It is not a secret that the various Nations, Nationalities and Peoples of Ethiopia have been living in harmony, love and unity since time immemorial. Above and beyond, they have been bounded by blood and bone for centuries.
As a matter of fact, the various traditions, cultures and norms of the different Nations, Nationalities and Peoples of Ethiopia win the hearts and minds of everyone in a little while. They all live under the umbrella of great Ethiopia with respect, integrity and dignity every so often.
While we are on the subject, the desired goal of this writer is not to talk about the different Nations, Nationalities and Peoples of Ethiopia but to acquaint esteemed readers with the nitty-gritty of Tebassie community.
To begin with, Tebassie’s community members live in harmony in Debre Berhan town situated in Amhara state. They display a peaceful coexistence with a wide-spectrum of ethnic groups from time to time.
According to some sources, despite the absence of reliable evidences suggesting when ‘Tebassie’ has emerged as a community, it is believed that it got its name following the biting cold of the vicinity. Some say Tebassie is recognized as a community considering the establishment of the military camp at some stage in the reign of Emperor Hailesilassie predominantly from 1944 to 1946, which was used for training soldiers.
Likewise, the environs is turning out to be the center of a large scale industry for investors in addition to serving as sources of revenue for the inhabitants of the community at the present time. The locality comprises of a wide-spectrum of ethnic groups such as Oromo, Tigrigna, Guraghe, Argobba and what have you. The basic sources of income for Tebassie community take account of small scale business and other related aspects.
Tebassie is one of the biggest industrial hubs at the present time consisting of Debre Berhan Blanket Factory, Habesha Brewery, Dashen Brewery, Debre Berhan Natural Spring Water PLC, My Shoes and Leather Manufacturing which have been creating job opportunities for the inhabitants of the area.
As an emerging town in the area, the intervention on asset-based community development approach is believed to smoothen the progress of the existing local institutions, associations and natural resources.
Of late, Gelawdiose Alelegne and Solomon Lakemariam have conducted research on the nitty-gritty of the Tebassie community. Above and beyond, they have made an effort to put in plain words the inside out of the community with a view to familiarizing the lifestyle of the community with the general public.
As per Gelawdiose Alelegne the Tebassie community members are marked for its freezing cold weather in addition to making a living bringing into play a wide spectrum of means. The community as well attaches significance to informal self-help associations and institutions such as ‘Idir’, ‘Senbete’ ‘Iqub’ and ‘Debo’, which provides financial, spiritual as well as interpersonal support when the need arises. Additionally, formal institutions such as Higher Education Institutions, schools, clinics, Micro and Small Credit and Business Associations are available.
He stressed that Tebassie community is known for its freezing cold weather which is blessed with a river named Beressa. As a matter of fact, it is one of the locally available economic assets in which the inhabitants of the vicinity make a living take advantage of a wide-array of means. Despondently, though the hydrologic water resource is accessible with no trouble within a short depth underneath the earth surface, it is not yet efficiently put into practice.
He further stressed that the river is used as the major source of accessing the community with safe drinking water service provision at individual household level aside from attracting an assortment of investment especially on large-scale production industries/firms and flower farming. Furthermore, the river serves as the major source of water for Habesha and Dashen brewery industries and other related aspects in addition to creating a wide-range of employment opportunities to youths and women.
Solomon Lakemariam on his part said, “The Tebassie community primarily the rural area is endowed with fertile and productive arable land. Furthermore, community members bring into being vegetables for household consumptions and put on the market a wide spectrum of vegetables over and over again.”
He added, “Quite a lot of investors bring into play the land for industrial p u r p o s e s over and over again. By the same token, the vicinity is encircled by locally o b t a i n a b l e resources. A case in point, sand or clay soil is used to manufacture a range of traditional household utilities by the local artisans organized under small scale enterprises.”
“The market place is about Kilometers away from the place where the Tebassie communities reside. There are also local market places, which fall mainly on Saturdays and Wednesdays. The marketplaces are full of vegetables, grains, fire woods, shoes, ales (araqe), clothes and other consumable products.
There are a total of fourteen micro and small scale enterprises getting themselves engaged in various sectors of small businesses and production activities like producing foods and beverages, metal works, woodworks, agro-processing and others,” he wrapped up.
The Ethiopian Herald Sunday June 9, 2019
BY ADDISALEM MULAT
