There is no gainsaying the fact that challenges are bound to happen in life. By their very nature, human beings every so often stumble upon a wide spectrum of life challenges. They do not have the faintest idea what tomorrow comes with except wrestling with a range of life setbacks. As a matter of fact, nobody can live on the planet earth without passing through many twists and turns.
Honestly speaking, most successful persons have passed through many ups and downs to reach where they are at the moment. It is an open secret that nobody can be victorious apparently by accident. It needs an uphill struggle and determination to make one’s dream become a reality apart from widening the horizon of knowledge through learning, sacrifice and other related aspects.
Artist Biruk Yeshitila is one of the successful persons who had passed through many ups and downs to reach where he is at this moment in time. He is a painter by profession. He had passed through inconceivable setbacks and challenges with a view to materializing his dream. He came into this world nearly thirty six years ago safe and sound. At that point in time, he was alive and kicking and feeling on top of the world.
He got himself involved in painting profession at the age of seven. The way how artist Biruk got himself involved in painting never ceases to amaze anyone. The thing was, one fine day, his mother left for Israel. When she came back home, she showered all her children with a range of gifts. This time, Biruk chose a crayon amongst the various gifts and grew to be by a long way happy while the rest of his brothers and sisters were enjoying the gift of clothes and chocolates.
Afterward, Artist Biruk kick-started painting the picture of Jesus Christ. He was drawing the picture with full concentration hiding himself on the premises of his parents’ residential house distancing himself from his siblings. After a long search, the father found his son, Biruk, drawing the picture of Jesus Christ and came within reach of him.
Biruk thought that his dad was going to shout at him. But as his dad was very happy to see his son drawing the picture of Jesus, he did not know what to say. It was an eye-catching picture. As the father was happy, he encouraged his son to keep on working by the sweat of his brow.
From that day on, the father began showering Biruk with a wide spectrum of painting materials. Biruk was lucky to have supporting parents who constantly stand by his sides with determination.
When he joined grade one, his teacher named Yiftusira was interested in his artworks. She was taken by surprise following his attention-grabbing paintings which was in the habit of stealing anybody’s heart with no trouble. Be that as it may, something unanticipated came about. The thing was, the teacher ordered Biruk to bring his parents to school. As he did not know the reason behind, he got petrified in a little while. He thought that the teacher was going to give the lowdown to his parents so that they reproach him.
On the day of the appointment, Biruk and his father headed straight to school. When his father finished the discussion with Biruk’s teacher, he came back with a bright smiling face. Biruk was simply waiting for his father with butterflies in his stomach. The father then said, “You should attach significance to painting. In the near future, you will join the Addis Ababa Fine Arts and Design art school.”
At that point in time, the now Ale School of Fine Arts and Design was called the Addis Ababa Fine Arts and Design art school.
At the end of two academic years, Biruk joined the Addis Ababa Fine Arts and Design Art School and studied kids painting lessons which had helped him as a springboard for success.
As ill luck would have it, when Biruk was a fourth grader, his legs failed to function as it should be. At that specific juncture, he was twelve years old. At a loss what to do, he kept on seeing doctors at a range of hospitals but all his efforts could not bear fruit.
Despondently, most of the doctors did not have a clue about the disease he was fighting with. They were simply prescribing pain relief medicines in vain. In due course, as Biruk failed to find somebody who would rescue him from the trouble shackling his hands and feet, he ended up confined to bed. This being the case, he gave up hope and distanced himself from the painting world. The situation was heartbreaking.
Biruk simply kept on cursing his luck time and again. As his bones were fully fused, he could not sit down as it should be.
At a loss what to do, he was taken to a Holy Water and stayed there for seven months. Though he could not find any improvement in his health, a new chapter had been opened in his life. His attitude towards life had been fully changed. He simply kept on constantly reading inspirational books written by various authors. The books really made him wiser. He realized that most successful persons had passed through many challenges.
Inch by inch, Artist Biruk made up his mind not to change his attitude towards life and came up with new hope. After he stayed in the church for some months, a wide array of hopes embarked on flickering through his mind.
One fine day, all of a sudden, Biruk told his parents that he would like to return home. He was sure that he would make a miracle in his life. He said, “Though I am not physically agile, I am in full command of my mental faculties. I am restored to health. Take me home and let me get myself engaged in painting.”
His parents could not believe their ears. They did not know what they had to do. Suspicious looks were evident on their eyes. They knew the fact that their son was constantly cursing his luck apart from leading a meaningless life.
The instant he came back home, Biruk got himself fully involved in painting. He grew to be energetic and infinitely happy. His attitude towards life was fully changed without difficulty. All and sundry could not believe their eyes given that Biruk’s situation was beyond their imagination.
At that point, most people were in the habit of bringing canvases, brushes and other related aspects instead of fruits and vegetables. Thus he kept on busying himself painting various pictures. Through his attention-grabbing pictures, he embarked on attracting the attention of everyone within the shortest time possible.
Be that as it may, one fine day, when a certain painter came to his friends’ home, he saw Biruk’s artworks and said, “If you do these kinds of paintings, I will introduce you with somebody named Mulgeta.”
In due course, he came to know with the person.
Accordingly, from that day onwards, the person kept on evaluating my works and giving feedbacks nonstop. In fact, he had distanced himself from the painting industry for a long time.
Once, artist Biruk stumbled upon a certain humanitarian organization working on the disabled ones. Then he came up with the following idea, “Instead of simply saying disabled persons are gifted and capable ones, we should stage something which can showcase their talent so that we can win the trust of many.”
When people saw the paintings of Biruk in the exhibition staged for the disabled ones, they all grew to be happy. It was the happiest day of his life. The exhibition had helped him do more aside from opening a new chapter in his life. Furthermore, Biruk had got the opportunity to come to know with more than a few people. The renowned Ethiopian painter named Maitre Artist World Laureate Afewerk Tekle was among one of the attendees. Biruk grew to be infinitely happy given that the laureate, his role model came to attend the exhibition.
In the exhibition, the laureate had given feedbacks pertaining to the dos and don’ts of Biruk’s paintings. After four months artist Biruk came up with a wide spectrum of paintings incorporating the feedbacks of the laureate. In fact, the paintings of the second exhibition were incomparable with the previous ones. This time, the laureate tapped him on the back with heartening comments.
To his point, he had showcased a number of exhibitions.
As disability does not mean inability, everyone should attach significance to disabled persons so that they contribute their share for their motherland.
The Ethiopian Herald Sunday June 9, 2019
BY ADDISALEM MULAT
