Saturday, May 16, 2026
Home Blog Page 4105

Fikre Mariam Yehualashet

Tesfaye Getnet
-
0

Name: Fikre Mariam Yehualashet

Education: MSc Computer Science

Company name: Intellize Technologies PLC

Title: Managing Director

Founded in: 2016

What it does: Provide ICT Support Service

HQ:  Semen Mazegaja

Number of employees: 5

Startup Capital:  15,000  birr

Current capital:  Over 500,000 birr

Reason for starting the business: To help business owners to facilitate their work

Biggest perk of ownership: Helps me to be more productive

Biggest strength: Professional Staff

Biggest challenge:  None

Plan: Work on Advanced Security on Computer & Network Security

First career: Junior Network Administrator

Most interested in meeting: None

Most admired person:  My mom

Stress reducer:  Physical exercise

Favorite past-time: All good times at university

Favorite book: Science Fiction

Favorite destination: Dallol

Favorite automobile:  Infinity

Not now

Ton Haverkort
-
0

Ethiopia is a society in which personal relationships and social obligations are very important. Ignoring the basics of one of the most important values of society means risking isolation from that same society and being ignored when we need support from that system ourselves. So, what we see typically happen is that while Negussie (no one I refer to in particular) is pressed to complete his monthly report, he drops his work instantly when a relative or friend calls him up and asks for one favour or the other. He will attend to his friend first and worry about completing his work later, perhaps in the evening or over the weekend. If he doesn’t get another call in the meantime, that is. Another day, Negussie may be leaving his office to attend an important meeting somewhere else in town and just when he is about to enter his car, somebody comes to visit him unannounced and Negussie politely attends to his visitor and as a result arrives far too late for that important meeting. Like Negussie, most of us find it extremely difficult to turn people away and disappoint them and so we attend to them in an unplanned way. Asking the other person to come back another time or to make an appointment with the secretary doesn’t even come to our mind. I have tried hard myself over the past years to empower my secretaries to have visitors make an appointment instead of just popping in unannounced, but they got insulted by the visitors instead. Nobody expects to be turned away. The magic phrase has become that “He is in a meeting”. Being in a meeting seems to impress everybody and must be very important indeed. So much abused is this excuse that while accepted, nobody actually believes it anymore. Another example of us finding it so difficult to say “no” to other people is the mobile telephone, which has become the weapon of choice of the intruder. We just cannot resist answering it, even while we are in the middle of doing something very important or attending the meeting mentioned above, where we arrived too late in the first place, remember? And as a visitor to an office it may happen that the telephone rings while you are being attended to.  Chances are that the caller would be given precedence over your personal visit.
Procrastination is the second reason I mentioned above for us finding it difficult to say “no”.  While knowing very well that something needs to be done, we often find ourselves delaying. Perhaps because we don’t like to do that particular activity, or we may feel uncertain about our capacity to do it. There may be other reasons as well, but the result is that what needs to be done is left undone. Instead we look for other less important but perhaps more urgent issues to attend to and push the agenda forward. “I will do it tomorrow or next week or when the car is repaired or when the weather gets better or … never.”
Finally, not knowing what our real priorities are is a very common reason for us not being able to say “no”. Simply because we don’t know what to say “yes” to, we say “yes” to all that comes our way and are busy being busy. Like Negussie, Kidest is also pressed to meet a deadline and complete a large order for an important client. She is called to a meeting though. Not that she had planned to attend this meeting, but she has been asked to replace Negussie, who is busy attending to a private matter with a friend. She doesn’t really know the agenda, neither is she informed about Seyoum’s position on the matters to be discussed. But she finds herself going to the meeting because meetings are very important, remember? As a result, she now attends the meeting absent minded, thinking about how to complete that order for her important client. She has not much to contribute to the meeting and she only completes the quota required for the meeting. Should she have said no? Probably. Could she have said no? Perhaps, if she had made up her mind about what was the most important thing to do. Perhaps not, if she found it difficult to say “no” to Negussie who is a good friend and colleague after all.
Not being able to say “no” hinders us thus to achieve results. Negussie misses important meetings while Kidest fails to satisfy her clients. Needless interruptions, unimportant meetings, some phone calls, some email and other people’s problems are examples of issues that may come our way and that we need to learn to say “no” to if we want to be more effective in achieving what needs to be done. And to be able to say “no” we need to know what our priorities are.

Ton Haverkort
PS. The names used in this article refer to no one in particular.

Crying for change

admin
-
0

It has almost been 30 years since Kontie Moussa (Ph.D.) escaped a mass recruitment for the army of the Derg Regime. He is now one of the high-level public health advisors in Europe. He is the founder of Afar People’s Party (APP). His return became possible after the appointment of the new Prime Minister and his call for opposition political parties based overseas to return. Kontie, shared his views about the current political movement in the country when he sat down with Capital’s Haimanot Ashenafi for this exclusive interview. Kontie holds a Ph.D. in Health Sciences with majors in Public Health, Epidemiology and Global Health.

Capital: Tell us about your childhood?

Kontie: I was born in the Awash Dullecha Woreda where the Kesem Sugar factory is now located. I was an ordinary child. I used to herd camels. I studied my elementary education at the Kessem Kebena Farm School before going to Dire Dawa for High School. I think my attraction to politics started in Dire Dawa where we read forbidden books with my friends. Dire has formed me and gave me the base to understand what a global outlook meant. The journey of globalization started there, we spoke French, Arabic, Somali, Oromifa, Afar in one household, where the idea of pluralism, tolerance, and curiosity together made a mosaic of cultural competences.

Capital: How and why did you flee to Sweden?

Kontie: I got out of my country because of the conscripted military service by the military regime. A lot of friends were taken to the war and none of them came back home alive. I remember around Kezira, a venue in Dire Dawa town, was filled with lots of mourning houses on the streets. So, I went to Djibouti and managed to go to France afterward. I went to Sweden from France and obtained refugee status in, which became my second home for the past 30 years.

Capital: I know you are not a fulltime politician now, what are your posts back in Sweden?

Kontie: I was a researcher and lecturer in Faculty of Medicine at Lund University (Sweden), Mbrara University of Science and Technology (Uganda) and Gadjah Mada University (Indonesia). I also worked for the World Bank in South Sudan, WHO, advisor and senior analyst of the health care system for the Swedish government. I am also an author of multiple scientific articles, evaluation reports and served as a reviewer for many scientific journals. I am also an advisor for the European Commission.

Capital: Tell us how you found the APP?

Kontie: It was back in 2006 that we started to operate underground. We made our struggle official in 2009 in Sweden by opposing the land grabbing policies, bad governance, human rights abuses and social injustice taking place in entire Ethiopia. However, our focus was primarily to expose what was happening in the Afar region and how this was associated and connected at the national level. We have been in the forefront to build a coalition with all Ethiopian political opposition groups except with those who have a secession agenda. Our party has members from other nationalities. That is the demonstration of our people which accepts living with any human being.
We work towards improving unacceptable economic, social, political and environmental problems that the Afar people are facing. We envisage the political, economic and social developments should include helping and improving the lives of our pastoralist majority. Achieving justice, liberty, freedom of speech and the right to be heard are our top priories.

Capital: Do you think the people are subjected problems that other regions don’t face.

Kontie: Not only the Afar region but the entire pastoralist regions are strategically suppressed by the government arrangement. You can begin with the name they are given as developing and their category of partner parties. These regions are the ones with a high cattle population. They have too many natural resources both under the ground and over the ground. The lack of attention to the pastoralist economy has left this region bleeding. This must be solved. The other is no matter how much you love your country or how hard you work you don’t have the opportunities to lead the country. This shouldn’t continue this way.

Capital: What do you think of the names given to the developing regions?

Kontie: I don’t like the name at all! Developing in what sense? Economic or Socio-cultural? Every region is developing or a low-income country. I would prefer the term low-income regions which are still stigmatizing. The question remains how do we evaluate the inputs of the pastoral economy when we are quantifying the GDP or how do we calculate the salt revenues, the agricultural assets?  The Afar region is one of the richest regions in Ethiopia but uneven distribution of wealth and power makes it looks poor.

Capital: What do you think about the decision of the 11th EPRDF summit considering the nonvoting representation of the partner parties? Will, it help the Afar People or not with the current status of the ANDP? There is also a promise to give them a vote.

Kontie: These were one of our core political issues and we hope that the EPRDF is going to make an amendment regarding nonvoting representation. These are about Gambelas, Hararis, Benishagul Somali and Afar with a total population of 25 million and 48% on the land mass in Ethiopia. A system that cannot distribute both wealth and power is unproductive and unstable. Therefore, changing this system is not an option rather it’s a must and we will struggle for that.

Capital: Do you think the reports concerning the economic growth of the region are accurate?  

Kontie: I witnessed many educated youth in Afar with no job. Most of the jobs are given to people who are from other regional states. This is not a bad thing, watching a country where everyone can work whenever he/she wants. But while the residents of the region are jobless bringing other human resources with the old fashion “Lack of skilled manpower” is non-acceptable. The people of Afar are a very welcoming society but the abused political leaders took that for granted. What breaks my heart is previously in the salt mining areas the locals will be renting their camels to the miners transporting their salt to the town. Now it is even worse, they bring loading trucks and take it all once. The localities are now just watching. The region supplies salt for the entire nation but it’s not the residents which are benefiting.

Capital: There were reports coming out of Afar Region at the time of your reception of youth being detained and that you were not welcomed there. What actually happened? Also, you are here in your hotel under strict security. Is there any threat?

Kontie: A few old-guard political cadres with a high rank in the Afar region are still in a systemic panic and the culture of hosting an opponent or a competitor doesn’t exist in their world. That is why we are encouraging the federal government to speed up the democratization and reform process further to peripheries including the Afar Region. The regional leaders have tried to obstruct our journey and we were not able to travel further than the main road as we wanted. Some cadres with high rank in the Afar region were still not ready to accommodate different political views such as ours. We have tried to have an open dialogue with President Seyoum Awal and few of his cronies, however, they seemed to be resistant and have not yet embraced the reform process initiated by the government of Dr. Abiy Ahmed. Nevertheless, we were overwhelmed by the reception bestowed to us by ordinary citizens both Afars and others Ethiopians living in the Afar region.

Capital: Will the new relationship between Ethiopia and Eritrea help Afrar?

Kontie: We need to push for regional integration, where Horn of Africa can use all its assets to be competitive on the global market and to be a winner in the process globalization. Ports, like Djibouti, Port Sudan, Barbara, and Assab can bring an added value both to the global market and regional development if the service sector is integrated and operated out of common interest.

Capital: Reports from the region show an increase in drug use. Did you notice that as a public health professional?

Kontie: On one hand the state is exporting Chat as a cash crop and on other hand want to prevent people from using it. You cannot have it both ways. We are witnessing a collapsing society where drug addiction is neglected. This should the top priority of the government. There should policy and legal intervention before it is too late.

Capital: There is a new youth movement that arose in the Afar region which looks very similar to the latest Oromo protest. Is there any potential change in the Afar Region?

Kontie: For the first time since the EPRDF took power in the country, the Afar youth could be engaged in a peaceful struggle, that is inspired by the Oromo and Amhara protests. It is a natural process that the protest will continue if the changes we see in Addis do not reach Afar and elsewhere. Therefore responding and listing to the people is the way forward. Many other horrible methods have been tested, we lost many lives but many more are breathing the air of freedom.
Afars are crying for change! Educated Afar youth has started a movement called Xukku Cinna “No to oppression” opposing the increasing unemployment rate, corruption, and exclusion from decision making. The majority of the cabinet of the Afar region have been there since the transition period of 1991 including the incumbent president, the former president, the spokesperson of the regional parliament etc. They are fostered by the revolutionary democracy and are unable to reform themselves. People are saying enough is enough! We don’t feel a security threat in Addis but had it not been for the escort of federal police we might have ended up in Samara prison.

Capital: What is the APP doing to prepare for the next election?

Kontie: Obtaining legal status in accordance with the constitution from the election board is what we are doing now. APP was the first political party among organizations returning home that submitted all necessary requirements in order to get legal status.  Second, we need to open offices and mobilize all segments of our society who aspire for freedom justice and democracy.

Capital: Do you have any plans to serve the nation with your global experiences in the health sector, I mean besides politics?

Kontie: The whole struggle is about serving my country and my people. I’m among well-paid officials in Europe and have been working around the globe. However, my dream is to return back home and work to transfer knowledge. Politics is a means to enhance social justice but not an end by itself.

Capital: How about moving back home? What about your citizenship in Sweden?

Kontie: I`m planning to move back home. For the past 15 years, our struggle has been to bring our political vision to people to choose. We now are successful in that and we can freely communicate without being intimidated and harassed. There are many Afars with better knowledge and capacity to lead the organization if the issue of citizenship become an issue.  This is not about one person; it is rather about the population. So I’m not worried about it. The struggle continues until all Ethiopians enjoy the freedom they deserve.

A clean city is everyone’s responsibility

Staff Reporter
-
0

Sidist Killo area, in front of Addis Ababa University Main Campus… The time was around 8:00 a.m. in the morning. It was at rush hour with heavy traffic. I was waiting for a mini-bus taxi destined for Megenagna. Many people lined up waiting for the taxi with me in the front row. Almost 30 minutes later, a mini-bus taxi that came from downtown turned its nose and pulled up in front of us. Immediately after, the driver jumped out of the cab and walked over to a wheelbarrow-man who was selling sugarcane at the roadside. He picked up a stick of sugarcane from the wheelbarrow, threw a coin to the man and returned to the cab which was by then filled with passengers. I took the first seat behind the driver.
Holding the steering wheel with his right hand, the young cabbie started chopping and peeling the sugarcane with his sturdy teeth. After sucking the juice, he threw the husk out of the window. I clearly saw the well-cleaned paved street being littered by the husk of the sugarcane. I felt as if the driver was disparaging the old women who sweep the streets everyday starting in the wee hours. I could see how the white husks of the cane stained the clean black street. How this young and sane guy could do this! I took no time before I stretched my hands towards the young cabbie and nudged him. He saw me through the rear-view mirror.
“What?” he enquired sternly munching the cane.
“I am sorry… but you are littering the street with …” I could not go through my words before he interjected.
“What? …What are you talking about?” He gave me a scornful look.
“Yeah, I just want to remind that you are littering the road. … we all should do our best to keep clean our city,” I tried to expound him.
“That’s none of your business, little man! Did I hurt you?… Don’t be bossy here. Go and tell this to your office boy! …You hear that?” He banged the steering wheel. Then he crunched the sugarcane indignantly and tossed the husk outside.
“Cool down please. I can give you a plastic bag if you have no any place to put it in,” I implored him.
He stared at me through the rear-view mirror. “Is this guy crazy? …This is my first biajo (first trip), please. Do you hear that, little man! … What a bad omen!”
It seemed he would be happy if he threw the husk on my face. He was so enraged. I had no choice but watching calmly what he was doing. …Did I provoke him to rage? No, I don’t think so. …But should I tell him that he is an obnoxious brat? …Should I thus judge him by his behavior? …No, no need to make an evaluation. Probably he is a good guy underneath. I consulted with myself.
I cleared my throat to speak but a lady who was sitting beside me nudged and beckoned me to stop talking with the cabbie lest he should not pick a quarrel. I was not comfortable with her warning and said to her, “no, he should not litter the street. We should remind him that this city is our common property. He should realize that he is strewing his own city. Besides, look at those women who wake up early in the wee hours to clean the streets. If you see people who engaged themselves in roadside trading, like banana or orange selling, they do not throw banana peels or orange skins in the street. They rather keep the wastes in plastic bags which they usually keep hanging on their wheelbarrow. This is a smart way of keeping our environment clean. I am of the opinion this young cabbie should draw a lesson from them…” Everyone in the taxi was listening to me silently.
The cabbie’s aide cut in. “Ok, brother,” he said looking at me, “you two, please, stop that! Let me do my business in peace.” He glanced up and said to the driver, “hey, please give me the husk. Don’t throw it out in the street. You hear me?” …He took the husk of the sugarcane from the driver and shoved it in his gown pocket. “We need peace! No need to throw words of anger against one another at this very morning.”
A lady who sat behind us patted the assistant boy on his back, seemingly expressing appreciation, and gave him a plastic bag so that he could collect the husk in it…
***
Meanwhile, I feel it is appropriate to remind all that we should not be too heartless to impart our due appreciation to the city administration for the initiative it has been taking to refine our city. Yes, there are shortcomings with the administration. There are a lot of things that need closer attention. But we should not miss the fact that promising progress has been made regarding the improvement of the look of the city. Let alone the multitudes of beautiful buildings, take for instance the pavements stretched from Shiro Meda down to Arat Killo, side-walks across streets in Meskel Square, Bole, Mexico, Lideta, Torhayloch, Sarbet, Lebu, and other parts of the city. Take a look at the comfortable paved roads throughout the city. They all have been rebuilt beautifully. Should we not appreciate this?
Roads and streets have been marked with signs which make tours very simple. One can not get confused to locate residential addresses. There are also big sign boards that indicate names and distances of places. Look at the stops of city buses. The old shades have been replaced by the new eye-catching ones. Shouldn’t these be maintained well?
Look at the road-side latrines built few years back. Men who urinate in the middle of the road know very well the advantages of having these spots. Moreover, the ladies who are in charge of the newly built latrines are getting benefit from them. They support themselves and their families by selling hot beverages like tea and coffee. I feel this is a good progress. By the way, many (I have no exact figure) public latrines were built in various villages of the city. Residents in those villages were known to have faced with big problems of getting latrines.
At last, let me take you back to my final conversation with the young cabbie. I was the last commuter to get off the cab. The moment I stepped out, the young cabbie called me and said, “gashie… I am sorry for what I have done… I should not have done that! …I mean dropping the husks of the sugarcane. … Please, excuse my behavior!” fondling his hair, he was looking at me with saddened face.
“Ok, don’t worry! No problem! … Have a good day, young man.”

The writer can be reached at gizaw.haile@yahoo.com

1...4,1044,1054,106...4,450Page 4,105 of 4,450

EDITOR PICKS

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

ABOUT US

 

Capital is the longest-established private English newspaper in Ethiopia

Contact us: info@capitalethiopia.com

+251911637862 | +251944732300 | +251116183253
 

FOLLOW US

© Newspaper WordPress Theme by TagDiv