I have a chance to crisscross Ethiopia thanks to my job that entails fieldwork. In this regard, I have recently made a journey to northern part of Ethiopia, more specifically a place that goes by Arbaya Belesa in Amhara State.
Enjoying the scenery and greenery we surged ahead leaving behind us Sellale, Abay, Dejen, Debire Markos, Finote Selam, Injibara, Dangilla, and then Bahir Dar towns. We spent the night in Bahir Dar. At daybreak we crossed Woreta and Addis Zemen. Ariving at Maksegnit, our car turned rightward to confront the road full of ups and downs. Pricky rocks poked its wheels. As such soon it started limping and sneezing choked by the smoke of dust.
After traveling some 40 km away from Maksegnit, we saw from a distance a tall building standing lonely in Arbaya town. We moved to that fourstorey building to seek lodging.
Receptionists of the hotel greeted us in the hospitality of Ethiopian culture. Taking into consideration the effort it takes to move upward they offered price cut of the lodgings as renters ascended up at each floor. They offer a 30 birr price cut from one floor to the other upwards which we found unique.
I took the lodging on the 4th floor to get more discounts. When I took a panoramic view from the the 4th floor, I observed hideous villages full of old, dilapidated, and eyesore houses. The tall building among saga houses proved an oasis in a desert. I started to ask myself; “where we could have lodged if this hotel was not built. How this entrepreneur loves his community?” Many answerless questions bubbled up to my mind.
Our car was begging for a bath. But no sign of water even for drinking was in sight in Arbaya town. After a while, we moved to the ground floor to sit and chitchat on the veranda ordering some beverages. We began to feast our eyes on flowers and vines beautifying the compound of the hotel. It was stuning especially to newcomers. To our delight, music’s which loud the valorous and scorn cowards began pouring out. Among the music we tuned to is found the ones by Fasil Demewoz like ‘Gondar’. Entraled by the music, even flowers and vines started to dance.
Dissension does not make the Belesians yield hands but love. When their pristege is at a stake a little, they become furious like a tiger and chant war songs and warcries like ‘Tiragn chakaw’ and ‘Akaki zeraf’. EPRDF had introduced 4 regions there (struggling lines): Region 1 Telemit, Region 2 Wolkait, Region 3 Belesa, and Region 4 Armachiho. The people of Belesa, even its hills and mountaines had paid much sacrifice for EPRDF’s triumph. Combatants like Tefera Walwa, and Addisu Legesse, Bereket Simon and the other ones were sheltered there.
Walwa, Dahoch, Ashiker mountaainious, for instance, as fortres, had shielded the lives of the above ones. Tefera was named ‘Tefera Walwa’ after escaping series of confrontation sheltering on ‘Walwa Mountain or tree’. Of course, this mountain was his father that saved his life.
In fact, the community of Belesa and EPRDF were inseparable that were refered “fish and water”. Derg regime, therefore, had a principle of “Draining the sea to kill the fish”. Belesa was the battlefield that witnessed the loss of many lives. Of course, people in Belesa were victims of bombs dropped from the sky at different times. Consequently, Belesa community was bomb attacked constantly at Zuy Hamusit, the center of Belesa.
It was Saturday on 10 June, 1989, 12:00 am. The day was one the market becomes robust. There, residents of the locality were in hurry to exchange goods fast to come back to their homes soon for their respective children. Unexpectedly, a rain of bombs forced them to take a deadly shower from the sky.
What was left after bombing were people subjected to mayhem, burnt animal bodies and destroyed houses. May the soul of the residents rest in peace! Belesa people did a favor for EPDRF but this party did nothing to the people in return as expected. Still, people in Belesa are not yet relieved from drinking river water, trekking long distances, heading to health centers on stretcher and learning under tree shades.
Generally speaking this party did not bandage their wounds and dragged them out from the quagmire of poverty. Arbaya is the capital of West Belesa (former for Belesa). (Belesa had been rearranged in to two woredas: West Belesa and East Belesa in 1994 EC). At Arbaya, I have greeted a respected man who has a bright mind. His life is full of wonderful experiences.
The words that gush out from this man are sweet as honey. Consequently, my recorder got soaked with his palatable words for 72 minutes and my pen was so happy to write. Who is he? His name is [Amare Alemu].He was born in Belesa woreda of Macha Abune Estifanos i.e Addis Alem Kebele. Amare grew up and learned there up to Grade 6 after prist school.But he disrupted education becase of a passionate inclination to politics.
As a result, he went to Gondar town on 7 January 1987, which he recalls to date. There, he learned technical and vocational training for 9 months supported by Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church and World Vision Ethiopia .He stood first among 80 students.
On grounds of this, he went to Sellale as a traineer. When EPDRF monopolized Ethioipia in 1991, he came back to Gondar and joined trade having 347 birr as initial capital. Having observed his significant roles of both spiritutal and developmental works, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church accoladed him the title [Liqe Aemiro Amare Alemu]. Liqe Aemiro Amare is versatile. He is engaded in agriculture, eniviromental protection, education, hotel and turism, industry, trade, transport, investment, peace and security sector, humanitarians and others. There is nothing that Liqe Aemiro Amare has not participated in.
He won his money in Addis Ababa, other parts of Ethiopia and outside Ethiopia. Leaving his cozy life in Addis Ababa, he has launched several development activities in Arbaya Belesa through allocating his resources. Realy, he tills farm plots and plant (grasses, trees, fruits, and vegetables), fatten the oxen, initiate and inspire youths and community of Belesa even he builds shades for youths to work in.
Liqe Aemiro Alemu strongly belives in working hard that he remarks “God gave us mouth to speak good, legs to travel long journey, hands to grip, eyes to look forward and across, mind to think farther….to work hard.” Liqe Aemiro Alemu is not a member of any political party. Rather he is a member of hard workers and he advises the community to exchange the first resource called power to work. Then he advised the society to work hard before they die. “Death is none paid debt for anyone; human being is a soil kept in a sack; no one knows when he/she is to collapse; the real memorial to one’s legacy is his/her significant role for the nation who will be recorded in the minds of the given communities.
But this time, an individual is dying repeatedly because of poor and bad thinking; one death is natural; but why should an individual dies every day?”, according to Liqe Aemiro. He is doing to change people’s mentality. “A country will be developed if and only if a developed mind is nurtured”, Liqe Aemiro Amare remarked. He received a land with acidic soil that has not grown anything near Arbaya.
He usually struggles in order to rehabilitate nature that he started to treat acidic soil and grow trees (yellow wood, fig tree, accecia, wanza, gun tree, chibeha), vegetables (onions, chilies, cabbage, salad, potato, and sugar potato), fruits (banana, orange, avocado, papaya, apple, mango) even coffee and buckthorn. There, he keeps honey bees. Birds have started to chirp. In fact, Liqe Aemiro Amare is scarifying a lot to make a bright tomorrow. Regarding animal husbandry, after observing Israel’s experience, he has built a big modern in the country. He practically demonstrated for the community how to fatten oxen. He is due to build standard abattoir and send meats even fruits and vegetables adding values.
Since experts assist every which of his works, his animal farm is backed by veterinians. Currently, he is fattening over hundred oxen and he is doing to fatten over a thousand. He made the place to be examined by experts. Even he sent the water to Israel to prove its suitability for animals. Liqe Aemiro Amare plans to make artificial lake for a fish farming near the town of Arbaya to get refreshment for the given community.
Starting business with 347 birr initial capital in 1991, his capital is now over a billion. His foresight is amazing that he said “being a billionaire is not a measure of wealth but the service rendered for the community and job opportunity creations”. Therefore, he made thousands of job opportunities in planting, fattening, schooling, cooking, shopping, and so forth.
Really, I envy him regarding to his pleasantry, industriousness, commitment and far-sightedness. His virtuousness is greater than his being a billionaire. He has come up with new methods to protect plants and uphold environmental protections. “Human beings need basic necessities like food. As such firewood for cooking; though they do not apply it we have told many not to cut trees, Rather there should be one alternative; taking this in to account, I have innovated a new technology of muck that substitute woods and charcoals, which the community utilize it in an affordable price”, Liqe Aemiro Alemu said. Liqe Aemiro Alemu is always in the community that is why he built a school, kebele meeting hall as well as spiritual institutions (for both Christians and Muslims).
“An investment which does not begin from the community won’t be successful”, he said. His private school called ‘Tiwuld Amare School’ in Godar has allowed the community to get quality education. To prevent the crimes of murder in Belesa, he is arranging his own legal peace institution through recruiting members from court, police, and attorney, and village arbiters who will have offices, salary, and cars budgeted by him. He is so busy that, driving his car he always fetches water for the hotel early in the morning.
He has no time for sleeping. Digging the land holding pictchaxe and hoe, he is an exemplary for the rich men who hailing from rural parts of the country that forget they were born in rural areas. He needs support from the government as he has a big dream to press ahead with agricultural activities at the basin of Abay and Tana. Aside from tapping his resources, he is also successful having four children (a female doctor, a male engineer, and 2 university students).
Liqe Aemiro Amare had nurtured his children in a good manner to be/have ethical, pleasantry, industriousness, commitment, and far-sighted. In addition to his children, he has permanently supported 104 students (86 in elementary and secondary schools, and 18 in universities). Finally, Liqe Aemiro Amare took me by surprise telling me that, “I am to hand down my resources to the community; I told my children that they can’t bequeath my resources because inheritance could make them weak.” “Have we paid back the community from whom we were born from?” Let us ask ourselves.
BY BAHIRU SETEGNE
The Ethiopian Herald May 31/2020
