Addis Ababa’s working class, youths, and people from other works of life have long been tacitly denied the pleasure of recreation. For years, recreations were considered a luxury for the fair reason that the few recreational facilities in the city required exorbitant payments. Most of the inhabitants could not afford to indulge in costly recreations.
“There were not many things that I used to do for pleasure. Most of my friends and I used to spend our spare time in bars gulping down beers at the cost of harm to our health and pockets not to mention the squandering away of precious time for those who know the value of time. In so doing, barefacedly selfish we were oblivious to our house members. Boozing was the only recreation we indulged in when we were not working”, says Eyob Keno a young resident. According to him, for want of recreational facilities that accommodate the interests of all, the idea of healthy recreation had been eclipsed by bad habits for many years and the repercussions are still affecting the community, particularly the youth.
He adds that people with low incomes and averse to consuming alcohol did not have much opportunity to engage in healthy recreations. As a result, they would just remain in their homes doing nothing for pleasure or they would be exposed to bad habits such as chewing Chat, drinking alcohol, and smoking cigarettes.
Some months back, innumerable brothels at the heart of Addis had been ruining generations for many years. Places of drug abuse, commercial sex work, and other illegal activities have been spiraling out of control like a wildfire. There were even places where people had to look over their shoulders for fear. These places used to exist at the heart of Addis Ababa in specific neighborhoods called Paisa and Arat Kilo. There were squalid and slam neighborhoods called Doro Manekia and Erri Bekentu, about what is happening behind the curtain one could find hard to imagine, let alone thinking a proper recreation. Leaving a decent life was highly subject to doubt.
This situation was crying for a turnaround. It reached the heeding ears of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration, which came up with ambitious development project plans. It got on the ball of a rapid execution with the leadership of a task force, which was comprised of officials of the City Administration. The prominent figure in this stride is the City Mayor Adanech Abiebie, marked for unflaggingly walking her talk. Explaining how the government came up with the idea of the projects, she said there were developments in the city here and there and they were not aligned or streamlined. “Therefore, the City Corridor Development Project plan was studied, and we started the implementation right away.”
It has been repeatedly explained by the officials that the corridor development project was expected to include multifaceted facilities such as wide asphalts and pedestrian roads, bicycle lines, parking lots, green areas, cafeterias, fountains and beautiful public spaces. Thus, those shanty places around Piasa and Arat Kilo were demolished, and eye-catching sights began to emerge to the extent one wondered “why we fail to do that for long?” “Why such a turnaround was tardy in coming”. The corridor development project is still underway, but much has been done in a short period. The task force and all actors involved in the project have continued their hard work as they also enjoyed the refreshing fruits of their round-the-clock engagement.
This new face of the City on the other hand has enabled residents from different walks of life to engage in indifferent healthy recreations. Ever since the corridor around Arat kilo has been opens to the public so many Addis residents have been witnessed strolling on the streets enjoying themselves. They are seen pausing to have their shots taken with the new face of Addis as a background. Many couples, families, friends, etc. are spending their night times in these areas and doing things for pleasure.
Eyob currently enjoys walking on the streets with his friends. “I hope many young people will embrace using the new facilities built on the corridors”, he says.
According to Ferew Admasu , another public servant, whom The Ethiopian Herald approached, when the corridor development sees full completion, it no doubt will revolutionize the culture of recreation in the community. “We are seeing so many people jogging, running, walking, and the like. I am one of those who love walking and enjoying the fresh air of the night. Previously, I dared not to go out of my house for everything was congested and there was not enough space on the streets. A couch potato, I would rather sit at home and bore myself watching some foreign movie episodes. Now the main streets around Arat Kilo are reconstructed with new standards, the dilapidated buildings are renovated, and I am enjoying myself walking”, he said.
From parts of the city that have been transformed from a slum into some kind of heavenly beauty is found Eri Bekentu. The name itself conjures up a fearsome image in one’s mind as it meant a clamor for help would go unnoticed in that particular place.
Yimegnushal Tadese is the head of Urban Beautification and Green Development Bureau of the City Administration. She explained the former Eri Bekentu as a place where there were so many unpleasant things going on and a question mark was hanging over peoples’ safety.
“Now this reality has been changed completely by the corridor development project and the place is attractive and recreational. About 2,750 kilometers of land have been utilized for the corridor development in the area”, she noted.
If the glamour of the corridor development project lures people out of their homes and start practicing new and healthy recreation cultures, there is no doubt more development works in the pipeline of the city will certainly change the lifestyles of the people. On a recent visit to the completed parts of the project Mayor Adanech Abiebie, with the premier and other officials, said the residents of the city have been cooperative and helpful throughout the process.
“The public has been attentive to Addis’ transformation for the better. People are giving us feedback about the project freely. We have seen so many people enjoying themselves on the completed parts of the corridor including the Adwa memorial. The support and applause when they saw the premier, during the visit, was overwhelming. It will make us go lower and work harder. We are basking under great appreciation, and we are gaining political affinity by the day. The more we get closer to our public, the more we support one another, the more focus we can place on vital issues of concern, and the better everybody’s lifestyles. ”, said Adanech.
She also indicated that, with the increasing support of the public more life-changing development projects will be launched in the future and the image of Addis Ababa will experience upturn everywhere to the delight of the majority. “Acknowledgement is due to residents of Addis Ababa for their full support. If the public understands the significance of what we are doing this much, it will lend us the impetus to throw our full weight behind beautifying Addis and making it more habitable. This is just the beginning. I would like to promise the residents of Addis Ababa that we will scale up this good start manifold in many places throughout the city”, she stressed.
If such motives are realized and many shanty places evolve into modern city allurements, more people may engage in more healthy recreational activities and as the Mayor pledged residents’ lives will be rosy.
BY NAOL GIRMA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 22 JUNE 2024
