There is no gainsaying the fact that Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, is the home of various Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples of Ethiopia. Most of its inhabitants live in the length and breadth of the city with love, togetherness, harmony and other related aspects. Nothing makes them happier than living in peace and harmony.
As the residents’ hearts are filled with love, they do not have room for hatred, divisive rhetoric, conflict-ridden propaganda, deceptive Facebook posts, hate speech, unseemly talk, factors influencing the sustainability of unity and what have you. No matter what happens in life, they attach significance to unity in diversity, constructive ideas, and whatnot.
The desired goal of this writer is not to bring The Ethiopian Herald esteemed readers to light with the fundamentals of Addis Ababa and its residents. The intended target is to acquaint the general public with wide-ranging facts in connection with the Kechene communities’ social and economic activities.
It is no secret that the Kechene communities have been playing a major role in taking the manual labor of the country to unprecedented levels for decades. For the sake of standing on their feet and pulling themselves out of the quagmire of poverty, they frequently pull out all the stops over and over again.
Similarly, oftentimes, they go the extra mile. They do not hesitate to go to great lengths. Most of them get themselves involved in weaving, pottery, traditional coffee and tea sets, candle holders, incense burners, lamps, frames, jewelry cases, icons and what have you.
Though the Kechene communities pull their socks up day from time to time, most of them are not able to lead a meaningful life. They still live hand to mouth. If special attention is paid, manual labor will play a major role in lessening the youth unemployment rate across the country.
The Ethiopian Herald has recently approached Yonas Beyene to have his feelings, ideas and, thoughts concerning the Kechene community. As he is one of the residents of the community, he has touched upon several mesmerizing issues in connection with the community.
According to him, the Kechene community has lived in Addis Ababa for more than a hundred years. For them, pottery is the main source of income and the source of their daily bread. Most of them are known for putting their noses to grindstones. To the surprise of everyone, at an early age, they set in motion training their children how to make pottery. They spare no effort to make their children stand on their feet.
He went on to say, “To the surprise of everyone, though most people make use of handmade and homemade crafts produced by the Kechene communities, they do not attach weight to their products. More often than not, they sell their products around Medhane Alem Church and other parts of the capital city.
Without exaggeration, their handmade and homemade crafts attract the attention of everyone faster than a speeding bullet. They are unique and high-quality standard products that deserve respect and appreciation.”
“If all and sundry work in close collaboration, harvesting the fruit of success would be as easy as falling off a log. What is more, in the not too distant future, we can smash poverty from the face of the country,” he wrapped up.
As learned from a certain research paper conducted by Zelalem Lencho, Hailemikael Endashaw, Mengistu Meles and Getnet Moges, the Kechene communities are hardworking people. They do not like sitting idly. They give their all for the sake of improving their lives and pulling themselves out of poverty. Despondently, most of their residential houses, which are made from mud and straws, are not up to the standard.
By the same token, most of the vicinity is filled with busy shops and roadside kiosks. They frequently put on the market the most basic items produced by the Kechene communities.
Niguse Feleke is a resident of this same place. As indicated by him, the Kechene communities have been getting themselves involved in a wide spectrum of manual labor. Despondently, the income they secure out of their product is not that money-spinning.
He continued, “Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the communities deserve respect and appreciation for everything they have been doing. We should as well buy their products at reasonable prices. Furthermore, if the manufactured goods of the community are introduced in every part of the country, we can generate a lot of job opportunities for quite a lot of people.”
“To the best of my knowledge, to improve the lives of the communities, pertinent bodies should do something by making use of a wide spectrum of productive techniques which can take the industry to a new height of achievement,” he concluded.
The Ethiopian Herald September 18, 2019
BY ADDISALEM MULAT
