BY BETELHEM BEDLU
Addisalem Abathun (PhD) is the first woman to serve as the Dean of College of Computational and Natural Sciences at AAU in its 70 years history. She is currently serving as a Secretary at Government Budget Expenditure Management and Control Affairs Standing Committee in Addis Ababa City Council. She was born and raised in Debre Markos Town, Amhara State. She grew up in a family that used to lead a hand to mouth life. Fortunately, she had the guts to learn from her life struggles at a young age. It was too soon that she realized the fruits of serving others. Thus, she was keen to help her families as well as her neighbors.
Her early childhood exposure to difficulties built a strong foundation in her mindset that she could bear any hardship in life. Her mother was her role model and the first woman she looked up to. While her father was a security guard and later on served as messenger in a company which did not let him bring much bread on the table, it was her mother who used to brew Areqie, – local drink- and support the family. Seeing her mother leading the family was not only an eye opener but it was also a ladder that let her escape from stretching her hands for help as it taught her a way that she can be supportive of her family.
It was through the strength she took after her mother that she then started to lend a hand for her family by collecting fire-woods; walking about three kilometers every day, and doing house chores. She also took her mother’s footsteps in doing a business and started brewing Areqie so that she cannot be a burden to them. Addisalem was unique for the family in that she was successful in entertaining them. She, along with her brother, used to give her sick father a relief through her jokes and plays. Besides, she was known for her motivational words that she used to deliver on each stage; she went up to receive a prize. She was a living example for her neighbors what women could achieve despite challenges.
50 cents, candy and Math’s & the story behind
Addisalem did not have a special preference for specific subjects. She did not want to put the Science subjects’ one after the other. It was only on one incident that she was forced to. It was when she was in fifth grade that her Math’s teacher raised a question which he had questioned in each section he entered. The situation was sad for her teacher, named Emeru, that he could not find a student who could solve the question. Fortunately, she was able to solve it. Her teacher was overjoyed to the point where he took out 50 cents from his pocket and told her with excitement to buy a candy after he took her each class calling her the ‘Queen of Math’s’.
Though getting appreciation and applause was not a new thing as she was a top scorer student, it was a new experience to see a teacher reacting in that level of joy. Not only the situation stuck in her mind till now, but it was a turning point in her life. Growing up with her father who did not have regular health condition, she dreamt of becoming Pharmacist to discover a medication which most doctors couldn’t bring to treat him. However, that moment coupled with the fact that she was assigned to attend in Kotebe Teachers College, made her decide to pursue Math’s education.
Addisalem never wore a shoe till she was a 12 grader. She learnt her primary education in Abema Primary School and she went to Debre Markos Comprehensive Secondary School to follow her secondary education. It was with a high score that she was assigned to join ‘Kotebe College of Teachers Education’ which is ‘Kotebe University of Education’ today. Of the 60 students, she was the only woman who enrolled to join Math’s Education Department. Though many had advised her to change field, she insisted on staying in her department and was able to complete with high grades.
Few years after occupational life, she again decided to quit her job to further her education. Then, she was raising her first two years old baby and had to give him to her mother to take care of him so that she could continue her education. She was also the only woman to join the second degree program at Addis Ababa University, the only university that teaches second degree at the time, and joined the department. Since she quit her job, she was doing various tutorial services to support herself.
Two months after she came to Addis Ababa, she was lucky enough that she got the chance to apply for the vacancy that Kotebe University of Education announced. At the time, she was teaching 15 hours, taking nine credit hours courses while she was devoted to working side jobs at the same time. Meanwhile, she brought her child and was also fulfilling her household responsibility as a wife and mother. It was with all these responsibilities that she was able to score high marks and became one of the top students when she completed her second degree.
Her love and enthusiasm for education had no limit; that she decided to attain her third degree after giving birth to her second child. This time, she got a scholarship opportunity to study in Stockholm, Sweden. Therefore, she took the first six months of the courses in Addis then went to Stockholm. After attending the field going back and forth for about five years, she successfully obtained her third degree. Just like she was the only woman when she did her second degree, Addisalem also became the first to receive a third degree in the field of Mathematics from Addis Ababa University.
Prior to working at Kotebe University of Education, she had served in Kemise Secondary School, Amhara State and also worked as Zone’s Head of Women Affairs within Teacher’s Association. And later on, due to her marital situation, she moved to Gaint, Nifas Mewecha and taught in area’s secondary school for three years. She then joined Kotebe University of Education and lectured until she completed her second degree. Besides, she was also a part time teacher at Menelik Nursing School at that time. Though it was as an educator that she joined Addis Ababa University, it was only after five months that she became Academic Program Unit Head.
Of all the positions that she had the chance to lead, teaching takes the priority for her. “Teaching is leading,” she said. Throughout her 16 years of lecturing journey, becoming the Dean of College of Natural and Computational Sciences or Arat kilo campus was worth mentioning. Organizing female natural science research team that enables the students to be outstanding in various competitions was one of the major roles she played during her leadership. The female students took 5 prizes of the 8 competitions that they participated in. Similarly, she had helped them to organize discussion group so that it could serve them as a therapy session.
Besides facilitating and organizing capacity building training for the administrative workers at the campus, she played a huge role in extracting underground water for the university’s community.She is the founder and cashier of Ethiopian Accountants Association and was a board member of various institutions. She is also member of research group which are drawn from five African countries. As part of discharging the corporate responsibilities of the University, Addisalem extracted groundwater which served both the campus as well as the residents in the area. Currently, it is being distributed in four directions. Moreover, she played a significant role in building and making toilet and sanitation services accessible to residents. Addisalem had also solved resident’s age long problem of electricity.
Life Philosophy
“It is God who chooses your journey; not you,” it was something that her father used to tell her. Now, she has made it her life’s principle. So, she lives by the value. “I will not spend a second worrying about something. I do my best to accomplish my desire and the rest is not for me to worry about,” she said with confidence.
Awards
For the role she played in strengthening women’s role in the field of Mathematics, the International Science Program (ISP) awarded Addisalem as the 2022 best woman leader. She has also received several prizes from her students and different institutions. Recently, she got the opportunity to take part at the training prepared for Young African Leaders in which people from 30 countries have attended the training program in Germany.
Message
Women need not sit around and wait for others to tell them to do things. They have to stand up for themselves. In order to do that, they need to equip themselves with the necessary knowledge and skill so as to take up the roles they want to. Despite their multilayered responsibilities, they need to seize opportunities and make use of them to achieve their goals. More importantly, women need to look after one another and help each other to go up the ladder of success.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 9 MARCH 2023
