Dr. Fantaye Yimamu who has passion for her people and nation has invented about 11 inventions that have been registered by Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office (EIPO) using local inputs: Teff, vegetables, cereals, fruits and others. During the while she had with the Ethiopian Press Agency, she discussed her successes.
To start from the very beginning of her early life, she was born and brought up in the region previously known as Welega Province. She attended her primary education in Nekemt, Emperor Hailesilassie I and Nejo, Bitweded Mekonnen primary schools. She proceeded her secondary education at Gimbi Secondary School.
Since she was a clever student she completed grades one to eight by ranking first from her class. She passed double some grads and as per this, she reached grade four by the age of nine. During that time she wrote an essay entitled “This was my dream”.
Completing her secondary education with great distinction, she joined Addis Ababa University in 1981. Immediately after enrollment, she was offered a scholarship abroad through Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). She preferred Italy among six countries on the list and attended her education there.
There, she joined Ankonay University and followed her education in physiotherapy (alternative medicine) from first degree to doctorate level. Though she has lived in Italy for 34 years, along with her children she did not naturalize their nationality to Italian because of keen love she has for her country.
As a result, her children and she could not be hired in government offices and hospitals. So, while her children were hired in private organizations, she institutionalized her own physiotherapy medical center and has been running it.
She grabbed honor in Italy due to her profession as a physician. Once up on a time an Italian famous man who couldn’t get cure for his sickness by going to various health centers and hospitals came to her hearing that she is a good professional and got cured. He admired and called her “Fine hand of Habesha” so that he fell in love with her. He proposed to marry her; she accepted the offer and got married and bore children.
The Italian man wanted to do her a favor in return of her good deed and asked what she might want. The doctor is keen on helping her people in creating job and asked him to launch factory that can hire many people. Then they launched different factories in Ethiopia.
Dr. Fantaye thought “If I open a hospital, it creates job only for educated people, but if I open a factory, the poor members of the society especially in the rural area are privileged to get job in their residential area. As a result, they are able to care for their families by providing basic needs and supplying educational materials.”
Pasta and macaroni from teff
So, she launched pasta and macaroni factory some 16 years ago which is the first in the world by using Teff as an input. Beginning with this, she invented some 11 inventions from teff, vegetables, cereals, fruits and other local inputs.
The pasta and macaroni factory known as golden cereal which uses teff as an input was launched in Addis Ababa around Kaliti. Similar factory called Miya was started off at Gelan town, Oromia State and in both factories, around 360 people were offered job. With this invention, Ethiopia becomes the first in the world to receive a patent right certificate by producing pasta and macaroni from teff. The product is among few African products imported by America.
What makes this product special is that it is made up of different cereals found in Ethiopia in addition to teff and dissolved in the juice of fruits without any drop of water. As it is decorated by different colors of fruits, it attracts sight in line with very good taste.
In addition, she prepared man-made milk from different cereals and received patent right by registering at EIPO.
Medicine for diabetes and cholesterol
Teff by nature is enriched with minerals and it contains eight kinds of minerals. Therefore, Dr. Fantaye prepared food for children and elderlies by mixing different cereals, fruits and vegetables using teff as the main input. She also prepared medicine for diabetes and cholesterol in the same way. Effective medicine can be prepared in the form of pills by grinding different cereals together with teff, according to her.
She also prepared bread cream from different oil seeds, cereals like beans, grains like barley and spices like ginger. It can be prepared by grinding all these together. The cream is a cure for various diseases and can be utilized either in the form of juice or as a bread cream.
Dogs’ and cats’ food
The westerns consider dogs and cats like their children and give care even more than the children. Therefore, the food for these pets has high market. Dr. Fantaye prepared the food of these pets by mixing different cereals, vegetables and fruits with milk having in mind that our country can earn high forex by exporting the product. She uses solar power for cooking the food to avoid the risk of loss of some minerals if cooked by electric power.
Organic fertilizer from by products
Among the problems that reduce agricultural production and productivity in Ethiopia, one is expansion of soil acidity. Farmers use limestone to treat their soil. But a soil that is treated by limestone serves only for two years so that it is not a lasting solution. Besides, it requires them high cost.
Realizing this situation, Dr. Fantaye prepared organic fertilizer from different byproducts. The fertilizer increases production and productivity and it is safe from any side-effect. Farmers can use it without any threat so that it replaces imported fertilizers and secures high amount of foreign exchange.
The Ethiopian Agricultural Research Institute has evaluated the authenticity of the fertilizer by its own technical professionals and approved that it is fully organic and does not cause any environmental and social harm.
Dr. Fantaye’s inventions are not limited to these. She has also invented materials that replace plastic products such as glass and thermo flask from non-polluting inputs and different medicines that have to be registered by EIPO. In short, she has accomplished a great deal in realizing her vision to improve the livelihood of the many.
The Ethiopian Herald August 13, 2019
BY BACHA ZEWDIE
