The fact that all children are born with a certain talent and most of them may not find the way to pursue it because of some traditional, religious, economic or family influences, is what most people see as a sign of futility. In a traditional society, talented children, mainly females, have been living under severe restrictions that would not allow them to come up with new ideologies of their own that may change the life styles of the society or theirs.
Such deeply entrenched traditions have even been harmful to women that confined the domain of their involvement in several socioeconomic and political aspects in their societies. The hangover still exists in the modern world. At times, religious issues and family straightjackets wield the same influence.
Not only traditional ones but also educated modern families often wield certain influences on their children’s lives mostly out of positive intentions for the future lives of the children. Economic constraints are common obstacles that pull back people from following their hearts and to pursue their talents because; survival is always the bigger issue that causes fear while trying to walk through the mountainous roads of talent.
Meanwhile, the world has been changing through time and some of these barriers are reducing gradually as good leaders and parents paved the way for better future of their kids. Now, the world is witnessing so many women coming to the front line of success academically and with their careers.
Juliana Asefa is an eleven years old girl who lives in Jimma Town of the Oromia State. She is currently a seventh grader and also a fashion design student. On a recent cultural festival held in Wolkite Town of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ State, Juliana has presented eight creative cultural fashion designs of her own. Her remarkable design works had gained big rounds of applause from the audience, which promised a rosy future ahead of her.
Most of all, she completed these designs, she brought to the festival, within two weeks.
She told The Ethiopian Herald that her passion for fashion designing was born when she was a little girl. She said her parents liked bringing her little dolls that she started sewing dresses for. When she became six, she began designing dresses not just for her dolls, but dress with more artistic interest. Juliana is interested in designing cultural clothes and her plausible explanation is quiet amazing.
“I am interested in designing traditional clothes because they are the roots for the modern fashion. For instance, the new designs of the T-shirts that are brought with a half design fashion are originally the traditional dresses of Jimma Oromo. Therefore, if it had not for the traditional ones, there would have never been the modern fashion designs. That is why I’m interested in innovative fashion designs based on the traditional clothes,”
Juliana believes that she still has to learn more on the values, meanings and cultural expressions about traditional clothes and is currently honing her design knacks in a fashion school. She said the encouraging support from her parents has made a great impact on her and she will continue pursuing her talent with a vision of becoming a successful international model and fashion designer.
Asefa Dagne is Juliana’s father is Technical Head for the Fana Broadcasting Corporate (FBC) Regional Station at Jimma. He said that he is an engineer, musician and radio technician. In addition, he had been a physics teacher before he joined FBC. Speaking of how his daughter was named after Juliana, he would say it wasn’t on purpose but there was a historical reason. “There was a very kind and generous Queen of Holand called Juliana, who lived from 1909 to 2004. Though I am not a historian, I know the history of that good Queen. I am glad that we named our daughter after her.”
When one hears the father repeatedly calling his daughter Juli, it is easy to notice the affectionate bond he has for his daughter for Juliana. He also noted that he noticed his daughter is gifted when she started sewing clothes for the dolls that her mother used to buy her when she was on a KG level.
Most parents usually give priority for the regular education of their children instead of the natural talent they possess in their hearts. Meanwhile, Asefa believes that the way parents raise their children and how they give them the chance to do what they (the children) want matters all the time. “Since I have been a teacher, I know children should be treated and raised.
I raise my Juli the way one Ethiopian kid is supposed to be brought up. True to the saying spare the road spoil the child, she would get what she desires but could also be pinched (punished) if necessary. As her mother, I am willing to give her what she wants to pursue her designing talent, we are also serious about her regular education and she is remarkable on that too. We have spent more than 10,000 Birr to cover the cost for the show she has presented in Wolkite.”
According to Asefa, parents have to sacrify not only money but also their lives if they want a better future for their children. If children are given the chance to follow their dreams and if they are inspired in an appropriate way, the life time success could not only be for themselves but also to the parents who have given much for them with faith.
The Ethiopian Herald Sunday Edition February 23/2020
BY HENOK TIBEBU
