapidly evaporated by the intense heat leaving behind various colored minerals.

To have an idea of what picture is naturally painted and yet, out of this worldly landscape, have a look at the following images:

World’s First Solar Energy Kiosk: Installers Put up Ethiopian Renewable Energy Engineering Feat

2012-07-20T18:53:00.001+03:00

When it comes to green energy concepts and renewable electricity sources Ethiopia stands among the top 20 in the world rankings by percentage of energy produced from natural and renewable sources¹. But, when it comes to the population’s access to electricity Ethiopia would probably rank on the opposite end of the table. And yet again, if there were a table that listed the solar energy by country the country would list at the bottom for actual present usage and at the top for the potential that is available.

Solar Energy by Country: The Potential

World’s First Solar Kiosk

It, therefore, shouldn’t come as a surprise that the world’s first solar kiosk, aptly named SolarKiosk, opened its door for business on July 15^th, 2012 in the Southern Ethiopian city resort area of Lake Langano².

The World's First Solar Energy Kiosk in Ethiopia

In a country where renewable energy engineering is still in its infancy, and yet where the consciousness of planning and implementing green energy concepts is in the fore, these kiosks are very welcome renewable electricity sources.

SolarKiosk

Designed in Germany by Graft architects, SolarKiosk is a portable solar shop or “autonomous business unit” that can literally bring light to the darkest parts of the country. It is intended to provide a stable source of electrical energy in a safe and affordable way to people living in places that have no access to electricity because they are too far away from the main grid.

Up-close: SolarKiosk with Photovoltaic Panels on Top

The kiosk can be used to sell energy and act as renewable electricity sources. The solar energy installers have stated that the kiosk, which is equipped with photovoltaic panels on its roof, will be able to generate enough power for solar lighting, charging of mobile phones, car batteries and even allow for the running of a solar fridge – which can be used to store the areas’ supply of perishables like vaccines and medicines.

The SolarKiosk in Lake Langano area, Ethiopia

The kiosk is a lightweight structure can be delivered to the remotest part of the country. This is possible due to two main reasons:

1 – It comes in parts and can be taken down and put up easily – using materials that are found locally. And,

2 – The parts are small and light enough that they can be transported on the backs of donkeys, which are the

most common means of transportation in the rural areas.

In addition to being a source of energy itself, the kiosk can be used to sell solar lanterns for their homes, mobile phones (which were not available for lack of a charging point), recharge cards for the phones and cold refreshments just like any other kiosk would.

In order to make the project successful, SolarKiosk will also add to the local knowhow by providing training to the people on how solar energy works, how to maintain their kiosks and how to run a kiosk business.

SolarKiosk at Night: An "Autonomous Business Unit" Selling Energy Products, Tools and Services

The Dream, The Future

The creator of Solar Kiosk, Lars Kruckeberg, said during a TED Talk in Berlin as saying “What we dream of is that these people at night, can not only enjoy cold beer but maybe they can even watch TV.”

After installing the world’s first fully functioning SolarKiosk in Ethiopia, the company is looking to cover more grounds by looking for global partners and NGO’s that can help spread these amazing and innovative green energy concepts to the remotest parts of the world.

Sources:

1 - List of Countries by Electricity Production from Renewable Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_electricity_production_from_renewable_sources

2 – Gizmag: http://www.gizmag.com/worlds-first-solarkiosk-ethiopia/23382/

Images: Wikipedia and Gizmag

The Black Eagle: High Flying Love for Ethiopia and Ethiopians

2012-05-03T17:20:00.001+03:00

There are some interesting facts about Ethiopia that the world is yet to realize and hear of. The country’s three thousand years of history are bound to hold some mysteries that are yet to be discovered and told. But, there are some people, who although not Ethiopian or of Ethiopian-descent, have loved their country blindly, without knowing or hearing of these trivia and historical facts. They have enriched the country’s history by becoming a part of the country’s legacy.

One such person was Hubert Julian - “The Black Eagle”.

Hubert Julian, waves from his plane

The Man

Hubert Fauntleroy Julian was born in Trinidad in 1897. He was the son of a well-off cocoa plantation manager and had opportunities to study in London and then live in Montreal, Canada. While in Canada he learned to fly an airplane and then served as a Lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

In 1921 Julian immigrated to the United States and concentrated on flying and promoting black aviation.

In 1924 he came up with the idea to fly across the Atlantic: from New York to Liberia on the West African coast. Towards this end he named his airplane “Ethiopia I” and set about collecting money to finance his trip.

The plane took off on July 4^th, 1924. Sadly, shortly after takeoff one of the plane’s pontoons fell off and it crashed into Flushing Bay.

While The Black Eagle never succeeded in flying across the Atlantic, he did manage to hold records for brief times. For example, he was the first black man to fly from one coast of the United States to the other and he once held the record for the “world non-refueling endurance record” set at 84 hours and 33 minutes in his Packard Bellanca named “Abyssinia”.

Abyssinia, Hubert Julian's record setting plane

Abyssinia, Ethiopia

But that didn’t matter, because he had become a celebrity in his own rights. And when Emperor Haile Sellasie I of Ethiopia heard about his stories, he was invited to Ethiopia. His exploits had so impressed the Emperor that upon arrival he was bestowed with Ethiopian citizenship and made a colonel in the then fledgling Ethiopian Air Force.

But his flying days weren’t as glorious as he wanted them to be mainly because he accidentally crashed the Emperor’s favorite airplane and had to return to the United States.

When Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935, Hubert Julian rushed to the aid of the Ethiopian government. He was put in command of the Ethiopian Air Force, which consisted of just three airplanes.

Again, this flying stunt too wouldn’t last too long as Hubert “The Black Eagle” Julian was told to leave the country after he got in a fistfight with another black aviator who was flying for the Ethiopian Air Force – Colonel John C. Robinson, who left Ethiopia when the country was occupied by the Italians in 1936.

In 1974, “Flying Magazine” printed an article that said Julian was making plans to rescue Emperor Haile Sellassie I, who was then imprisoned by the military junta (“Derg”). He was 77 years old at the time.

This great flying legend passed away almost too quietly in February of 1983 in New York City.

But to this date, he is remembered as one of the gems that are the infinite interesting facts about Ethiopia.

Trivia and Fun Facts: Of Abyssinia, Ethiopia and Ethiopians ... In Their Eyes

2012-04-27T18:25:00.000+03:00

Ethiopia has a very long history – one of the longest in the world. Ethiopians know that. But there are some non-Ethiopians out there that have gotten an insight into that history, have actually liked it so much and have even gone on to name things and animals after Ethiopia, Abyssinia or someplace related to Ethiopia.

Here are some trivia and fun facts; more will be added upon discovery:

SS Abyssinia

The SS Abyssinia was an English mail liner. It was launched in 1870 and was originally the property of Cunard Line, a leading operator of passenger ships that plied the North Atlantic waters for over century (and is still in operation). Among its substantial fleet was the RMS Carpathia that became famous for rescuing survivors from the ill-fated Titanic.

SS Abyssinia, Vancouver harbor - June, 1887

The SS Abyssinia was sailing from New York to Liverpool when its cargo of cotton caught fire off the coast of Newfoundland at 12:40 PM on December 18^th, 1891. Captain G.S. Murray ordered the ship to be abandoned when it became obvious that they couldn’t put the fire out. All passengers and crew were moved on to another liner that had spotted the fire, the Spree, by 4:15 PM.

SS Abyssinia sunk shortly after.

HMS Abyssinia

The HMS Abyssinia was a boat that was built specifically to defend Bombay (Mumbai) harbor which was then in British India. She too was launched in 1870. She was built at a cost of £116,549.

HMS Abyssinia circa. 1870

Sadly, the Abyssinia spent her entire career at anchor in Bombay harbor, apart from short trips for firing practice. She was sold as scrap when the Indian Harbor Defense Service was discontinued in 1903.

HMS Magdala

The HMS Magdala was another ship that was built in 1870. The name was given to her to commemorate the Battle of Magdala (1867) between Abyssinian and British soldiers where Emperor Tewodros II committed suicide rather than face surrender. Ironically, the pistol he shot himself with was a present from Queen Victoria herself – the same queen that had sent the British forces to capture him.

HMS Magdala 1870

HMS Magdala was made as a companion for HMS Abyssinia and was made specifically for the defense of Bombay harbor. She cost £132,400.

She too spent her entire career at anchor in Bombay harbor except for gunnery practice. She was finally sold for scrap in 1903.

Ethiopia – The Australian Derby Champ

One of the most prestigious derby’s in the world is the Perth Derby. Jockeys and horses alike come from all over the world to take chance at the $1.5 million purse.

Ethiopia and his Jockey Rhys McLeod

The 2012 champion was a four-year-old horse named Ethiopia. He caused a major upset by beating all the favorites, who had more experience racing, after only four starts – not unlike the Ethiopian athletes that continue to upset world record holders time and time again.

Abyssinian Cat

While Ethiopia is blessed with abundant flora and fauna, the Abyssinian cat isn’t one of them. Although the name suggests that it came from Ethiopia, it actually never did - or so they say.

An Abyssinian Cat

Scientists claim to have followed the DNA of the cat and traced it to the coast of the Indian Ocean. But the first cat to be named an Abyssinian was a kitten that a British soldier brought back home when he returned from Alexandria, Egypt in 1868. The kitten’s name? … It was “Zula”. Coincidence?

For those not in the know, Zula (Zeila in Amharic) was the main port for the Axumite Empire and was a part of Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian Commercial Bank That Was the First African Bank

2012-04-18T17:04:00.001+03:00

Many are going to find it hard to believe that it was an Ethiopian commercial bank that was the first indigenous bank to be established in Africa. It was created, established, managed and owned by Ethiopians. The bank’s name: Bank of Ethiopia. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, and let’s start from the beginning of the proud African story entitled “Ethiopia Bank History”.

Bank of Abyssinia

The first Ethiopian bank to open its doors was the Bank of Abyssinia. It was inaugurated by Emperor Menilik II on February 16, 1906. Although it was the first one in the long Ethiopia bank sequence, it was actually a branch of the National Bank of Egypt, a British bank, and totally managed by them. An agreement had been reached between Emperor Menilik and the bank officials to introduce modern banking to Ethiopia and it was given a lot of concessions and leeway.

For example, the Bank of Abyssinia was guaranteed to no competition from any Ethiopian bank or otherwise for a concession period of 50 years. And during those fifty years it had the full right to issue currency notes and coins. In short it had full control on the country’s currency exchange, both locally and internationally. Add to this the fact that it kept all profits and was allowed to exchange money for gold and silver freely meant that it was a sure thing that it would be making a money hand over fist.

But that wasn’t true. Ethiopians being new to the banking concept didn’t appreciate the culture of having to give one’s hard earned money to another for safekeeping. And even when the Bank of Abyssinia had opened branches in several other Ethiopian cities, it couldn’t make a profit until 1914 and in 1919, 1920 and from 1924 onwards because it only increased the cost that was incurred by the bank’s administrative personnel.

After staggering along for a few more years, the Bank of Abyssinia was officially liquidated in 1931.

Bank of Ethiopia

That same year heralded the birth of the first Ethiopian national bank, the Bank of Ethiopia. It was established August 29^th, 1931 by official decree shortly after Emperor Hailesellasie I’s ascent to the throne. It became the first African bank that was truly African as it was owned and managed by Ethiopia and Ethiopians. It took over all the activities of the Bank of Abyssinia and was performing strongly right up to the Italian invasion in 1935.

Sadly very little has been documented about this bank, and a lot needs to be done before this proud Ethiopian and African history is forgotten.

Foreign Banks

With the Italian troops came Italian banks, and with their withdrawal in 1941 came another foreign bank, Barclays Bank that was to cater to the British troops that had helped liberate Ethiopia.

State Bank of Ethiopia

The second Ethiopian national bank started its work on April 15^th, 1945. It was called the State Bank of Ethiopia. This bank also had to cease to exist as it was deemed necessary to split the functions of the bank.

Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa

Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, National Bank of Ethiopia et al

It was therefore with the introduction of the 1963 Ethiopian Monetary Law that the first Ethiopian commercial bank was established: Commercial Bank of Ethiopia. The role of a central bank was given to the National Bank of Ethiopia. These two banks exist to date and have been joined by a multitude of private and government owned banks.

The Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX)…Africa’s First of Its Kind

2012-04-10T16:02:00.000+03:00

Before 2008, in Ethiopia commodity exchange was something that never been heard of. Nobody could imagine a central market where traders could do business in commodity options. But in April of that year, the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange opened its doors and became the first place of its kind on the African continent, where commodity brokers could deal in futures trading.

Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) was a project that was led, and eventually made into becoming a reality, by Dr. Eleni Gebremedhin, a PhD in Economics, who also has an extensive working experience and even more impressive curriculum vitae. Among her achievements are over 15 years of experience in the African agricultural markets and various high-level posts in United Nations and the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington D.C.

Another key player in this project was another Dr. Bahart Kulkarni, also a PhD in Economics. The Indian national first started in the project to bring the Ethiopia commodity exchange market into being by taking on a role of advisor to the Ethiopian government. He then moved on to actually setting up the commodity futures trading and is presently working on research activities and finding ways to implement the same project in other African countries.

Currently the ECX commodity options for coffee, sesame, haricot beans, wheat and maize. The exchange made it possible for all major players in to commodities life cycle to get a fair and by far, a better deal with the help commodity brokers. Everyone from the farmer through the commodity brokers and on to the final consumer of these commodities get their deserved share of the final selling price. This is in contrast to the time when brokers were able to cheat the poor farmers by telling them that the price of their products had dropped drastically in the cities and they had to sell at a very cheap price. The main reason here being of course that the farmer couldn’t afford to transport his

Now with the ECX having electronic displays in public places and across cities all over the country and coupled with mobile phone technology the poor farmers might stand a chance at earning their well deserved incomes. And this would in turn enable to create wealth down in the lowest farmers’ case, as was her intent when Dr. Eleni made her presentation at TedTalks in 2007.

We Are All From Addis Ababa Ethiopia ... and Other Amazing Facts

2012-04-03T16:46:00.002+03:00

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is a destination that many would flock to if they only knew how much of a pearl of a city it is.

Faces of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

To look at it today, one can’t help but imagine how people even survived just as recently as ten years ago. Roads that were just patches of asphalt every few meters have become 8 –lane highways (Bole to Megenagna is a good example. Anyone that can remember that thin, puny asphalt road will know what I am talking about. Another example is the 22 Mazoria to Bole Holy Savior of the World Church where cars passed one another so closely one could actually hear, and partake in, conversations in the other car.) Today, the great Bole Road, Addis Ababa’s equivalent to the “Main Street” of many metropolitan cities around the world, is being plowed again to make more room for more traffic, to embrace a new flyover and to even be the launching ground for Ethiopia’s first ever metro service.

Bole Road under construction

One other thing about Addis Ababa that is changing rapidly is the skyline. I personally remember when we used to make appointments to meet friends near some “addisu hintsa” or “new building”. Today, it would make no sense as there is a new building going up at almost every 300 meter intervals.

But, as this city slowly wakes up from a slumber of a hundred years, there are some amazing facts about Addis that few people realize. Below are just a handful that I have been able to find out doing some basic research, and hope that others will add to it too.

· We are all from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: While most people might have read about Lucy and Selam (mentioned below), a little known fact is that Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the capital city itself, could actually be the point of origin of the human species. The whole world was convinced that since most of the fossils and skeletons were found in the Afar region the origin of mankind too was somewhere in the northeast of Ethiopia.

But, recent studies in DNA¹ have actually shown that mankind in fact came from somewhere a little more southern than there, somewhere around Addis Ababa². In one study DNA taken from approximately 1,000 people showed that as one went further away from the city, the genetic variety declined rapidly and thus also enabled a drawing of the map that shows how man migrated out of Africa.

· Home to Lucy and Selam and MORE: Everyone knows or has heard about the fact that Ethiopia is the birthplace of mankind. Skeletons have been, and continue to be, found in the Afar region of Ethiopia and all the way south of the country along the East African Rift Valley. The skeletons of Lucy (Australopithecus afarensis) discovered in 1974 and estimated to have lived 3.2 million years ago and her “daughter” Selam (also Australopithecus afarensis) who had died at just three years old, but also lived 3.3 million years ago (approximately 500,000 years before Lucy) were discovered in Ethiopia and can be seen on display at the National Museum in Addis Ababa.

A reconstruction of Selam (an Australopithecus afarensis child)

· The highest city in Africa: Addis Ababa Ethiopia, lies at a height of 2,300 meters above sea level. Although the city has now spread vastly, its lowest point, around Bole International Airport is at 2326 meters above sea level while its highest point is the Entoto Mountain, at 3,000 meters the birthplace of the city when Empress Etegue Taitu Bitul chose the spot for her husband Emperor Menilik II in 1886.

· The First Royal Hotel: As mentioned above, Empress Taitu was the main reason that Addis Ababa was able to become the capital city of Ethiopia. Before 1906 there was no such thing as a hotel in Ethiopia. It was considered a shameful act to accept money from a person that had dined at ones table, let alone to make a business of it.

Itegue Taitu Hotel, Addis Ababa

But that didn’t stop the Empress from going ahead, sharing her husband’s love for modernization, and opening the first hotel owned by an African empress, “The Etegue Taitu Hotel” in 1906. When she couldn’t find any clients to come and dine at her hotel, the wise Empress convinced the emperor to make it a point to bring back his ministers for refreshing meals and drinks after meetings and pay their tab. In Ethiopian custom, when one has settled a tab inviting someone else, the invitee will take offence if he doesn’t take care of the bill the next time round. Thus, the business took off when the ministers started bending backwards to have the honor of paying for the emperor and then for their peers. Once the general population saw that going into hotels was “ok-ed” by the royals and the ministers the custom of going into hotels became more acceptable.

The hotel is still open to customers today and is doing a thriving business.

· The Capital of Africa: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is known as the capital of Africa. This is due to the large number of embassies and global delegations that are present in the city. It is also home to Africa’s largest governing body the African Union (AU) and the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). This has made the city a place where people from different races, religions and backgrounds rub shoulders without an eyebrow being raised.

African Union HQ Addis Ababa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

· Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital: This hospital is the only one in the world that is dedicated to the care of women that are affected by this illness. Established in 1974, by a New Zealand and Australian obstetrician/gynecologist couple Drs. Reginald and Catherine Hamlin, the hospital still saves women from the pain, shame and ostracization and has an impressive 90% success rate.

Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital, Ethiopia

· Home to the Federation of African Societies of Chemistry (FASC): This federation was established and is headquartered, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2006 to enable the concentration of all the African knowledge and talent in the field of chemistry and finding a way to use it to help in the development of continent.

· Home to the Largest Open Air Market: They say that no one will come back empty-handed from Merkato, the largest open air market in Africa. Everything from secondhand nails and bolts to spare parts for the largest machineries can be found there. I am yet to find a person who knows more than just a few pockets of this huge maze in the capital city.

Girls in a typical Merkato spices shop, Addis Ababa Ethiopia

As the city continues I’m sure there will be more “firsts” and other amazing facts to add to this list. Any new comments or recommendations are very welcome.

Sources:

1 - Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/21/AR2008022102739.html?hpid=moreheadlines

2 - Star Tribune: http://www.startribune.com/world/15860017.html

Pictures courtesy of:

Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital: http://hamlinfistula.org

Addis Ababa Online: http://addisababaonline.com

Wikipedia: http://www.wikipedia.com

Capt. Desta Zeru: First African Pilot To Command The New Boeing 787 - Dreamliner

2011-12-13T09:40:00.000+03:00

An Ethiopian pilot has managed to bag another first in the aviation industry. Ethiopian Airlines' Captain Desta Zeru has become the first African pilot to fly the new Boeing 787 - Dreamliner. The aircraft on its tour of Africa landed at Addis Ababa's Bole International Airport.

Here are some pictures (click to enlarge):

All pictures copyright of Deep Ethiopian.

Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Inside the First Class, Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Inside Economy Class of the Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Inside of the (Economy Class) Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Entertainment system of Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Shaded and un-shaded windows of Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

777 (left), 767 (center) and Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Tail of Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Underneath the Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Tail of Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

777 and Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

eLance in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Finding a Job That Requires No Work

2011-11-02T06:29:00.000+03:00

One of the best jobs that any person, Ethiopian or otherwise, can wish for is one that allows the employee an opportunity to do what he or she loves to do. In fact, someone once said something to the tune of: "Find a job that you love to do and you won’t have to work a single day". The joy of being able to do exactly what one wants to do is today coined as "freelancing".

As if working as a freelancer, whether full- or part-time wasn’t enough, being able to do it online – from the comfort of your home, can only add to the pleasure of making money. In a world where jobs are getting scarcer by the minute, being able to work from home and in Ethiopia, indeed Africa, comes with a couple of advantages:

1 – Only an Ethiopian can describe about the complex cultures and traditions that Ethiopians have; as the same applies to each African about his or her country’s culture or traditions. It is only today that website owners are turning to the last frontier in the online domains: Africa (So, what else is new?). And as the owners look towards genuine content for their websites, they are turning to Ethiopian and African bloggers, writers and researchers that can give them content that is as genuine, original and unique as possible.

2 – One advantage any developing country has over the rest of the developed world is the fact that the exchange rates of major currencies (USD and Euro especially) works towards their advantage. At the time of the writing of this article, 1 USD had the exchange rate of approximately 17 Ethiopian Birr. Anyone can do the math.

It is with this in mind that good news is being heard around Addis Ababa. A workshop on freelancing is being planned to be held in Addis Ababa one how to work on one of the world’s most popular freelancing websites: eLance (elance.com). Organized by Pat Walsh, of Sky Business Centers and Diaryplan.com who is also an Irish eLance.com provider and buyer, this two-day workshop will enable Ethiopians, and any other interested expats to be able to grasp the wonderful world of opportunities that online freelancing can open to people that would love to work in almost any profession that can be done online. Writers, IT developers and administrators, researchers and just about anybody that can access the internet and use the basics of Microsoft Office can have a chance at pocketing an extra income.

So, what’s the catch? Well, there aren’t any. It’s absolutely free and all you need to do is fill up a simple form and you’re home free. Attendance of both days (09:00 – 12:00) of the workshop is mandatory, if you do not think you will be able to attend both days then please, do not waste the opportunity for others that would love to be in your seat.

If you, or anyone you know, are interested in attending this eLance workshop here in Addis Ababa, then please contact DeepEthiopian with more information. Registration date is until 09^th November, 2011. Also, as the number of seats is limited, please make sure you hurry as admittance is on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Launch your online career today!

Deep Ethiopian - now looking for writers and bloggers

2011-09-13T12:25:00.002+03:00

መልካም አዲስ ዓመት !!!

This blog has been my personal pride and joy for a little over three years now. I love writing posts on it more than any work I do today. What started out as personal joy has moved on to become the ultimate life experience that opened the door to a great writing career. This blog has made me to good for its own good - so much so that it has led to this point. It is with mixed emotions that I say I can no longer keep up the submission of posts to this site as often as I would like to, and would like to have some help from other writers that would love to contribute posts.The only option that is left to me is to open it up for people that have a passion for this beautiful country – Ethiopia.

It doesn’t matter if you’re just passing through, and it doesn’t matter which part of the country it is you are in if you have something good to share about your trip and travel, then please, consider becoming a contributing blogger to DeepEthiopian.com.

As long as you write from the heart and about the truth you have actually experienced yourself you will be a writer that is always welcome. The only rules being:

All content that is published shall be owned by the writer and there will be no copying or even re-writing of other people’s contents no matter what.
There will be no X-rated content no matter what. And
There will be no political topics no matter what.

This blog is, and always will be, about Ethiopia and Ethiopians by people from within the country. It is about telling the world what the country really is about via narrations of firsthand experiences.Geography, history, anthropology etc. are the topics that are usually expected, but what is most important is that it is always the truth.

If you decide to be a contributing writer, you will have the right to have your posts published in your own name. While this site will give you a large audience, it is for the time being a non-paying position.

I hope you come aboard and enjoy the writing as much as I do.

Warmest regards,

Deep Ethiopian

The UN Peacekeeping Missions - A Proud Ethiopian History - Part 1

2011-05-31T16:53:00.002+03:00

One word that is always present with the word ‘Ethiopia’ is ‘war’. The country has been at war at one time or another ever since it came into being. But what most people tend to forget is the contribution Ethiopia and her armies have sacrificed to bring peace to other peoples across the world. We are of course talking about the UN peacekeeping missions that Ethiopia has participated in.

A Proud History

1 – The Korean War

On June 25^th, 1950 North Korean forces gushed over the border to invade South Korea. The United Nations passed a resolution to send peacekeeping troops to restore the status quo. While mainly made up of the US Army, the peacekeeping force also included a battalion of Ethiopian soldiers.

Named the ‘Kagnew Battalion’, its commander was General Mulugeta Bulli. There were anywhere from 1,271 to 3,518 Ethiopian troops in the battalion at any given time. They were attached to the U.S. 7^th Infantry Division. Although they were named the ‘Kagnew Battalion’ they were actually three successive battalions that were drawn from Emperor Haileselassie I’s 1^st Division of the Imperial Body Guards.

The Ethiopians served gallantly in the war – the casualties were 121 killed and 536 wounded. At the end of the war, of more than 16 allies participating in actual combat (there were around 25 other countries supplying logistics and medical support) Ethiopia was the only country to have no prisoners of war (POW) to collect, as not a single soldier had surrendered. That was a mighty feat, considering that of the 238 times they went into combat they had the distinction of coming out victorious every single time! The North Koreans believed they were superhuman because they never saw a single dead soldier – since the battalion never left a single dead soldier behind.

The feats of these legendary troopers were largely overlooked by the western media. But one U.S. Army combat historian, S.L.A. Marshall made sure that they were never forgotten in his book ‘Pork Cop Hill’ which was later made into a movie.

Excerpts from the book include:

Describing the battle at Pork Chop Hill:

"Like Horatius at the bridge or the screaming eagles at Bastogne, it was a classic fight, ending in clean triumph over seemingly impossible odds."

And of another Ethiopian patrol:

"...under full observation from enemy country, eight Ethiopians walked 800 yards across no-man's land and up the slope of T-Bone Hill right into the enemy trenches. When next we looked, the eight had become ten. The patrol was dragging back two Chinese prisoners, having snatched them from the embrace of the Communist battalion..."

Today, in Chuncheon City, Korea, there is a hall dedicated to the soldiers that fought in the war.

2 – The Congo Crisis

The day that the First Republic of the Congo became an independent state was the beginning of one of its saddest times in the country’s history. Dubbed the ‘Congo Crisis’, this turmoil lasted from Independence Day in 1960 until Joseph Mobutu (Mobutu Sese Seko) became the president of the country in 1966.

An army mutiny against its almost entirely Belgian officers was the igniting spark. This led to the military intervention of Belgian forces that went in to extract its citizens in the country. While there was a threat to the citizens it was still deemed to be an illegal act – a violation of the national sovereignty of the Congo.

The Belgian troops and civilians declared an independent state, the State of Katanga, and seceded from the Congo. A close Belgian ally, Moise Tshombe, was made the leader. But before the mineral rich state could even stand on its own two legs, there was another rebellion in the north by the Luba people.

In 1960, Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba requested a UN intervention which adopted Resolution 143. This resolution stated that Belgium should remove its troops and that the UN would provide military assistance to the Congolese forces.

Tekil Brigade

Ethiopia was among the countries that contributed to the UN troops that were sent to the Congo. The troops came from the ‘Tekil Brigade’. The first brigade to come under that name was the pioneer Ethiopian force sent to make arrangements for the main force that would come under the same name.

The second Tekil Brigade was commanded by Colonel Teshome Irgetu and went into the Congo on June 14^th, 1961 to replace the previous expeditionary force. The constitution of the battalion was actually 4 different infantry divisions that came one after the other from different parts of the country:

The 8^th Tekil Batallion from Maychew, Tigray: commanded by Lt. Colonel Tezera Gorfe
The 25^th Tekil Batallion from Jimma/Gojjam: commanded by Lt. Colonel Alemu Weledeyes
The 26^th Tekil Batallion from Addis Ababa: commanded by Lt. Colonel Gebremeskel Tesfamichael
The 35^th Tekil Batallion from Asmara: commanded by Lt. Colonel Gessesse Retta

Upon its arrival the brigade was quartered at Stanleyville. Its first job of the day was to establish order, security and confidence amongst the people of the Orientale Province – which it accomplished in a relatively short time. Even when violence broke out, in and around the city on Januray 13^th, 1961, the brigade managed to control and calm things down.

The achievements of the Ethiopian troops in the most chaotic of times have been written on the annals of posterity. But to mention a few of their many heroic achievements:

- The 8^th Ethiopian Battalion had its headquarters at Stanleyville. The battalion was order to move out to Leopoldville on October 10^th, 1961. When things worsened in Katanga, the battalion was ordered to move out to Elizabethville, which it did by December 14^th, 1961.

On that very day the battalion was ordered to launch an attack on the enemy. Excerpts from army historians have written:

“ (vi) Immediately upon arrival in Elisabethville the Bn was ordered to launch an attack on the enemy. In spite of the hasty order and lack of sufficient time to carry out a recce of any sort, the Bn moved from the airport towards the town in tactical battle order returning automatic fire delivered from tree tops, bunkers and civilian residences. Besides the task of clearing various enemy-held localities along the main road from the airport to the town, the Bn was given the major mission of attacking and capturing the strongly-defended enemy locality of the Lido Hotel.

On 15 December 1961 at 0430 hrs (local time) an attack was launched on the Lido by one rifle and one heavy weapons coy of the 8th Bn.2 supported by a few Indian armoured oars. Mission was accomplished by 0600 hrs (local time) and objective was captured.

…

(vii) The 8th Ethiopian Bn lost seven of its men while fighting in the Elisabethville operation and 9 men were wounded.

(viii) According to received order, the 8th Bn handed over its areas of responsibility in Elisabethville to the 35th Ethiopian Bn and began its move to its former position in Stanley-tills on 20 Jan 61. When the Bn was fully concentrated in Stanleyville, it resumed its previous duties and took over its previous areas of responsibility.”

- Of the 25^th Ethiopian Battalion it was written:

“(i) On replacing the 1st Ethiopian Bn of the 1st Tekil Bde, the 25th Tekil Bn established its HQ at Kabalo. In spite of the confused and all time unsteady aspect of the situation, the 25th Bn carried out its tasks so well that firm co-operation and good understanding between the force and the native Balubas was created. As a result the Balubas never liked the idea of this Bn being transferred to another place in the Congo.

(ii) On 9 December 61, the 25th Bn sent one of its coys to Manono to strengthen the coy from the Indian Independent Me, already there.

The situation at Manono gradually grew worse and finally the force of one bn of Tshombe's Gendarmerie (which had strengthened its position in the town of Manono and around all the key points) launched an attack on the two coys, which only had four armoured cars for a fire support. The fighting carried on continuously for three days, from 6 to 9 Dec, and the 25th Bn lost one man and three were wounded. Outnumbered by the enemy and after three days of hard fighting, the two coys managed to drive back the enemy from their well-defended areas in Manono to Mitwaba and other nearby areas.

(iii) Due to the uncertainty of the situation at Manono the rest of the 25th Ethiopian Bn was ordered to move to Manono. After handing over the protection of Kabala to the local ANC force, the whole Bn concentrated at Manono on 10 December 61. This Bn is still at Manono making all efforts to establish the peace and order previously achieved in the neighbouring area of Kabalo.”

- Of the 35^th Ethiopian Battalion it was said:

“(vii) Acting on an urgent order from HQ ONUC, the 35th Tekil Bn again moved to Elisabethville where fighting had broken out between the UN and Tshombe's force. On arrival in Elisabethville of only half its force (the rest being airlifted a week later) on 7 Nov. 61, the Bn succeeded in clearing bunker after bunker, which the enemy had taken so much effort to prepare. The old airfied, the police station, Sabena Guest House and the White's Building, were all objectives which the Bn captured. The final objective captured by the En was the Union Miniére - the well-known Katanga mine centre prized by the enemy more than any other place in Elisabethville. During the Elisabethville operation, the 35th Tekil Bn lost one soldier and two were wounded. The Bn is still in Elisabethville on the active task of ensuring safety of individuals and security in the confusion-struck capital of Katanga.”

to be continued...

Mobile blogging from Ethiopia

2011-04-29T21:12:00.002+03:00

One thing that was missing in Ethiopia was the joy of being able to blog from mobile phones. Ethiopian Telecom has granted internet for SOME pre-paid phone numbers. This gives bloggers the opportunity to blog while sipping a cold one.
The configuration on mobiles is quite easy: just use 'etc.com' as access point and you're good to go.
Happy blogging as the cold ones keep coming!

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Sent from my Nokia phone

Moving To Ethiopia - There is food and water!

2011-02-25T11:16:00.026+03:00

Are you moving to Ethiopia? Then congratulations, you are embarking on the adventure of a life time. This is going to be the beginning of the stories you will be telling your grandchildren over and over again. This is a land of fairy tales that actually happened.

About Ethiopia

Ethiopia is located in the Eastern part of Africa, more commonly called the ‘Horn of Africa’ because it looks like Africa has a jutting, rhino-like horn. Ethiopia shares its borders with The Sudan (soon to be split into North and South Sudan) in the west, Kenya in the south, Somalia in the east, Djibouti in the northeast and Eritrea in the north.

What You Will Need

The first thing that pops into first time visitors or people that are planning on moving to Ethiopia is that there is no food. Some even go so far as to ask whether they should bring their own supplies of canned food and bottled water. Well, as amusing as it seems the answer is still a big resounding ‘No!’

There is food in Ethiopia. No, seriously! There IS food in Ethiopia. Food, whether traditional or foreign, is served in the overflowing number of restaurants that are all over the city of Addis Ababa. There even international restaurants like Indian, Thai and Korean. There are restaurants that exhibit dishes from all over the world by actually inviting chefs from the respective countries. If you don’t want to eat out, there are supermarkets (Friendship Supermarket is recommended), butchers, vegetable and fruit vendors all over the city.

The same thing goes for watered bottle. There are over five well-known brands of bottled water that are known for their brands and quality. The tap water is can be used for drinking – just buy a $10 water purifying jug and you’re set.

Getting Here

The best way to get to Addis Ababa is to jump on the first available flight. The national carrier Ethiopian Airlines is one of the best airlines in the world and covers around 60 destinations worldwide – this would be the best way to go.

While Ethiopia is known for its ‘13 months of sunshine’ – a slogan for the National Tour Operator, making note of the fact that Ethiopia follows the Julian Calendar and has 13 months – there are two main seasons: from September to May it is mainly dry with some months cold and others hot. And from June to August is the rainy season. Therefore most visitors to Ethiopia would enjoy their move to Ethiopia much more if they didn’t have the rain and mud to dim their views of their new home.

Finding Accommodation

Addis Ababa is a city full of hotels, guesthouses and rooms or houses for rent. From the luxury of the Sheraton to the guesthouses around 22 Mazoria, there are places that can meet each and every single person’s budget. The easiest thing to do would be to search online for hotels. If that doesn’t work out the next thing to do would be to try and contact someone already in Ethiopia to look for a place and/or make a reservation. There are websites that cater to real estate, but the prices listed there are a bit too far -fetched and do not leave any room for bargaining – a must in the Ethiopian market.

Life in Addis

Addis Ababans are usually a relaxed lot. There just is no rush. People can actually sit at a café and sip the same cup of coffee or macchiato for over an hour. After hours the most crowded places are cafes and pubs. Walking along the city’s main road, Bole Road, can prove to be a little difficult once the population hits the streets – but it is a refreshing experience. It is the chance to look at cross-section of the Ethiopian society. The yuppies, the expats, the migrants … everyone can be seen on that single road.

Nightlife in Addis Ababa is truly amazing. When the whole city gears up to party nothing can get in the way! This is especially noticeable on Fridays and eves of holidays. The greatest party the whole city had was on the eve of the New Ethiopian Millennium (Ethiopia has a different calendar – the Julian calendar). Everyone starts heading to his or her favorite waterhole at around 18:00. After a couple of hours getting in the mood, it is off the nightclubs around Addis. The rest, let’s just say, is ecstatic.

Night Life in Addis Ababa

If there is anything to add under this topic it is the fact that Addis Ababa is a city that is growing by leaps and bounds. And as the city grows, so too does the number of night clubs. For any person living in Ethiopia or just coming for a short visit, the best bet would be to find a taxi driver that has been driving for a year or too. They are the best guides to the nightlife in Addis Ababa as people tend to hire them to take them to and from the clubs or even as they go bar hopping. So if you are thinking of having a great night, hire one of the small Lada taxis for the night and just let your driver worry about it all.

Finally, because nightclubs in Addis Ababa keeping opening, closing or moving their premises around the city it would need a dedicated blog to keep track of them.

Mixing With the People

Ethiopians like mixing with foreigners. And unlike most of Africa, there are no colonial hang-ups that create uncomfortable vibes between a foreigner and a local. For the most part what foreigners find a little bit annoying is the shooing off of beggars. It could get a little more annoying when travelling out of the city, like the historical places of Axum and Lalibela, or on the way to the many resorts in the south of the country, like Langano. But, the trick to getting out of it is to simply shake your head as you keep repeating ‘No’, and keep walking. They tend to give up after a few paces.

Places To Avoid

It may seem quite unbelievable, but there is nothing that needs to be avoided in Addis Ababa. You just have to be prepared for it. For example, Merkato is Africa’s biggest open air market. With patience and tenacity, it is said you can find anything you want. But there’s one problem, it is VERY crowded. On shopping days, you could be walking in the middle of a crowd for stretches of time without even being able to see the road or your feet. It is THAT crowded. Now in a place like that, you would expect some mischief to happen. There are pickpockets and purse snatchers. So, if you really want to enjoy the experience go dressed for it. Wear jeans, sneakers that you wouldn’t mind being trod on … and get right into it. But apart from these places, you wouldn’t find any place per se where you need to avoid. So put on your walking shoes and start a’walking.

Other cares that you might need to take would be locking doors to cars and homes when leaving them unattended. If you drive to a place and you see kids playing around the streets call one (only one – dealing is better with one kid than the whole bunch, let them figure out a way to split the money) of the over and say you will give him a couple of bucks to keep an eye on your car. If you come back three hours later, you will still find him there.

Places To Visit

The whole city is a place to visit. Like when going to nightclubs, you might also want to hire a taxi driver for your daily jaunts across the city – at least until you can figure your way around. As for places of interest, any guide book or a simple search on Google can show where you should be and at what time.

Expats and You

Being the center for many international organizations and the home of many embassies from all over the world, Addis Ababa is blessed with a thriving expat community. So, any worries that you might miss speaking your language with your countryman can be allayed. There are hangouts that the expats prefer and to get the inside information all you’d need to do is stop one in the street and ask him or her which is what and where it is – that’s all.

Finally – Closing

If you are planning on moving to Ethiopia, do not change your mind, feel anxious or even think of changing your mind because of what you had seen in on TV in 1970’s. Those images do not exist in Ethiopia anymore – all that cannot be said about the archives of the BBC, which looks for excuses to show it at every possible mention of the word ‘Ethiopia’.

You will find ample food, peace and love and relaxing environment.

So, welcome to Addis Ababa!

Interesting Facts about Ethiopia – Trivia on the Firsts and the Greatest

2011-02-08T18:23:00.002+03:00

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Ethiopia is a country that is truly fascinating. Facts about Ethiopia or just mere trivia on the country are a pleasure and sometimes even amazing to read about. Who knew?

- Ethiopia is the only African country with its own alphabet.

- Ethiopia is the only country in the world with 13 months.

- In Ethiopia time is counted on the opposite side of the clock: 6 o’clock is said to be 12 o’clock, and at 16:00 Ethiopians say it is ’10 o’clock’.

- Ethiopia is one of only two countries in the world that have never been occupied. (The other one is Russia, in case you are asked). It managed to stay free by defeating the Italians … twice!

- Although Ethiopia was the first African state to join the League of Nations, it soon became apparent that ‘collective security’ would not be given to an African nation even after atrocities of ethnic cleansing and mass murders were evident after Italy invaded – everyone turned a blind eye and a deaf ear.

- Ethiopia was the birthplace of Pan-Africanism. The belief that Africa should unite and be the master of its own destiny was hailed by Emperor Hailesellasie I. It eventually led to the birth of the African Union of today.

- The hydroelectric dam that was built on the Tekeze River and was inaugurated in November 2009 is Africa’s tallest arch dam standing at 188 meters. Gilgel Gibe IV a dam that will be operational sometime in 2012/13 will be the tallest dam on the continent at 200+ meters.

- Ethiopia and Ethiopians are mentioned in many ancient books. The Bible is one of them. Ethiopia or Ethiopians are mentioned around 40 times in it. It is one of the few countries that are mentioned in both the Bible and the Koran. It is a country where the indigenous people are Christians, Muslims and Jews live together. It was the first country where Muslim prayers were held out of Arabia. Incidentally the first Muslim calls to prayer were done by an Ethiopian. And the first mosque to be built outside of Arabia was the Al Nejashi mosque in northern Ethiopia. When Mohammed and his followers were persecuted, they found solace in Ethiopia.

- The very first and oldest illustrated book on Christianity is found in Ethiopia. This is in the form of a gospel that was written in 494 AD, colors and bindings still intact and was discovered in a monastery – ‘The Garima Gospels’. Abba Garima was a monk that arrived in Ethiopia from Constantinople in the fifth century; legend has it that he copied it in one day.

An Image from the Garima Gospels

- Ethiopia has a long history of war, in Homer’s ‘The Iliad’ in the Trojan War, Memnon was an Ethiopian king. Ethiopia and Ethiopians are also mentioned in his other book ‘Odyssey’. The ancient Greek love for the Ethiopians does not end there; another Ethiopian is in Greek astronomy too. According to legend, Cassiopeia was the queen and consort of King Cepheus in Ethiopia. And long story short, after her death, Cassiopeia was immortalized as a star by Poseidon.

- The name ‘Candace’ is actually the name given to the line of Ethiopian Queens that ruled in ancient times.

- Ethiopia and Ethiopians are usually mentioned with the words ‘athlete’ and ‘athletics’. The first African to win a gold medal in the Olympics was Abebe Bikila in the 1960 Summer Olympic in Rome; he wan the marathon with a record time of 2:15:16.2 – an even amazing thing was the fact that he ran the whole race barefooted. In the next Olympics held in Tokyo in 1964, Abebe Bikila won the marathon with a world record time of 2:12:11:2.4. Making him the first athlete, and as of yet the only African, in history to win the marathon twice in back to back Olympics. As of date, the marathon world record holder is another amazing Ethiopian athlete, Haile Gebreselasie. He holds the record at 2:03:59.

- Ethiopia is the home of mankind. While the most famous ancestors of mankind are Lucy and Selam, archeological digs have and will continue to show that it was the valleys of Ethiopia that man came out of.

- Ethiopia is the homeland of coffee; it was discovered by a shepherd named Kaldi who noticed his goats prancing about restlessly after eating the leaves of the coffee plant. It is thought the word coffee was borrowed from the southern Ethiopian lands of Kaffa.

- The Mountain Nyala and the Walia Ibex are the two most famous animals that are endemic to Ethiopia. The others are the Semien Red Fox, The Chelada Baboon, Menilik’s Bushback, Wattled Ibis, Blue-winged Goose, Harwood’s Francolin, Rouget’s Rail, Spot-breasted Lapwing, White-collared Pigeon, Yellow-fronted Parrot, Black-winged Lovebird and Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco. In January, 2011 a new member was added to the ‘Endemic Ethiopian’ list – The African Wolf.

- Addis Ababa is the highest city in Africa. And many tourists mistakenly think that just because it is in Africa it is a hot place to be. It is amusing to see their reactions to the cold when they get off the plane at Bole International Airport as they shiver in Bermuda shorts and Hawaii shirts. The city was founded by Emperor Menilik II on the Entoto Mountain.

- The Danakil Depression (also known as the Afar Depression or the Afar Triangle) found in North Eastern Ethiopia is the year-round hottest place anywhere on earth.

- Amazingly, Ethiopians have a very impressive history when it comes to flying. The first African woman to fly was Wro. Assegedech Assefa. There is an argument that if it had not been for the Italian invasion in 1936, Wro. Mulumebet Emeru would have been the first licensed African to fly, but that she is the first to fly – the jury is still out on that one. The only jet fighter air-to-air shoot down by a female pilot is credited to Ethiopian Air Force Captain Aster Tolossa, who shot down her Ukrainian trainer who was flying for the Eritreans.

- The first car to reach Ethiopia was Emperor Menilik II's car (plate number D3130), in 1907. He was the first African Emperor, if not plain African, to actually drive a car.

- On August 12th, 2012 Ethiopia became the first country in Africa, and only the second in the world to own and operate a Boeing 787. Owned by the flag carrier Ethiopian Airlines, the aircraft was named "Africa One" and assigned the tail number ET-AOQ.

- Ethiopia is Africa's top producer and exporter of sesame seeds. The country produces about 8% of the world total sesame seed production.

This list will be added on as information is available. Ethiopia is a country with over 3,000 years of history. Any suggestions or additions are very welcome.

Famine in Ethiopia – Can it finally be beaten?

2010-12-03T14:37:00.000+03:00

Sadly, Ethiopia and Ethiopian development has been tied with the words ‘famine’ and ‘drought’. There are even dictionaries that give Ethiopia as an example for definition of the words. There are people, today that cannot help but think of the country anymore than a desert where people die because of hunger. Even first time travelers to Ethiopia come with great trepidation. Even after coming to face with the reality of the country they still think they are missing something or that the whole country is pulling a fast one on them.

Food in Ethiopia - at present

A report from USAID quotes the United Nations World Food Program (UNWFP) as saying that famine in Ethiopia could be beaten back if recent crop harvests are any indication. As of July, due to favorable conditions the country had had a bumper harvest. And this in turn had contributed to an improvement in Ethiopia’s food security.

The report also shows that not only was the food crisis alleviated, there was also an improvement in the availability of water for consumption as well pastoral purposes all over the usually dry and drought prone areas of the south and southeast of Ethiopia. All in all, drought and relief maps of Ethiopia have shown a very rapid diminishing of food shortages in the whole country.

African food – the future

As encouraging as the report may be the history of Africa and especially the history of famine in Ethiopia has shown that no matter how secure a country may become, there is a high chance of another drought or even famine occurring to derail the slow but definite growth of the newfound Ethiopian development.

Encouraging news that has been airing around Africa is the publication of a new book ‘The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa’ by Harvard University professor Calestous Juma. The book that is expected to be published on December 15^th has put forward the results of a study stating that not only can Africa feed itself in just a generation, but can also become a major food exporter strong enough to alleviate the ravenous hunger that is slowly creeping up in the rest of the world.

The overall results of the study apparently show that agriculture in Africa has come to a standstill when the rest of the world has been pushing it into the 21^st century. By making agriculture the number one item on their agendas, there is no doubt that Africa can be the breadbasket of the world.

The Ethiopians - why it is good to be one nowadays

2010-12-02T16:41:00.000+03:00

We are facing dire straits globally. Almost everyone is facing the brunt of job cuts and austerity measures. Economies that were once thought to be mighty have been brought to their knees, and only stood up again after substantial aid from neighbors. The price of gas has shot through the roof and it took the other prices with it. Now is a good time to follow the ways and skills of the Ethiopians.

The Ethiopians – why?

That is what most people will be asking when they read this article. Isn’t life in Ethiopia so miserable? Isn’t Ethiopia the country people point to when explaining the effects of poverty on a country? Doesn’t the information on Ethiopia always say that it is the country to avoid?

Well, let us think see what you think after you read what the world has to say about Ethiopia. Below are some facts on Ethiopia that have been reported by international agencies and organizations. As much as possible latest data has been collected from reliable sources that provide the latest news about Ethiopia and other African countries.

The Human Development Index

The human development index is a complex statistical calculation of the improvement of the human development. It is a measure that is used by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to list countries that have advanced or retreated in making their people’s lives better.

In the 2010 report ‘The Real Wealth of Nations: Pathways to Human Development’ the UNDP has ranked Ethiopia as the 11^th most progressive country making it a surprising member of the high rankers despite it not having done so via economic reasons. This means that the achievements were made by doing other things to improve the lives of the people. For example, Ethiopia abolished school fees for primary school students and made a big leap in the number of clinics that were built.

Ethiopia Flower Industry

When people are asked on the latest news about Ethiopia, the majority that has never been here just think of the country being a big desert. It just doesn’t come to mind that the country is the home of many rivers, especially the Nile, and that it is sometimes known as the ‘water tower of Africa’.

The information about Ethiopia that was disseminated during the 70’s and 80’s has left a dark shadow on the Ethiopia new and strong that is emerging. And that news about Ethiopia has had the most effect on the Ethiopian flower industry. People think of Ethiopia last when it comes to the horticulture industry.

The flower industry in Ethiopia has been steadily growing. It is an amazing story considering that Ethiopia is at present the second-most exporter of flowers in an industry that didn’t even exist 20 years ago. The quality of the flowers has been of excellent standards that various exporters have been awarded global stages.

HIV AIDS decline in Ethiopia

Family life in Ethiopia was devastated by the HIV/AIDS epidemic that had hit the world. The effects of the epidemic can still be seen in the number of orphans that grew up. Ethiopia was one of the most hit countries by the disease.

But it finally seems to have been beaten back. Recent reports have shown that the rate of infection of HIV has been stopped in Ethiopia. Other countries that performed similarly are South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

This was done by planning a strategy that would reach even the youngest of Ethiopians. It was mostly thorough education that was aimed at anyone from 6 to 60. All media drilled into the people’s mind that HIV AIDS was real and that the prevention was very easy. Those lessons are now deeply buried in the three generations that have come after the start of the epidemic. It was these lessons that help curb the disease when it is sharply rising in some Asian countries. Even the United States is facing a problem with the prevalence of the disease among its citizens. It was alarmed to wake up to find that the situation in the United States was worse than Africa.

Life in Ethiopia – something to look forward to

While the whole world is in a gloom, life in Ethiopia is amazingly calm and stable. There aren’t any job cuts that have rocked Europe and the US. There aren’t any austerities plans of furtive lending that have been noticed in Europe to the extent that it has become a threat to the European Union as a whole. There haven’t been massive leaps in increase of consumer goods that would have been expected from a third world country.

Au contraire there is a booming building industry that is changing the cities’ skylines almost daily. There are openings of new automotive industries that have already started flooding the roads of the country with Ethiopian made cars. The tourism industry has reached record levels raising the air transport industry so high that Ethiopian Airlines has become a major contender on a world level.

In short, the country is on its way up. The Ethiopians of tomorrow will hopefully have a country that will be a major force in the future world.