The Eminence ll, February 2016

Š EMINENCE - Freecopy ISSUE 16-February 2016

THE

EMINENCE YOUR GATEWAY TO 13 MONTHS OF SUNSHINE!

Positioning Ethiopian tourism sector for growth

Capturing Ethiopian Wildlife

Climate change: from threat to opportunity

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CONTENTS Eminence Spotlight

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Positioning Ethiopian tourism sector for growth 12. Capturing Ethiopian Wildlife: Interview with Aziz Ahemed

Hospitality 360 0 16. Capital Spa

26

Cultural Panorama

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18. Leave the city behind: Negash Lodge 20. Thousand Words 22. Ethiopian Theatre Looking for Missing Audience 26. Understanding the three years of Italian Occupation

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Reflections 29. Dear Ethiopia, I am with you& you are with me.

30. Climate change: from threat to opportunity (experts’ opinion)

Made In Ethiopia

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Propping up Ethiopia’s Leather Exports Salsa sizzles up Addis Ethiopian Fashion Take Me Away to Villa Verde

Entertainment 41. The Eminence pick of the month 42. Recipe & Tourist Corner 43. Classifieds http://www.theeminencemagazine.com/

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Managing Editor

Editor’s Note

Tsewaye Muluneh tmuluneh@eminence-se.com Editor-in- Chief Frehiwot Gebrewold fgebrewold@eminence-se.com Lideta s.c Woreda 04 H. No 175 Deputy Editor-in-Chief

Being the oldest independent country in Africa, Ethiopia is endowed with cultural and natural heritages, wildlife, flora and fauna. Most of the nation’s heritage sites are registered by UNESCO and are reasons for the visit of many tourists. As per the GTP the country is also planning to become one of the top tourist destinations by 2020. However, the country’s wildlife is not known internationally or even by locals as the sector is not developed well. Most tourists visit the historical and cultural sites like Axum, Lalibela and Gondar.

What most people don’t know though is that there are more than 30 national parks which are under the wildlife reserve and sanctuaries. Moreover, 14% of the country is covered by wildlife and declared as ‘controlled hunting areas’.

Nevertheless, many of these reserves and sanctuaries are losing their biodiversity.

Most of them are largely being used by people and livestock while the rest are even becoming homes for settlements.

Over the last 20 years, loss of habitat and poaching has reduced the population of several species of wild animals in Ethiopia.

Semein National Park is listed as an endangered UNESCO sites which should be a wakeup call for the wildlife sector. The national park was established in 1969 and is recognized and protected under National Protected areas Legislation. The pressures on the Park are likely to increase further as a result of global climate change. Because of these reasons the habitats of the Walia ibex and qey qebero[Ethiopian Wolf], which are endemic to the country and the park, @EminencEthiopia

Eminence-se Entrepreneurs

Hanna Haile hhaile@eminence-se.com Kirkos s.c Woreda 08 H. No 809

are endangered.

Including Semein National Park, all the natural heritages and the wildlife conservations of the country require an effective management presence, maintenance and training for their staff to increase their level of understanding and standard of work. Key tasks for the management of the parks include the effective protection of their flagship species and creating awareness with local communities in order to reduce the pressure on the parks’ resources arising from agricultural expansion, livestock overstocking and overharvesting of natural resources is very much essential.

Observing such problems and the need for immediate solution, the government of Ethiopia has included environmental concerns in the Federal Constitution, formed new policies and passed new legislation. In 2007 a new Authority under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA), was established. Thirteen parks are under federal administration and managed by EWCA. The sector should be involved in a comprehensive way to foster the contribution of tourism on the general economic development of the country.

Besides this, there is an urgent need to include all stakeholders within the Ethiopian tourism and cultural sectors towards coming up with eco-friendly practices within their operations. Those who believe growth is the final target of any nation must remember that by promoting conservation, we not only ensure our own survival, but also the diversity of the ecosystem.

facebook.com/EminencEthiopia

pinterest.com/EminencEthiopia

Senior Editor Helina Abraham habraham@eminence-se.com Reporters Henok Solomon hsolomon@eminence-se.com Brook Abdu babdu@eminence-se.com Contributor Ryan Kopper Graphics and Layout Design Atnafu Yilma(YAT) Website Administrator Samson Tegegn Cover Picture Aziz Ahmed Photographers Sentayehu Bekele Sbekele@eminence-se.com Gonzalo Guajardo

gguajardo@eminence-se.com Sales and Marketing Manager Chachi Tadesse

Finance and Administration Tizita Paulos Distribution Tariku Tessema Editorial Address: Tel. +251-118-678-187 Mob. +251-939-858-724 P.O Box 794 code 1110 contact@eminence-se.com social@eminence-se.com Web:www.theeminencemagazine.com www.eminencemagazine.com Boles.c Namibia Street, Behind Edna Mall, Adika Bldg 5th Floor This edition is printed at Central PP Kirkos Subcity, Woreda 03 H.No 414 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

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News Highlights

www.addisfortune.com Sintayehu Bekele

Boston Partners Plc has begun construction on a center that will be showcasing the works of up to 500 Ethiopian artisans, cultural restaurants and more. The center appropriately called Ethiopian Cultural Centre, Kuriftu lies on a 74, 000 sqm plot of land near their first Kuriftu Resort and Spa in Bishoftu which is promised to be completed in 18 months.

China National Aero-Technology has begun construction on the, Ethiopian Airlines’ four star hotel in front of Millennium Hall on Bole Road. This hotel will be built on 40,000 sqm and the Chinese Construction Company promises to hand over the hotel in a mere 720 days.

hotelnewsresource.mobi

Carson Rezidor Hotel Group announces that the new Radison Blu Plaza Hotel will be opened in 2017. The construction has already begun on the second Radison Blu within the Addis and is located on Bole Road few kilometers from the airport. The new Radison is expected to have 165 rooms.

The 26th Annual African Union Summit took place in the African Union headquarters, Addis Ababa on January 21- 31.

The theme of the 2016 Summit was “African Year of Human Rights with a particular focus on the Rights of Women”. The summit has been attended by the heads of state and delegates of African countries.

Sintayehu Bekele

Ezedan Holding Group, a Qatari based company, after talks with Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn expressed to invest in hotel, restaurant and spa business in Ethiopia. The delegation from the group proclaimed that they would be investing an estimated capital 8.5 billion USD.

www.religionnews.com

Howard University representatives from the School of Divinity travelled to Addis Ababa on January 11th, 2016 to return a sacred 14th, 15th century manuscript to Debre Libanos Monastery. The manuscript contains two sacred texts: the Acts of Paul and the Acts of Serabamon.

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Dashen Bank one of the pioneers of private banks in Ethiopia on January 14th, 2016 celebrated its 20 years anniversary at Sheraton Addis.

The Bank celebrated its anniversary under the theme “celebrating 20 years of success” marking its two decades serving the market and unveiled future plans. The bank started with 14.9 Million capital and has grown to 2.9 Billion.

Events February

footprint2africa.com

Addis Chamber International Trade Fair February 25 – March 02

The Addis Chamber International Trade Fair is a seven day event being held at Exhibition Center in Addis Ababa. This event will be showcasing products from business services, handicrafts, industrial products, machinery and equipment. This is a good opportunity to meet Ethiopian market and potential.

The Corporate Council on Africa is organizing a summit to promote business and investment between Africa and the United States of America. The summit will be held in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa. The summit is expected to host 1,000 private sector and government representatives from all parts of the world

photoportrays.com Bob Marley 71st Birthday February 5 – 6

Bob Marley’s 71st birthday will be celebrated in Shashemane with a lineup of diverse artists in Martin’s Entertainment Centre.

The event will be celebrating the life and positive message of Bob Marley as well as raising funds for the Rastafarian Community Development.

Italian artist Gianluigi Mancini will be showcasing his work for three weeks. His exhibition entitled Crossing Ethiopia will be showing at the Italian Cultural institute in Addis Ababa.

This event is being hosted with free entry and refreshments.

www.Gettyimages.com 12th International Automotive Trade Fair February 12- 16

emaethiopia

The Ethiopian Medical Association (EMA) is organizing a 5 kilometer run under the theme ‘Lets Run for Health’. The tickets to participate in the run are sold in at the EMA office across from the African Union, and at Black Lion Hospital.

facebook.com/Ethio-Youth Festival

Ethio-Youth Festival is hosted by Yetesha Events & Communication.

This event will be alcohol and addictive substance free. This organizers promise the event to be culture-oriented and developmental youth festival. Ethio-Youth Festival will be taking place in Bole Fana Park.

The 12th International Automotive Trade Fair is organized by Ed Stelar event managers. This event will bring to the platform for creating connections between international and local companies and plans to introduce new model cars to the market.

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EMINENCE SPOTLIGHT: ETHIO-TOPICAL

Positioning Ethiopian

tourism sector for growth

Grand Holidays Tour

Ethiopia seems set to capitalize in its immense tourism potential in order to become one of Africa’s top five tourist destinations by 2020. Having already garnered accolades such as the World Finest Supreme Tourist Destination for 2015 and the Favorite Cultural Destination in 2015 by European Council on Tourism and Trade (ECTT).

By Henok Solomon Eminence Staff

“Five years ago, there were 130 tour operators in Ethiopia, where as currently there are more than 400 tour agencies.”

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With breathtaking landscapes, monolithic rock-hewn churches, rich culture, nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites, rich flora and fauna- Ethiopia offers everything travels might need.

Central to this, tour guides and tour operating agencies have been effective in the country since the early 1960s.

They have played a big role in bringing foreign tourists to the country by promoting the different packages they offer through a variety of methods contributing to the country’s economy by brining foreign exchange and creating job opportunity and skilled man power to the sector. From all of the foreign tourists that have visited Ethiopia in the past five years, nearly 70 percent of them came through tour guides and travel operators, according to Tewodros Deribew the tour operator and tour guide license approval officer of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Five years ago, there were 130 tour operators in Ethiopia, whereas

currently there are more than 400 tour agencies operating in the country. The same increment in number and quality in other part of the tourism sector for instance is in the hospitality sector the number of hotels increased to more than 600 according to the data of MOCT. In addition to this, cities like Hawassa and Adamahave showed a rapid increase of conference tourism.

This has led to a major increase in absorbing tourist flow, as well as the growing capacity of Ethiopia’s accommodations in regards to logistics and touring services.

www.wildfrontierstravel.com-

Tourists enjoying the view from the top.

The main reason for the growth in tourism industry in Ethiopia is due to the rising number of tour operators and guide agencies in the country.

Another reason for the growth in the industry is due to the renewed focus the government has given the sector through the implementation of conducive policies for tour operation agencies such as allowing them to import tour cars tax-free; the establishments of the Ethiopian Tourism Transformation Council and the Ethiopian Tourism Organization (ETO); Ethiopian Airlines offering flight to 20 cities in Ethiopia and 85 more destinations across the globe; and investments in destination development.

to the economy of the nation in the near future.” During the past three years, Grand Holidays revenue income increased progressively. In terms of employees Grand Holidays started operating with only 3 staff; today they have more than 20 staff on their payroll and many more out sourced personnel.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourismalso confirms that the revenue the country received from the increasing number of the tourist flows have improved progressively. But, it is said by both the government and the tour operators that the culture of cooperating and working together between the tour operators and the Ministry is not as developed as it should be.

Grand Holidays Tour

Tour cars passing through Omo area

Grand Holidays Tour and Travel Agency have been in the business for the last 12 years and according to its owner Desale Mitiku the tourist flow into the country has been rapidly increasing.

The improvement of Ethiopia’s image in the eyes of other countries, along with Ethiopia’s secure environment is another major factor in the increasing number of travelers visiting the country.

“Our revenues is rapidly increasing year after year,” stated Desale Mitiku, “If we can expose the destination of our heritage sites and work together to keep them in the proper manner, it can be one of the major contributors.

Of course the Ministry provides support to tour operating agencies and associations, but there is still a huge gap because of the under developed partnership between the government and private sector in the industry. In addition, there are no strong and wellstudied strategies that can incorporate the private sector to the level needed.

This has its own impact on the cooperation between the tour operators and the Government but as Tewodros explains there is still work being done by the Ministry to narrow the gap.

“Whenever there is a request for support

from the Association, the Ministry provides the necessary support,” says Tewodros; a point Desale shares.

www.travel-tour-guide.com

Tourists heading to one of the touristic destination in Ethiopia

Desale told The Eminence, that his company, Grand Holidays, works closely with the MOCT and that they are a member of the Tour Operators Association as well. Desale agrees with the Ministry that there is a weak link between the Ministry and the Tour Operators and it needs more development. He shares that the reason for this is that the Ministry does not pay close attention to the problems faced by the sector such as the inconsistencies in the rates of accommodations at tourist destinations, not adequately promoting tourist attractions of the country to the world and other related works.

“…the culture of cooperating & working together between the tour operators and the Ministry is not as developed as it should be.”

The other visible weakness in the tour-operating sector is that there is no quality regulation happening periodically according to Tewodros.

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EMINENCE SPOTLIGHT: ETHIO-TOPICAL

The nation’s tourism sector could very

Grand Holidays Tour

Grand Holidays Tour

Grand Holidays tour cars crossing Danakel Depression

Waliya Ibex, endemic to Ethiopia

“The quality regulation works are still conducted annually by the Ministry focusing only on the capital city, while most of the tour companies operate outside of Addis Ababa,” he says. Regulations are set with poor standards, are relegated to paper works only and have no consistency.

To narrow this gap, the Ministry is working on restructuring the work flow specifically on the tour operating and guide sector and making other policy and strategic changes as well.

one way of showing cooperation between companies as well as the ministry.

When it comes to creating job opportunities for locals, the tour operating business brings its own contribution. The businesses run by these companies might not be as large scale as the hospitality sector and it might not involve as much man power as hotels, but still at their level they open opportunities for a considerable number of people. In addition, it also opens an opportunity for ground handlers like tour guides, translators and drivers, giving it its own effect.

well be viable engine for economic development with earnings from the sector reaching 880 million USD in the first quarter of the current fiscal year (September 2015/ June 2016).

Since the tour operating sector is becoming a central support system to

Grand Holidays Tour The view from one of Ethiopia’s highest mountains

In addition the tour companies and professionals prepare and offer different packages in order to promote the tourist sites of the country to both local and international tourists. This will increase our tourist destinations exposure to the world and it can be

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the tourism industry that is growing at a promising rate, more companies are joining the sector every year. In this sense, it is quite possible for this industry to become the leading service export the country provides to the world in the near future

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EMINENCE SPOTLIGHT: INTERVIEW

Capturing

Ethiopian Wildlife

Aziz Ahemed is the wild life photographer and filmmaker in Ethiopia. A self-taught filmmaker, Aziz, has had his trailer featured in London Wild Screen Festival in 2014, premiered his documentary film Discover Ethiopian National Parks which featured seven national parks of Ethiopia. His work is shown as an Ethiopian Airlines in-flight entertainment, his pictures are used in places to showcase Ethiopian wildlife and also features on his website ethiopianwild.com to show the world what Ethiopia has to offer in wildlife scene. The Eminence’s reporter Hanna Haile sat with the filmmaker to discuss his passion as well as what the wildlife can offer to the tourism industry of Ethiopia.

Aziz Ahmed

Aziz Ahmed

Aziz sits on the edge of the Simien Mountains. He shares that the wild is where he feels most at home.

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How did you get in this line of work?

Since I was a child my father used to take me to the jungle and I used to watch while he hunted. He had a passion for wildlife. His hobby was to kill and then hang animals on the wall. Since I was a child I have loved that life. I used to watch my father hunt birds, and I loved watching National Geography. You see once wildlife is inside you, it is hard to get it off. After I completed high school at the Greek School, I went into the jungle at the age of 17 or 18.

I had my first job in Ethiopian Rift Valley Safari Company. The company mainly makes its living from hunting and I used to count the animals in the safari and report them.

We identified the old from the young so later the old would be hunted. We identified most animals’s age by their horns. The Rift Valley had several types of animals which makes it one of the best parks. My monthly salary was 475 birr.

pictures I feel ecstatic; that is my home! I feel happy when I am there, I actually don’t like being in Addis.

What and who motivated you to be a wildlife photographer?

At first I was doing it for my satisfaction but now I see that it is promoting my country.

I want to do more. I am the only Ethiopian wildlife photographer so if I can show other countries what I am witnessing right now it is a big promotion. I believe of the Ethiopian population, only 2% know about the wildlife.

That is why I want to do the documentary so that Ethiopians as well as tourists know Ethiopia’s natural gifts. Children have to know that their country has its own resources; the next generation has to get involved in the wildlife sector that is my drive.

How long did you work there?

I worked for six months. I caught malaria and became very ill and lost a lot of weight.

The Hammer people living in that area had to give me blood, and I was healed through traditional medicine. But I still felt weak. Then I witnessed a man being mauled by a leopard, and as the only driver, even though I was sick, it became my responsibility to take him to the doctor. Then eventually they fired me. I couldn’t go back.

Do you hunt as your father did?

I do not hunt. I just love to watch and take pictures. We [Aziz’s family] have a house in Langano and we used to spend our weekends there, since then it became a passion of mine.

After I saw what a good camera can do while working as a tour operator I was intrigued by the pictures’ quality and the speed of the camera. I immediately decided to buy a camera. I looked into Amazon website; it was very expensive so I had to sell my car to buy my first camera. I started taking wild birds’ pictures. When I asked around I found out there were no Wildlife photographers in Ethiopia. I started to be fully involved but the first three or four years were difficult.

What do you feel when you go into a jungle?

When I wake up in the morning and take

I spend 80% of my time in the jungle, the rest of the time I spend editing. It takes about a full year to complete one project. It depends on the things we shoot. For example it is different when we take wildlife pictures and birds. If we are shooting birds we will work in the morning and at night, before and after sunset. There are 900 bird species and I have taken pictures of 700 of them with my camera. I have worked for long enough that I have learnt to identify them by their voices. Sometimes we find birds in a city like Hawassa, Arba Minch near the main cities which makes the shoot easy. But if it is wildlife, we have to go deep in the jungle where we camp for days trying to catch the day birds and night birds. The day birds don’t come during the night and the night ones do not come in the morning so I might end up working 24 hours a day. Some places are muddy. It might rain and during camping mud is very difficult to handle. We have lost camera accessories in the rain but I enjoy it very much. It is fun for me; that is my home. I never get bored in the jungle.

Do you have a team working with you?

Sintayehu Bekele Eminence Staff

Aziz shares all the challenges that he has faced.

What do you do with the pictures?

I make them into a calendar and posters, which I sell afterwards. I have also produced documentary films which are generally more profitable. I did a documentary on Bale Mountains, and the Simien Mountain, followed by a film about the Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes, and a documentary about Ethiopian Birds. Then representing Ethiopia, I went to London and introduced Ethiopia for the first time by debuting my bird’s documentary at a film festival. Ethiopian image was transformed, which I believe has contributed to the rise in tourist numbers.

This wildlife documentary became an inflight entertainment at Ethiopian Airlines.

Now I am doing my latest documentary. It mainly focuses on Ethiopian Parks and how to get there, showing how many kilometers it takes to reach a destination.

How is the process of making a documentary for you?

I create most of my team from the specific area I am working but some people are part of my core team. Currently I have a team that works behind the scenes and scriptwriting.

I had a friend called Binyam Admasu, who used to work with me but he lost his life in a forest fire. He was just like me, we used to take bird pictures jointly but since he died I have been alone.

What kind of impact do you think the film will have? In what way do you want to impact the audience? Or what do you expect people to do after watching the film?

If you watch the film you would ask, “does Ethiopia have these kinds of natural resources? Do we have these many national parks? Do we have these kinds of animals in my country; and can I get directions to get there?” That means you know your country better. I want viewers to say, we have all these natural resources in our country that we didn’t know existed.

How do you feel about the Ethiopian wildlife, do you think enough effort has been done to preserve it or do we need to work more in preserving the wildlife?

In promoting the wildlife, if you check

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EMINENCE SPOTLIGHT: INTERVIEW Kenya and Tanzania you can see several documentaries but in Ethiopia there are none. We should work hard in promoting the country. If there were 1000 people like me there would have been a lot of work in promoting Ethiopia’s uncountable natural sites and in protecting wildlife. I know there is illegal hunting, and wildlife trafficking everywhere, and that should be stopped.

Other countries like Kenya and Tanzania are working very hard to protect their animals but here not enough effort is being done.

If something does not happen soon the animals in the wild will become extinct. The government has to take measurements to preserve the wildlife.

What are your efforts in preserving the wildlife besides showing these films?

I have seen dead animals, animals that are hunted for trafficking and I also witnessed when they actually killed the animal. You see a lot of things when living in the jungle.

So I used to work on awareness initiatives in the community through media, but now I am producing a documentary film in 2016, which focuses on wildlife trafficking which I am hoping will also create awareness.

During my film premier I also promised to use part of my profit to promote wildlife to the community, using posters and brochures.

This I hope will create awareness within the community about wildlife in the country.

NGOs such as Born Free, despite the government challenges, are also working in promoting the wildlife.

What is Ethiopia’s biggest resource?

What should we work on to bring results promoting our tourism?

We should work on promotion. If you look at Axum, and Lalibela a lot of promotion has been done. If you think of Ethiopia those places come to your mind, but when it comes to wildlife in Ethiopia nothing has been done yet. Thus just like the Axum and Lalibela, parks have to be promoted. Tour companies, media outlets and government offices have to see the parks as tourist destinations and promote them accordingly.

The documentaries I have worked on, I hope, will be a steppingstone for the growth and development of wildlife tourism. Now it is the government’s role to take it to the next level.

An image of a country cannot be transformed by one person. By gathering wealthy people, governmental bodies and the media, we can change what we see. Currently things are

see the big five: the Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Giraffe and Leopard.The temperature is warm. But I also think Bale and Simien

Aziz Ahmed

On his last documentary while filming crocodiles, the animal bit his camera and destroyed his equipment.

going very well, after watching the film the government is showing a positive stand.

While making your film, what was a challenge that you faced; be it personal or professional?

The biggest challenge I faced is money. After my return from London from showing my previous film, I expected to get funding for my next works. I went knocking on many doors to get donations but it was difficult.

Things did not go as I planned, especially in the government offices. Having money constraints and lack of people supporting the project is hard. In the jungle there are several challenges; a crocodile broke my camera, or you might stay for two days without food. there are other challenges in the jungle but that is fun for me. It is not really a challenge.

The real challenge for me is when I come to Addis and having money problems to finalize my film.

I sold my house and bought a car to go into the field and do this film. I spent a year in the field and returned after I completed my film.

My hope is I might get funding after the bird film was out.

The government has assisted me. Though they do not assist in a monetary form, when I go to the park they help and support me.

When I am in the field they provided me with a boat, helicopter and car. However, the bureaucracy does not let the support go in the pace I like.

You have been to so many places and took so many pictures, which places do you like the most? Which places do you recommend for the people to visit?

I love Omo National Park because you can

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Mountains are the best parks in the country.

What is the best moment you experienced in the jungle?

I love lions very much, and Ethiopia has the only Black Lion in Africa. These lions have rarely been captured by camera. My dream was to capture it. And I captured it! I will never forget how happy I was that day. It took me six days but I captured 30 seconds of footage of it.

What is your favorite bird?

There are a lot but if I have to pick, I would say I like the Falcon, because it is fast just like me. When people comment on my speed I say I am like a bird. And I don’t like staying in one place for a long time.

How do you protect yourself in the field?

God will protect me; you can lose your life in car accident today in the city. Plus, I am a wildlife photographer and I understand wild animal behavior. When a lion is angry his hair becomes straight, which means I have to back off. Animals change in their appearance and I know what to look for so I can adjust myself to the different situations. But I know there is still a 50/50 risk.

What is next in your plans at the moment?

I am in the process of publishing a coffee table book with 300 pages. It will have a collection of my 12 years of work. The book will be showing all the national parks found in Ethiopia. I am looking for sponsors that will allow me to cover the costs so that I can give out the book for free

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HOSPITALITY 3600: FACILITIES & ACCOMMODATION

Capital Spa Come to Life.

Come to Capital Spa After Capital Hotel and Spa was awarded the 5 star at the end of last year there has been a lot of buzz around this luxury hotel. Within the hotel lies a spa that is of similar standard. The Eminence was able to conduct an incognito visit to the spa that not many people are talking about.

Aida Muluneh

By Haewon Asfaw Eminence Staff

Enjoying some watermelon juice and reading a magazine in the relaxing area.

Entering Capital Spa is like entering another realm; a dimly lit underworld for people trying to escape the chaotic streets of Addis into a place of Zen. After the buzz following Capital’s recognition as a 5 star hotel, word has been spreading fast about the luxury spa in this Haya Hulet hotel.

Visitors of Capital Hotel and Spa pull into a spacious parking lot and enter the hotel where they are then escorted through the pool area and into another building.

Up the stairs passed the posh and fully equipped gym; next to the spacious beauty salon with three separate rooms designated for bridal preparations, sheruba (hair braiding), and waxing; and below the men’s barber shop is Capital Hotel’s spa.

Aida Muluneh

The beauty salon inside also offers manicure and pedicure.

A full spa package includes access to the steam, sauna, Jacuzzi and showers. You are given a key to an assigned locker in a spacious dressing room, only to be greeted

16 | The Eminence - Issue 16 --February February 2016 2016

by an assortment of treats just for you-- a pair of slippers, a robe, towels and a pink outfit to wear to the beauty salon.

It is then that you enter Capital’s spa. The main area include a hot Jacuzzi, steam, sauna and tranquil resting area with the capacity to accommodate 13 people. In separate rooms are private areas for customers to enjoy relaxing services like massages and Moroccan baths. Showers are located both inside and outside the dressing room. Classical sounds play softly throughout the facility and shear white curtains block just enough sun to make you forget about the busyness happening just beyond the spa walls.

The spacious sitting area of the steam wrap around the entire room. The walls are decorated with colorful mosaic murals and glass tiles line the floor. Bursts of hot steam engulf the room every few minutes making sure each visitor leaves

Aida Muluneh

The relaxation area is spacious and tranquil with soothing music filling the ambiance. with sweat dripping in complete satisfaction.

Bubbles and heat exude from the Jacuzzi. The sauna made of wood planks line the benches and walls, smelling of pine as if you were in the middle of a damp rainforest. A wooden spoon and bucket full of eucalyptus water were available for visitors to pour on top of hot stones if they needed to crank the heat up a notch. Women lay in their chairs reading books, listening to music and whispering amongst each other while scrubbing their backs.

“The main area includes a hot Jacuzzi, steam, sauna and tranquil resting area with the capacity to accommodate 13 people. ” The trip to the spa was an incognito visit to experience what service was like for regular customers on an average day. The employees were so helpful and generously assisted customers with any needs or requests they had.

They made consistent rounds of the spa quarters assuring everyone had everything they needed. On several occasions guests were served chilled water and even complimentary glass of freshly pressed watermelon juice.

To ensure quality of service, Capital starts from the very beginning starting with the hiring process. The spa has a 60 person staff ensuring each department hires the right professional person with the best experiences from the best places in the hotel sector according to Fiktre Mariam, the Wellness Consultant at Capital Spa. There is a membership consultant at Capital to ensure this quality

and that all hired staff is well trained and experienced. “Service is a sensitive thing and if we don’t know how to serve people, we will lose so many loyal customers, ” says Fiktre.

She emphasizes that there are so many services in Ethiopia, but what makes Capital special is the way they serve people. “You need to start by having a relationship with your customers and communicating with them as much as possible,” she shares, “The spa tries to address their customers needs and exceed their expectations.”

The Spa Manager, Tigist Gebreexabier, agrees with this emphasis on service stating that Capital believes that all customers are VIP guests. “We have training every day, every week, every month,” says Tigist. In the 7 months that Fiktre says she has been with Capital she has been to three official trainings.

“The trip to the spa was an incognito visit to experience what service was like for regular customers on an average day.”

Maria Vilole came from Italy and has been in Ethiopia for 6 months. She works in the beauty industry making cosmetic products with her brother. She is a frequent customer of Capital, visiting the spa nearly 4-5 times a week. “It is very nice and I like to get massages,” says Maria, “The price is good for the spa, the workers are educated, and the service is perfect.” When asked if there was one thing she would change she shares that the hairdressing is very expensive.

“For a simple wash and dry it is 125 ETB,” explains Maria.

Since Capital Hotel and Spa was named a 5 star hotel by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, they say that they have a big increase in sales, customers and membership.

Tigist says she is very happy with Capital and excited to continue growing the spa

Aida Muluneh

Different packages are available for people who are interested in the self grooming.

Issue 16 - February 2016 - The Eminence |17

CULTURAL PANORAMA: TRAVELING ETHIOPIA

With the hustle and bustle of daily life in Addis Ababa sometimes we all need a change of scenery; however, that doesn’t mean you have to hop on a plane or embark on a long road trip. You can drop by the Negash Lodge located 114 km South West of Addis Ababa for an action packed weekend experience as an individual, family or group

By Haewon Asfaw Eminence Staff

Leave the city behind: Negash Lodge

Whether you want to visit the picturesque lake Wenchi 38 Km away; go horseback riding; stay at bungalows fashioned after the various ethnicities in Ethiopia; kick back in its indoor swimming pool filled with hot spring water; or relax in the beautiful gardens with wildlife such as the mysterious captivating Gurezas [Abyssinian black-white Columbus monkey] Negash Lodge has it all.

Upon entering the gates of Negash Lodge, you drive down a narrow dirt path that leads to a large map plotting 12 different family bungalows that represent the different regions of Ethiopia. From Tigray, Oromia to the

Southern Nations and Nationalities—each bungalow is modeled after traditional homes; all having their own distinct characteristics unique to the culture and region they represent.

“I wanted it to be different from other lodges in Ethiopia…People build the same things and see the same things all the time” says owner Zemetawork Negash on her move away from traditional hotel conceptions. Born and raised in Wolliso, Zemetawork had always aspired to bring something special to her hometown that would also benefit the community.

Daniel Belay

Negash Lodge gives visitors to experience what houses in different parts of Ethiopia without leaving one compound.

The lodge was originally built in the 1930s on a 90,000 sq meters plot of land. It was first used as a holiday home for Emperor Haile Selassie who enjoyed the hotel for its natural spring water and magnificent wildlife. In the 1950s, the lodge was renamed Ghion Hotel, owned and operated by the government. At the time, the lodge comprised just nine small tukuls and eight hotel rooms, until it was privatized in 2005. It was in 2007, that Zemetawork bought the property transforming the compound into what it is today.

The lodge is filled with a variety of towering trees that surround the compound. Small signs hang from the trees reading their names such as Cordia, Albira and Sesbania. Zemetawork wants guests to have a unique experience. With this in mind she created the Lodge to serve as a learning experience of Ethiopian culture, lifestyle and environment inspired by the tribes and ethnicities of the country. From language to customs and style, Ethiopia is especially known for this multifaceted identity and the Negash highlights this special aspect of the country.

18 | The Eminence - Issue 16 -February 2016

Daniel Belay

Oromo house from the outside. The house is made of grass and mud top and a wooden base.

Each bungalow, reflects the region it represents through its interior and exterior design and materials made and purchased locally. Lamps, curtains and furniture pieces were carefully selected to recreate the inside elements of the regional abodes. For instance, the Addis Ababa room is designed with modern décor resembling apartments in the city that reflect the urbanization of the capital.

But, the main difference between the family bungalows can be seen in the outside construction that was done by NIB Construction Company. For example, the Tigray bungalow is designed as a two story building home while the Konso family bungalow is a two bedroom bungalow with a tall straw thatched roof.

“Lamps, curtains and furniture pieces were carefully selected to recreate the inside elements of the regional abodes.”

There are four restaurant areas of the lodge.

The restaurants’ menus were created with food and beverage manager Sintababa Ketema and the cook of the kitchen is Asefa Sisay offering an eclectic mix of European, Mediterranean and traditional cuisines.

The compound also houses 15 horses that guests can ride. The horse keeper of the lodge claims that the horses are happy, well fed and kept in a clean environment.

Their names are labeled above their stables reading Aba Yigept, Aba Tatek, Aba Damtew. the names of the horse are inspired from the nation’s equestrian culture where Ethiopian warriors of old were often interchangeably referred to by the names of their war chargers. Emperor Menelik was often referred to as Aba Dagnew, Emperor Haile Selassie as Aba Tekil, Emperor Tewodros was referred to as Aba Tateq. These Nom’s de Guerre or “Saddle names” was adopted by the Lodge to reflect the Lodges attempt at showcasing Ethiopia’s rich cultural heritage. The lodge also has 10 cows, which provide fresh milk for the restaurant everyday.

There are 24 showers open for the community where people come to get natural hot spring water called tsebel, which is believed to have special healing qualities.

The outdoor and indoor pools are also filled with this natural spring water.

Daniel Belay

The inside of the rooms are decorated in patterns and modeled after the area it represents.

The entire staff of Negash Lodge has 176 employees that were hired locally. “I did this to help my people,” states Zematawork, “I employ a lot of people and I train them here.”

Staff are trained regularly, nearly every two to three months with refresher courses. They receive their training from experienced hospitality professionals from Addis Ababa such as housekeeping managers, headwaiters and chefs.

Building Negash Lodge was not an easy task and the hotel just started functioning properly about two years ago according to Zemetawork. She had a hard time to renovate and build the compound. “It is not easy to build outside Addis Ababa,” she shares, “To get an engineer, materials, those things took me some time.”

Some of the additional accommodations of the lodge include two conference rooms, a children’s playground and pool. There is also a spa called Tewabech Spa, which has blue and yellow tinted windows and colorful pillows of bright pink, yellows and greens. There is a straw roof, rock walls and wooden furniture. It is dimly lit creating a relaxing ambiance separate from the rest of the hotel. Their services include massage, spa services and beauty treatments. There is also an indoor pool with a giant sunroof letting in heat from the outdoor sunlight.

they have been in operation for about a year.

The bar and restaurant of that area opened for the first time in November, 2015. While the original lodge was 90,000 sq meters, the additional land sits at 172,000 sq meters.

Zemetawork plans to utilize this land by building a new mini golf course tennis court and swimming pool.

Dawit Ayalew has been the assistant manager at the Lodge for nearly eight years and has held various positions and roles such as kitchen staff and service. He also shares that the lodge is kept up once a year for regular maintenance.

“Business is not bad, we have a good mix of foreign tourists and locals” says Dawit.

Daniel Belay

Negash Lodge offers horseback riding around its massive compound. This stable hosts all the horses that are used by the guests.

In the back area of Negash Lodge 64 rooms with a modern spin were added to the compound. The interior of the back rooms have colorful blankets, basket woven embroidery detailing the furniture, bed frames made of wood, white walls, wooden tiled floors, Flat screen TVs and elevated showers. It took nearly five years to renovate the back area of the hotels and

When The Eminence asked about the process of Negash Lodge in regards to Ethiopia’s hotel standardization, Zemetawork replied, “They didn’t tell us about the star rating yet.” She added that they have not started outside of Addis and that she does not know when it will start.

When asked why one should visit Negash Lodge, Zemetawork replies, “We are serving people well and that this is where to go if people want to see Ethiopian houses in one place ”

Issue 16 - February 2016 - The Eminence |19

Timket CELEBRATION IN ADDIS

Barely Contained: Woman from the Orthodox Church beating the traditional drum strapped on her at the Timket celebration in Addis Ababa while others clap and sing Orthodox Gospel chants.

20 | The Eminence - Issue 16 -February 2016

Eyoel Mamo

Issue 16 - February 2016 - The Eminence |21

CULTURAL PANORAMA: ART AND LITERATURE

Ethiopian Theatre Looking for Missing Audience “It is not like watching a movie at one of the city’s cinemas when one goes to the theatres in the city- you leave with a relief coupled with long lasting memories of the acting, dialogues and messages, if analytical, from the theatres. All who have visited the Ethiopian National Theatre are witnesses to this.”

By Brook Abdu Eminence Staff “I sometimes watch movies especially when I know the producers or when I hear professional critics commenting on it,” said the selective moviegoer Habtamu Tadele.

“I prefer going to the theatres by which the probability of my disappointment is very low,” noted Habtamu.

Although not in an organized manner like that of the Nigerian Nollywood taking an example from the African context, movies are much heard of being advertised and produced and even taking busy schedules at the cinemas in the city. The increase in enthusiasm for cinema movies in Ethiopia is threatening its older sibling the theatre.

The history of the theatre in Ethiopia can be traced back to the beginning to the 20th century when the French-educated

Teklehawariat Teklemariam brought his education into action by writing and producing Ethiopia’s first play ‘Fabula: Yawerewoch Commedia’.

Enjoying the patronage of empress Taitu Butul the play made its debut at the historic Taitu hotel at a time where there were no theatre houses bringing about a new era of creative expression.

Since then, theatre in the country passed through the different influences from the different political views and stands of the three consecutive governments the imperial regime of Haile Sellasie, the military dictatorship of Dergue and the current Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).

The influence on the theatre at the different times also came from the church and the royal court that are until now being seen in the theatres produced.

“The influence of church and royal court still haunts the acting style in “realistic” plays of modern stage.

What is performed by actors especially in historical, tragedy or any serious drama is an acting dominated by exaggerated articulation and gestures like that of court,” comments Aron Yeshitila, a graduate of theatrical arts in his historical article on the history of the country.

Currently there are four government owned theatre houses in Addis Ababa namely Ethiopian National Theatre,

Gonzalo Guajardo

The Ethiopian National Theater, packed with an audience .

22 | The Eminence - Issue 16 -February 2016

c2.staticflicker.com

For example, a traditional theatre play which is currently being staged at the Theatre has consumed up to 300,000 birr for the production, according to Hailemariam.

The outside area of The Ethiopian National Theater where many of the Ethiopian fabled actors have performed.

Ras Theatre, Hager Fikir Theatre, and Addis Ababa City Administration Hall Theatre.

In the first GTP, the staged plays at the establishment were seven out of which are categorized under musical performances.

The Ethiopian National Theatre is an acclaimed theatre at the level of Africa which was the first theatre house to be established in the country. The house was started by the occupant fascist Italia and completed during Haile Sellasie I for his Silver Jubilee in 1955. During the construction stages, the Italians had called it Cinema Marconi which Haile Sellasie renamed it after himself. There is also one theatre house named Children’s and Youth Theatre around Arat Kilo that provides entertainemtn for the young.

The contribution of the increased prices for the entrance of the theatres starting from December last year also has its own contributions for the income of the theatre. The fare started from two birr and now it has reached 40 birr, according to the theatre director of the establishment.

The National Theatre has 1,500 seats while Ras Theatre, the City Hall, Hager Fikir, and Children’s and Youth Theatre have 1,100, 727, 845 and 250 seats respectively.

“When we look at the present day theatre, the number of the audience has decreased as there is inclination among the audience towards other trendy forms of entertainment such as football and movies although the income that the theatre houses are getting has increased,” states the Theatre Directorate Director at the National Theatre of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Seifu.

“The influence of church and royal court still haunts the acting style in “realistic” plays of modern stage.”

“The increased cost of production, costumes, stage designing, scenery and other related costs have caused the increase in tickets,” Hailemariam explained.

Currently, the Theatre house has eight plays scheduled to be staged throughout the week except for Monday. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, all at five thirty local time, Kali Guli, Ketidar Belay [Above Marriage], and Yebier Sim [Pen name] are staged respectively.

On Friday, at two PM., Babilon Besalon [Babylon in Parlor] is staged, a theatre that has been staged continuously for the past eight years without interruption having a record both in Ethiopia and Africa according to Hailemariam. Before it was revived again eight years ago, it had once been staged for two years.

On Saturdays at eight thirty AM Kitiltil Kokoboch [Chained Stars] and at five thirty PM Mabede New [I’m Getting Mad] are staged while on Sundays Yekaqe Wurdwet and Yefkr Maebel [Love Wave] are staged consecutively at the same time as the Saturday’s.

“We have even planned to increase the audience and introduce new plays on Mondays,” Hailemariam said. But, this hope does not seem to take the people at the Hager Fikir Theatre. The theatre house that was established by the imperial government to give space for the patriots to express themselves after the independence from the Italian invasion, had been a place where up to 1,200 would come to see performances by veteran artists like Berhanewold Gebremariam, a director at the theatre house and the manager of the theatre section.

In the first Growth and Transformation Period (GTP) [2010 t0 2015], the National Theatre has amassed 13.6 million Br falling a bit from its plan to get 16.2 million Br as the Theatre House’s GTP I performance indicates. This was gained from the 1.3 million theatre goers that visited the theatre house in the period.

Since its establishment up to the Ethiopian Millennium, 2008, the National Theatre had staged 145 different plays according to the profile the Theatre house published.

Gonzalo Guajardo

The Ethiopian National Theater audience waiting for a play.

|23 Issue 16 - February 2016 - The Eminence |23

CULTURAL PANORAMA: ART AND LITERATURE

www.wikipedia.com Hager Fikir Theater that translates to Love of Country. This theater house’s purpose was to have a platform for the patriots who fought in the Ethio-Italian war.

“We long for the past time when the people used to gather to watch our performances; currently the maximum number of audience that we see even on the weekends does not exceed 200,” Berhanewold explained.

This is because of the failure to provide different forms of plays to the audience which is “exposed to the contemporary expressionists” movies from the western world.

“Even academics came in the scene of theatres very recently after the establishment of the department at the Addis Ababa University,” Berhanewold said explaining the shortage of having educated experts at the theatre house who could have brought new forms to the stages.

The failure in the art is also seen in the demand of the producers to attract their audiences by the pictures of the renowned artists on the banners rather than the quality of the work that they present as Berhanewold comments.

form and quality with the same form of acting and themes,” Berhanewold stressed.

Berhanewold joined the theatre house 20 years ago and now he sees the theatre industry losing its luster because of the lack of dedication both by the actors and the directors as well as the attitude of discriminating between performances produced in house and those staged by external production companies who show their plays by renting the stages.

“I prefer to watch plays than movies; but I adore historical movies.”

Hager Fikir, which currently stages nine theaters in a week, charges the audience 30 birr for entrance.

But, the lack of the audience does not have a repercussion on the income of the actors.

The salary of the actors and other staff at the Hager Fikir Theatre ranges from 2,000 birr to 10,000.

“But, there is no value in staging nine theatre plays as they all are of the same

“The creation of new audience needs to be given attention and the reluctance among

24 | The Eminence - Issue 16 -February 2016

the stakeholders should be avoided in order to retain the fleeing audience; Gate Way produces a new play in 19 days, we should work hard,” Berhanewold urges. “The film industry is taking over as it entertains different forms.”

The contribution of theatre in the Ethiopian film industry is in the production of actors as Hailemariam sees.

“The different actors in the film industry are the children of the theatres,” stresses Hailemariam.

The number of in house actors in Hager Fikir Theater has gone down from 30 to 18 with in 20 years.

“There are strong production companies currently that can attract the actors; for them being employed at one of the theatre houses means banning themselves from working on multiple productions including films,” Berhanewold said.

Although the people at the theatre houses say that there is inclination towards the film industry, some of the audiences prefer theatre plays than movies.

“I prefer to watch plays than movies; but I adore historical movies,” confided Habtamu

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Issue 16 - February 2016 - The Eminence |25

South Star

CULTURAL PANORAMA: HISTORY AND DIPLOMACY

Eyoel Mamo

The Yekatit 12 monument stands tall at Sidist Kilo area commemorating the thousands massacred by the Italians.

By Hanna Haile Eminence Staff

Understanding the three years

of Italian Occupation In 1923 Ethiopia joined the League of Nations with 42 other countries of the world, including Italy.

Five years preceding, Italy and Ethiopia had signed the Italo-Ethiopian Treaty. This treaty was signed 20 years after the historical Adowa War of 1896 where the climactic battle resulted in the first defeat of a colonial power, securing Ethiopia’s sovereignty. Despite all this, Ethiopia once again faced the Italians in battle, which led to a five year military occupation and the brutal massacre of Ethiopians on February 19. These five years were a time of trial for the Ethiopian spirit in which once again Ethiopia was triumphant.

Sintayehu Bekele Eminence Staff

Italy’s colonial ambitions reignited in 1935 where Italy using Eritrea, which it had occupied for 45 years, invaded Ethiopian land from the North. The invasion was led by General Emilio De Bono, who was the Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Front. It included nine divisions of 250,000 white combatants and 150,000 fighters from Libya, Italian occupied Eritrea and Somaliland. With 400 aircrafts deployed, 300 under direct lead from the General Emilio invading from the north while 100 were deployed from the south under General Rodolfo Graziani.

26 | The Eminence - Issue 16 -February 2016

The Italians wanted a quick invasion with a guaranteed win and so they left nothing to chance. The Italians were met with Ethiopian armies mobilized by the princes of the different states. By some estimates, fewer than 300,000 men and women were geared up for combat. With a lack of a modern means of communication though, the Ethiopian troops had no way of coordinating a more organized defense.

On October 6, 1935, the city of Adwa fell to the hands of the Italians. This was historic simply in the fact that the previous defeats of Italy in 1887 and 1896 had happened in

Eyoel Mamo

The Patriots that faught in the second Italio-Ethiopian was salute celebrating Patriots’ day

Adwa. So the advancement continued on.

On the eighth of November 1935 Mekele fell in the hands of the Italians, conquering the capital of the Tigray.

The progress of the army was a disappointment to Mussolini though, who was keen to have Ethiopia under his colonial rule more quickly. Soon after the taking of Mekele, Mussolini replaced General Emilio with General Pietro Badoglio in hopes of seeing a faster result. General Badoglio then resorted to dropping mustard gas bombs, among other chemicals, on Ethiopian troops and civilians. This chemical warfare, which had already been banned by the Geneva Protocol ten years prior, was a means to an end of a victory desperately needed by the Italians. Thousands of Ethiopian civilians and soldiers lost their lives. This was a devastating blow to the Ethiopian army who were using traditional and out of date weapons to fight the modern Italian army.

to the League of Nations by Emperor Haile Selassie and by other organizations including the Red Cross. This was not only against the signed Treaty of Friendship but also against the Geneva protocol which was then under the League, and which both countries were members.

“The Emperor highlighted the hypocrisy of the League as they had promised that a war waged on one nation was a war against them all.”

Within the six months that followed, the region of Tigray became a battleground for Italian colonial pursuit and Ethiopian resistance.

On June 1936 Haile Selassie delivered a speech at the League of Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, condemning the atrocities of the fellow member state. The Emperor highlighted the hypocrisy of the League as they had promised that a war waged on one nation was a war against them all. Yet the Emperor was asking them how the Italians were allowed to use the Suez Canal to transport chemical weapons that were usedto kill thousands of Ethiopians.

Later it was disclosed that Italians had used 4,336 aerial bombs filled with Sulphur mustard and 540 aerial bombs filled with diphenylchlorarsine, known as sneezing gas, that can even penetrate a gas mask, making a person to vomit violently.

The use of chemical weapons was reported

By May of 1936, the Italians had settled their military in the capital Addis Ababa, and Emperor Haile Selassie had left Ethiopia to garner help from other countries, which later he found to be fruitless. In May of that year, the Italian government appointed Viceroy Rodolfo Grazziani as the governor

of Ethiopia. Graziani, who had previously played a pivotal role in the colonization of Libya,was also known for his brutality.

The viciousness in conquering Ethiopia for many reeked of revenge. Raymond Aron in his book, Peace and War: A Theory of International Relations, published in 1996, talked about Mussolini’s zeal for a “major assault on Ethiopia to build a greater empire became obvious when he [Mussolini] proclaimed that he was ready to declare war on Great Britain and France rather than give up the conquest of Ethiopia.”

“It may seem like revenge, but it was not.

Because revenge is simple, Italy invested in Ethiopia and they wanted to beat the internal problems of Italy with Ethiopia as a crutch.

They wanted to settle their people in Addis and the outskirts and give jobs to their citizens. Expand Italian territory,” explains Dr. Yacob Arsano (PhD) Associate Professor of Political Science & International Relations at Addis Ababa University.

Italy, at the time, had a population that was booming. It was officially referred to as ‘surplus population. Italy made plans to settle its citizens in the outskirts of Addis Ababa, in areas like Bishoftu, Holeta, Wolega. Places in Addis Ababa like Kassanchis, Piassa and parts of Mexico, today host the remnants of that

Issue 16 - February 2016 - The Eminence |27

CULTURAL PANORAMA: HISTORY AND DIPLOMACY

Eyoel Mamo

Eyoel Mamo

Ethiopians used mainly traditional tools to defeat the Italians that had a technological advantage over Ethiopians.

era through the architecture of houses and buildings that have been long abandoned.

For Italy it was supposed to be a settlement of millions, but by 1939 only 130,000 of its citizens had settled there.

covering hundreds of kilometers and which are used even today. They include the road from Addis Ababa to Dessie and the famous tunnel on the way to Tarma Ber which is 587 meters long and eight meters wide.

The shopping area that was located in the middle of the city near the St. George [Giorgis] Cathedral was moved to the west in an attempt to push out Ethiopians. The market moved to where it is still found today and referred to as Mercato. There were few significant changes in industrializing Ethiopia during this period but there were a few small scale factories built such as a textile and cement factory in DireDawa, Hessian rope and sacks factory in Jimma, and pasta and biscuit factories in Kality. The most notable change within the short term military occupation was the roads that were built during that time. These roads stretch out towards many parts of the country,

Then on February 19, 1937 an assassination attempt was made on Grazziani’s life by Ethiopians Abraha Deboch and Moges Asgedom. After the unsuccessful attempt, Grazziani commanded the massacre and imprisonment of thousands of Ethiopians suspected of the act as well as those who opposed the Italian rule.The massacre was locally known as Yekatit 12.The number of those who passed is still unknown.

Ethiopians claim that 30,000 lives were lost, where Italians claim that the number was much lower. The travesty of history remains with that Graziani was never indicted for the war crimes that he committed in Ethiopia.

28 | The Eminence - Issue 16 -February 2016

The occupation had significant impact in reaffirming that Ethiopia was not like other countries being colonized. The sheer determination of the Ethiopian people is what kept them alive while the Italians tried to eliminate them. Using brutality and violence was a tactic that the Italians took trying to eliminate the natives of the country that was being colonized. This was a method trying to replicate the way Australia and Canada were colonized; with aboriginal people eliminated from the land. The Italians had many plans in terms of turning Ethiopia into the part of Italy that would solve the problems of the state. Dr. Yacob explains: “There are many reasons why their plan did not work. It was not just that there was resistance by the military and patriots but also because the farmers were resisting in every settlement.”

REFLECTIONS: DEAR ETHIOPIA BIO Ryan Kopper is a Peace Corps volunteer serving in Ethiopia. He is an Agricultural and Environmental volunteer and is a member of Peace Corps Ethiopia’s Gender and Development Committee. He earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Natural Resources Conservation from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He has decided to extend his service in Ethiopia for additional year and will reside in Addis Ababa while volunteering with Catholic Relief Services. A Lover of coffee, art, adventure, and the great outdoors.

Ryan Kopper US Peace Corps volunteer Ethiopia 2014-2017 Agriculture/Environment

I am with you; you are with me.

As an American my initial understanding of Ethiopia and the greater African continent was slim to none. Before I moved to this diverse and culturally unique land the extent of my understanding went as far as good coffee and that old girl “Lucy” that used to hang in these parts. I have now spent two years living and working as a Peace Corps volunteer in Shendi, a rural town in West Gojjam Zone of the Amhara Regional State.

Shendi is a quiet and relaxed place situated off the main road and borders the Awi, Gumz and Oromia regions. The hard working farmers and fertile soil promote its growth but the dusty dirt and muddy roads give Shendi a small town feel.

I truly believe that I have seen the real Ethiopia and I have felt you. I have experienced your struggles and your triumphs. I have fostered lifelong friendships on levels deeper than I have experienced before. One great friend of mine is Habtamu, who lives in my compound. His wife tragically passed away during childbirth the first year I was in Ethiopia. It was a shock to our small compound community as well as the entire town.

Culture in Ethiopia is about eating together, and considering both of us were single men in the compound Habtamu and I banded together. We cook together almost every night and on most weekends take turns dicing vegetables for various Ethiopian wot and dishes. And after our shared meals we often finish off the evening with some very competitive card games and tea.

In the greater town I have also made bonds that couldn’t exist in any other previous path

of mine. From the little runny nosed street children to the Woreda (district) leaders, many have accepted me into the community in their own way. It is a constant culture sharing experience that provides me with more understanding about the people of Ethiopia and in turn I share what life is like in America.

My family was able to visit and see how I was spending my Peace Corps service. This was nearly a year ago and people all over the town still often ask how they are doing and laugh about that awkward ferenji family that appeared in town one day and mixed up the few Amharic words they knew. I have encountered the love, the suffering, the pride and the pain that exists so strongly in the hearts of Ethiopians. I have gained a sense of community that is virtually non existent in the US. Each and every holiday that I spend in my little town puts a smile on my face as well as pain in my belly due to the persistent offerings of copious amounts of meat, coffee and tela [local beer]. All are one on these special celebrations. People pool what they have to slaughter animals and feed the entire community.

I spent my first birthday in Ethiopia in Shendi.

Initially I thought that it would be difficult to be away from friends and family on the day. Fortunately my birthday happened to fall on one of the many Ethiopian Orthodox holidays. The entire town was celebrating ‘St. Gabriel Day’ and as I went from home to home and indulged in traditional foods I pretended the community was celebrating me on my birthday. As the day progressed and I turned another year older I realized that I didn’t need to worry about being away

from the comforts of home, because I was surrounded by these new comforts and my Ethiopian friends and family.

Ethiopia for me you are a place of lasting diversity. Diversity of region, language, dance, foods, religion, geography, climate, tradition, history and a culture that world will never truly understand. At the same time anywhere you go in the country there is that sense of support that exists, so often in the sharing of a strong cup of coffee. I know that when I return years from now that diversity will still exist and the Coffee ceremony will still be as strong as ever. Ethiopia you are a part of me.

Whenever I return after a time away for meetings, trainings or a break, the familiar faces greet me with smiles and exclaim “taffah! [you’ve been missing!] I explain to them where I was. And it makes me think about when my time will be over in this small town I call home. It gives me comfort to know that I will always have Shendi with me.

Ethiopia, in the future whenever I read the news I’ll keep an eye out for your successes and your struggles. Wherever I am in the world I will be on the lookout for those unique and beautiful Habasha faces so as to strike up a conversation in Amharic which recently happened to me in Morocco. At confusion of my family I will refer to my future children as ‘mita’ and ‘abbi’ until they are embarrassed to be around me. I will forever extend my experience and knowledge about you to the people I meet. Ethiopia I am with you and you are with me

Issue Issue 16 16 -- February February 2016 2016 -- The The Eminence Eminence |29 |29

CULTURAL PANORAMA: SOCIETY

Climate change:

from threat to opportunity (experts’ opinion)

By Helina Abraham Eminence Staff

The Paris Climate Agreement of December 12, 2015 marked a muchneeded bridge towards decarbonising the global economy and achieving climate resilience in the 21st century. According to United Nation Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) the objective of the 2015 conference was to achieve, for the first time in over 20 years of UN negotiations, a binding and universal agreement on climate, from all the nations of the world. Accordingly, 195 countries have committed to limiting the temperature increase to well below 20C, set a new standard for dealing with complex global problems.

Dr. Yetebetu Moges, National Coordinator of Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest. Degradation (REDD+) and one of the participants of Pairs conference strengthened this idea by saying: “the Paris agreement is historical because the entire world including China and America agreed to take action in climate change. Even though it is not biding yet the condition that makes the agreement operational is set. This to say is to make the agreement operational, at least 55 of the world’s most carbon polluting countries have to agree to take action and in Paris they did.”

“Ethiopia is a pioneer in developing climate change policies and strategies therefore anything that comes to decision, Ethiopia will be the first to benefit.

Because Ethiopia already developed a system in climate change mitigation and has also kept a good record on the country’s carbon emissions. Currently, Ethiopia is working on the mitigation programs by using its own resources.

For example, diversified measurements have been taken as to renewable energy development in wind energy, geothermal

energy and construction of dams. In addition, Ethiopia also works on natural resource management such as running forest preservation programs- we already have some good practices in place for a green economy,” noted Dr. Yetebetu on what the deal would mean for Ethiopia.

The impact of climate change is manifested mostly in developing countries such as Ethiopia. Kalkidan Ayele, a PhD candidate at Wageningen University, working on Biodiversity monitoring in degrading tropical forests remarks “developing countries such as those in Africa and South-East Asia are experiencing the harsh consequences as their economy is more of agriculture-led with less of technological advancement.

Thus making these countries appear more vulnerable compared to those

30 30 || The The Eminence Eminence -- Issue Issue 16 16 -February - February2016 2016

of the developed countries which can withstand better the challenges brought on by climate change. In addition, even though it’s societal and biodiversity related impacts are mostly overlooked, this also needs to be addressed as these countries host hotspots of biodiversity, and indigenous communities that are forest dependent.”

Dr. Tadesse Woldemariam, a climate change mitigation action specialist, explained the societal effect of climate change by saying “ climate change has social crises: people migrate to urban centers expecting better life and they settle in slum areas. These people will most likely become criminals or destitute to survive.”

Experts claim that the challenges of

carbon emissions in developing countries are numerous. The evaporation due to excessive heat makes the land dryer and hard to grow crops and their will be more unpredictable rain. The frequency of droughts in the lowland increases. Plus, the high level of temperature creates vulnerable communities to diseases such as malaria. www.unep.org

“ I see the current climate change as opportunity rather than challenge. But we have to learn fast and adapt to the new trends.”

Even though there are diverse challenges as to climate change, Ethiopia is showing efforts towards alleviating the problems. “to mitigate the effects of climate change, we are more focused on renewable energy development. And our geographical location helps us to access these natural resources. Therefore, we are using water, solar energy, wind, and rain as energy resources. We can also use clean energy in household level.

For example, using energy saving stoves [which can save energy by more than 60%] and ingenious method of making charcoal from coffee husks and other agricultural by products.

Charcoal from coffee husks is energy saving, with a two piece of charcoal lasting for a whole day. Our plan is to become a self-sustained country by using carbon neutral energy to gain additional revenues from carbon trade,” explained Mr. Bekele Haile, National Project Coordinator, for Nature And Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU).

Let the upcoming generation care about Nature!

Sintayehu Bekele

Greenworks.co.in

As to forest conservation, Mr. Bekele noted that the nation has embarked on forest and natural resource conservation schemes driven towards forest protection and promote ecotourism. Through eco-tourism which has low environmental impact allows local communities to take the lead.

Moreover, utilising forest coffee is also means of preserving forests, where coffee varieties grow in jungle.

“We have a forest coffee that grows under the natural shade of a wild forest and this can be sold in the market as environmental friendly coffee product, since other countries like Brazil grow coffee from deforested land. Our product should have better market value because people are currently more aware of the environment and support environmental friendly products”, noted Dr Tadesse.

“I see the current climate change as opportunity rather than challenge. But we have to learn fast and adapt to the new trends. We have to come-up with innovative ideas where communities can benefit from. This global finance opportunity is brilliant and is a new trend in which nations like Ethiopia can generate additional revenues through carbon trading”, concluded Dr Tadesse

Issue Issue 16 16-- February February 2016 2016 -- The The Eminence Eminence ||31 31

MADE IN ETHIOPIA: ETHIOPIAN FASHION

Made In Ethiopia

Propping Up Ethiopia’s Leather Exports

It has been a recent phenomenon where by manufactured products from Ethiopia, especially garments, textiles and leather are appearing in the global market in Europe and America. The country’s industrialization policy which is geared towards export oriented manufacturing is the major drive behind the surge in Ethiopian made items in high end international markets.

By Brook Abdu Eminence Staff Out of the different export items in the manufacturing sector leather and leather products stands out besides exporting hides, skins and semi-processed leather Ethiopia is now producing gloves and shoes for the international market.

“However, manufacturing and exporting Ethiopian made shoes has never been a smooth process with different challenges.”

Among these items Ethiopian footwear is at the top of the list.

made

Ethiopia, a country that boasts to have the largest number of livestock in Africa with 54 million cattle, 25.5 million sheep and 24.06 million goats according to the data from the Central Statistical Agency (CSA) of Ethiopia.

Depending on this population of livestock that the country has, there are 33 tanneries in the country that have the capacity of processing 50 million pieces of skin and five million hides feeding the leather products manufacturers in the country.

Regarding the capacity of producing finished leather, 100 million square feet of finished leather is produced annually out of which 72 million is from sheep and goat, the major inputs in the production of footwear.

Out of this, 60 million is exported annually the rest going to the footwear companies.

Among the major manufacturers of leather footwear in the country, Anbessa Shoes S.C. and Sheba Leather Industry Plc are major players that are engaged in the manufacturing and export of leather footwear with the tag ‘Made in Ethiopia’.

Anbessa, is a pioneer shoe manufacturer in the country established in 1939 and

32 | The Eminence - Issue 16 -February - February2016 2016

has the capacity of manufacturing 3000 to 3,500 pairs of shoes a day. During its first days in the industry, Anbessa has been engaged mainly in the production of shoes for the military, still posing challenge in the production of fashionable shoes that the modern market demand according to its General Manager Bemlaku Demissie.

“We export to the high end markets in US, Europe, Hong Kong, Korea, Israel and other African countries in 30 different design collections that are intended in creating international competitiveness,” Bemlaku pointed out.

In the deal that it has with the buying companies, the factory manufactures shoes in line with the demands of its buyers with international brands.

Although the shoes that Anbessa manufactures are made in Ethiopia, the tag by which it leaves the country is in the brand name of the buyers according to the GM. “Still Anbessa manufactures but the tag or the brand name that the shoes carry is that of the buyers as they have a well established reputation,” explained Bemlaku.

The same fashion holds true for Sheba which had been exporting shoes to Italy, Australia, Germany, Spain and England for four years now. Before exporting manufactured footwear, the company, had been exporting hides for 10 years.

“The designs that we manufacture come from the buyers and we produce in their brands- but we still maintaining the mark Made in Ethiopia”, said Yohannes Kassahun, the company’s general manager.

“Currently we manufacture and sell shoes that are designed in Italy; especially the ones sold to the local market.”

Sintayehu Bekele

Selling products, although allowsShoe for Male andthe female shoes made from Anbessa better market penetration, locally that are ready for export. makes the country not to benefit from the image building that it could have gained through the brands. But, when the factories present their products on different trade shows and exhibitions both in Ethiopia and outside of Ethiopia, the shoes that they display carries their trade marks.

But, manufacturing and exporting Ethiopian made shoes has never been a smooth process with different challenges

ranging from market penetration and getting accessories for the production hindering the industry’s growth.

“It is for the sake of simple market penetration that we are manufacturing shoes in the brand name of our buyers,” Yohannes reasoned out. Similar to the other leather processing and leather products manufacturing companies, the challenge in getting inputs is also the other challenge of the industry as Bemlaku puts it.

“We sometimes get into disagreement with our buyers as we might not be able to deliver the products we promised to provide within a stipulated timeframe; this happens because of the lack of sustainable input for our manufacturing,” Bemlaku emphasized.

Sharing this idea, Yohannes explains that local shoe manufacturers are getting the lower prices because of longer delivery time compared to the other companies such as those in China or even the Chinese companies that are operating in Ethiopia.

“The others can deliver in 90 days which makes the buyers give them better prices than us as we take up to 120 days to deliver orders,” he said.

has a blind future rather the reverse as Yohannes sees it. The incentives that the government provides for the export oriented manufacturing is what he sees as advantageous for the future development of the sector and become competitive in the international market.

“We also face the common challenge in getting better services from the government institutions because of bureaucratic processes especially in customs and banks,” said Yohannes.

For the better competitiveness and increased production, Anbessa is constructing a new plant with a cost of 270 million Br to enable it to produce up to 5,000 pieces per day. It is also planning to have a tannery in Bahir Dar both of which will increase the current 1,200 employees significantly. The 80 year old company’s new factory is expected to be operational by the end of the current Ethiopian fiscal year.

The companies import the major inputs for the manufacturing of shoes like buckles, zips, eyelets, sole and the like. The import process alone takes at least three months.

This added to the longer time taken for the production, especially when the products are new, discourages the buyers.

The lack of skilled man power that can work in the industries is also another hurdle for the export of the shoes.

“We bring experts from abroad to have designs made for our shoes because of lack of trained manpower in the field,” says Bemlaku.

The buyers of Ethiopian shoes are also seasonal and they order very limited supplies being another challenge in selling the products to the international market.

But, this does not mean that the industry

According to a presentation slide that was presented in March 2015 in Ancona, Italy, there are 22 medium and large scale Sintayehu Bekele

Issue 16 - February 2016 - The Eminence |33

MADE IN ETHIOPIA: ETHIOPIAN FASHION

Casual shoes manufactured at Anbessa Shoe Factory are being sold with international brands in Europe and the America.

Sintayehu Bekele

footwear manufacturers in Ethiopia with a cumulative capacity of producing 12 million pairs of shoes a year.

The local market is dominated by the more than 90 small and micro enterprises that cover 90 percent of the local market.

The bigger manufacturers like Anbessa and Sheba also have outlets in different parts of the country. Anbessa has 31 outlets out of which 19 are in the regional towns and Sheba has 19 outlets.

“The local market is more beneficial compared to the export in terms of prices but the need for the foreign currency and the incentives that we get by exporting our products are what drive our export orientation”, Yohannes explained. Currently, the country’s shoe manufacturing has been joined by the bigger international brands like Huajian of China, George Shoe of

Taiwan and Brown of US joining Britsh firm Pittards.

Among the other local companies that are getting traction in the export market is Bermero Shoes which started manufacturing as a small and micro enterprise. Currently their products go to Europe and America.

The pushing factor for the growing export market for Ethiopian footwear, besides the quality of the leather that is found from the highlands of the country, are the opportunities like the Africa Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) that enables African countries to export to the US and Everything But Arms (EBA) with the European Union.

Between 2011 and 2012, Ethiopian shoe exports through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) increased more than tenfold--from US $630,000 to nearly

34 | The Eminence - Issue 16 -February - February2016 2016

US $7 million.

The other market opportunities for the export of Ethiopian footwear are Ethiopia’s membership in regional trade grouping – The Common Market for Eastern & Southern Africa/COMESA/ - a region inhabited by more than 420 million people.

Ethiopia also enjoys Duty Free and Quota Free (DFQF) and ‘zero Tariff ’ with China and DFQF with India.

By the end of the 2012/13 fiscal year, the total export of shoes from the country was 3.08 million pairs of shoes generating 30.5 million dollars in revenues up from the 6.3 million dollars gained through the export of 537,317 pairs four years back.

Currently, the footwear manufacturing had created employment opportunities for 7,400 people

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www.merxybakingmix.com Issue 16 - February 2016 - The Eminence |35

MADE IN ETHIOPIA: LIFE STYLE

Salsa

.........................................................

sizzlesAddis up

By Helina Abraham Eminence Staff

Salsa professionals state that there is an ongoing discussion on origin of salsa, Nebyu Brihanu, a Salsa instructor for almost 10 years in Lottie, Kebele 19 and Stockholm club strengthen this point by saying that Venezuela, Cuban as well as Puerto Rico claim the dance originated in their countries. Apart from the dispute Salsa is becoming a way of life worldwide and Ethiopia is no stranger to Salsa.

“Former Ethiopian students from Cuba told me that they introduced salsa in Ethiopia during the Derg regime at Havana Club, back then it was just a social trend “, notes Nebyu Brihanu.

More recently Ethiopians have joined the bandwagon and have taken up dancing salsa for several reasons mostly to be physically fit and meet culturally diversified people.

Nebyu explained how he started dancing Salsa and said his family used to live in Ghana and his mother bought a video of his brother’s graduation he saw folks dancing in the graduation party since then he wanted to be a Salsa dancer.

Nebyu is kind of guy that has a distinct character: having his hair tied-up hanging down from his head and an enthusiastic conversationalist.

Lily rehearsing with her partner

He explained how he started Salsa by saying “I was taught by an Ethiopian

36 | The Eminence - Issue 16 -February - February2016 2016

teacher, during those times the classes were not as such organized. After Meron Taffesse (another dance instructor) and I became teachers we wanted to take the dance to the next level thus we watched different Salsa moves on the internet and adapted the dance to fit our own. Afterwards, we introduced to the students Merengue, Cha-Cha and Bachata plus dancers that came from Boston, Texas Huston and London used to appear as guests; Elder Sanchez Salsa dancing pioneer also gave a month long workshop. Thus I can say we had a mix of Cuban, L.A. and N.Y. styles”.

An essential character element of

“Salsa is not just for your body, but rather for your body, mind and soul”

Salsa is the Cuban motion. Cuban motion, especially the hip action comes mainly from the alternate bending and straightening of the knees. Learning to dance Salsa is pretty much counting steps and finding a balance between controlling the steps and dancing through the music.

Bereket Sisay, a dance instructor, at Echo Lounge states there are principles in Salsa, one of the principles is that the lady is presented as the main picture and the man is just the frame. Bereket also likens it to a garden where the lady is the flower and the man is the green under growth.

When the flower shines everyone admires the whole garden not just the flower.

Bereket said that when he first started teaching Salsa there mere not that much studnets, it was very challanging to pay for the place he rented but now people are enjoying the dance it is more crowded everyday. Bereket added that he charges only 350 birr per month and the classes are taught twice a week but there is dance

event everyday to help the students to good dancers in a short period of time . He has friends that come to help him around to keep everyone engaged in the class.

Lily Yohannes started Salsa 16 years ago while in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. Lily claims that she fell in love with Salsa the first time she saw a Colombian live band dancing. “I was infected” she says through excitement in remembering the day. She used to travel to places to learn Salsa, Lily was also taught by celebrity instructors of the likes of Edie Williams; twenty years of instruction under her belt, and winner of three Lifetime Achievement Awards, Louse Viscous; and others. She is now an Ethiopian traditional dress designer and Salsa teacher in Suba Lounge.

Lily explained the health aspect as: “I always believe in one thing, the secret to losing weight is to make the exercise one

does more fun. Personally, I tried joining a gym which was really boring; it felt so much like work. I couldn’t find the fun in that. But when it comes to Salsa dancing, people lose weight without even realizing it, because you don’t stress about the weight loss you just enjoy the moment.

Salsa is not just for your body, but rather for your body, mind and soul.”

“In previous years I have seen my students losing weight before my eyes and they do not even think about it”, she added. After reaching 30 years of age health professionals recommend regular running and walking to keep you fit, Salsa dance instructors claim that Salsa simply does that. Salsa professionals recommend dancing Salsa because, people enjoy themselves while dancing and lose calories at the same time. Plus, one will have a chance to meet new people and immerse themselves in different cultures.

Body language plays a huge part in dancing salsa: during the dance one has to bring one’s shoulders back, abs engaged and standing tall. That is why people that dance Salsa have toned legs, firm arms and correct posture.

Twenty seven year old Binyam Tesfaye, is a former Salsa student of Bereket Sisay who used to practice Kung Fu for nine years before stopping due to an injury he sustained. Binyam agreed that after taking up Salsa he noticed that his waist had slimed down. Moreover, he claims that the dance helps one’s brain to grow because every day a dancer learns different steps and is expected to memorize the steps. Currently Binyam is assisting Bereket during large classes to even-out the number of male and female students.

Sintayehu Bekele

Lily has one parting advice: “Now with Ethiopian growing so fast, we are always on the fast lane from the morning till night. Our health is a very important part of our lives and staying active has to be our daily routine. I don’t care how busy you are, you have to set some hours for exercise ”

Issue 16 - February 2016 - The Eminence |37

AYNI’S FASHION Location: Next to Checheho Cultural Restaurant Price: 3,450 birr Interesting facts: She was invited to show her close in African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program through Hilary Clinton.

Design featured: Fancy gold blue strip, one shoulder top with pink wide leg trouser.

Start-up capital: she started in 5,000 birr with three employees and small shop Ayni’s message for rising designer: listen to your inner voice because that where your passion is.

38 | The Eminence - Issue 16 -February 2016

Designer: Aynalem Ayele Model: Kisanet Teklehaimanot Photographer: Mishel Sarge

ABUGIDA FASHION Location: First floor in Lafto Mall Price: 1,500 birr Inspiration: She was inspired by Amsale Aberra, she was interviewed in opera talk show.

Design featured: She Chic Mini Skirt with fashionable medium sleeve that can be used as office ware Start-up capital: she started in 300 birr and now she is grown into 300,000-400,000 birr.

Designer: Hiwot Gahsaw Model: Nardose Tegne Photographer: Abrham Telahun

Hiwot’s message for rising designer: be yourself, follow your passion: do not try to copy others.

Issue 16 - February 2016 - The Eminence |39

CULTURAL PANORAMA: ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN

Take Me Away To Villa Verde Villa Verde was first built by the Italians as a get together club during the Haile Selassie regime. It was given its name, meaning Green House, for the abundance of greenery surrounding the compound. Though its original architecture is intact, Ethiopian-Italian owner, Walter Rizzi, along with interior designer, Rik Verhalle from Dutchland, it is the interior elements of this old building that has transformed the 3500 meter compound from a thing of the past. The new design is categorized into 3 sections: Azul, Zuta and Bar Rouge.

By Henok Solomon Eminence Staff When entering Villa Verde you step into Azul, an indoor and outdoor lounging and dining area designed for informal gatherings. Azul, meaning blue in Greek, comes to life when you enter the space.

The owner gave it this name for the shades of blue that can be seen within the walls and interior design. They compliment the timber floor boards that were put into the lounge. Lighting can be adjusted to set different moods for the dining experience.

Blen Leggesse, the marketing manager and executive assistant to the general manager of Villa Verde, states that the owner’s intention was to give the lounge a modern taste while keeping the classic architecture in place.

The restaurant’s front wall is decorated with antique blue and white plates, which were imported from Italy. They have sceneries painted in the center with flower

Sintayehu Bekele

40 | The Eminence - Issue 16 -February 2016

patterns at the edges. There is a banister displaying locally crafted pots decorated with rectangular cut mirrors. Underneath the banister is a fireplace, providing warm heat to dining customers every night.

On the left wall of the Azul room are two rectangular mirrors held in mosaic blue and white frames, each hanging within a few centimeters of each other. These pieces were provided by interior designer

Azul, the interior dining area with a classic fire place and interior design that sets the mood for formal dining experience

Zuta is the second area of Villa Verde, occupying 300 square meters of the outdoor space. It is a place where people can enjoy wine and other liquors, while enjoying the live music streaming from the inside lounge. In Zuta, customers can also see the live band perform from the large projector screens displayed in the Azul area. The name Zuta reflects the orange yellow colored lights that exude from the space during the night. The orange and yellowish colored bulbs are held in bamboo lamps that were handmade by locals under the supervision of the owner and placed in selected corners of the lounge. It is at night, especially after the sun sets, that these colors come to life.

Bar Rough is the inside lounge designed for people who like to listen to louder music and have a closer experience to the live musical performances at Villa Verde. Bar Rough stands for The Red Bar exemplified through the deep red color of the lounge. It is furnished with white leather couches, wooden chairs and a bar that stretches across the room.

The walls are decorated with oversized photos of artists like the legendary Tilahun Gessesse and Mahamud Ahmed, and popular mainstream artists like Stevie Wonder.

“The main change we made to Villa Verde is in the outside area,” said Bilen, “We used the space and turned it into a clean lounging area.”

Rahel Getachew. The wooden chairs and small dining tables of the space are well varnished with a dark brown color. The furniture pieces were all purchased locally.

In this section, customers can enjoy either an outdoor green environment with fresh air or an inside formal dining experience.

Long vines are entangled around a thick bamboo over head for shade in the outside area, which stretch into the second outside bar and lounging area, Zuta.

After 6 decades and a myriad of different owners, Villa Verde has not undergone exterior reconstruction. Though it has kept its original

With all the changes that were made within Villa Verde, Bar Rough kept all of the original wood work from the Haile Selassie era. The fact that it has remained untouched by the various owners over the past 60 years is what makes this room special. Bilen reiterates that the team didn’t do much to change this area. They added some paint work and opened up space to make the area suitable for live performances.

Villa Verde’s unique indoor and outdoor ambiance and design gives customers an escape from town in the middle of the town

architectural design Issue 16 - February 2016 - The Eminence |41

ENTERTAINMENT:

THE EMINENCE

Pick of the Month Book

Author: Hiwot Teffra Publisher: A.A University Press No Of pages: 437 Price: 199.93 USD

An eighteen-year old girl sets out to meet a young man who she had never met before and is swept away by a series of events that transformed her life in a way she could have never imagined.

Tower in the sky is the story of love, revolution, hopes, dreams, violence, terror, trust, betrayal, tragedy, disillusionment, selftransformation and the triumphal power of the human spirit.

The book vividly depicts a moment in Ethiopia’s history when the country convulsed with violence unleashed by a bloodthirsty military government that massacred an untold number of people, especially the young and plunged the country into darkness.

Movie The survival of mankind hangs in the balance as an unexpected Mortal hero Bek (Berenton Thwaites) undertakes a thrilling journey to save the world and rescue his true love. in order to success he must enlist the help of the powerful god Horus Coster.

Director: Alex Proyas Writer: Matt Sazama,Bruk Sharpless Stars: Gerard Butler, Abey Lee, Courtney Eaton Rated: PG13 Length: 1hr 40min Genre: Adventure Fantasy

Music Lij Michael Zare Yiun Nege Lij Michael dropped his brand new album along with a different flavor of music taste to the audience; the artist mashed the genre Hip Hop to the local Ethiopian sound and used the local language in his music. The album is getting a lot of buzz because the originality of the lyrics and the mixed sound of Ethiopian Hip Hop.

42 | The Eminence - Issue 16 -February 2016

Food Recipe Direction Heat 1 TSB canola oils in large Dutch oven over a medium high heat.

Pat beef dry and season with salt and peeper. Remove the browned beef to plate to catch its juices.

Without cleaning the oven plate add remaining TSB of canola oil. Reduce heat to medium low. Add onions and cook until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add Garlic and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant.

Ethiopian Beef stew (Keye wet) Needed ingredients 750 Gram Beef cut into 1inch cubes 3 Table spoon Oil

Add red pepper (brebre) to the onion and garlic and cook those together from 1 to 2 minutes.

Add chopped tomatoes to the mixture and combine it until the tomatos are brown. Then add the beef and bring it to boil, reduce heat to medium low to simmer.

Simmer the beef for at least an hour up to two and add butter.

Serve it with Injera

2 Table spoon of Butter 1 Onion finely chopped 2 Garlic cloves chopped and crushed

Enjoy!

Sudoku

Tourist Corner Name: Rudy Vereecke Age: 48 Nationality: Belgium

Purpose of Visit: Business trip working on import and export of wood products, He has been in Ethiopia four times An Ethiopian concept /way of thinking/I don’t understand: People are always renegotiating, but if you are with an Ethiopian things come easily.

Something that has been hard to find here but easy to find in your home country: Only Internet access and a telephone connection [laughs] Something that has been easy to find here but hard to find in your home country: Fresh food. Everything done in hotels is more fresh here than in Europe Your most favorite thing about Ethiopia: The climate because as the country is on the equator but on such high altitude you have a constant climate, a warm weather that is not too hot. And even when it rains in the rainy season it rains for two hours and it’s warm again.

What is your least favorite thing? The pollution and the traffic here in the capital

Issue 16 - February 2016 - The Eminence |43

ENTERTAINMENT: CLASSIFIED Best Halls in Addis Ababa Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Available Rooms: 12 Accommodates: From 30 - 500 People African Union (AU) Available Rooms: 40 Accommodates: From 35 -2, 500 People Sheraton Addis Hotel Available Rooms: 9 Accommodates: From 40 -450 People Hilton Addis Ababa Available Rooms: 8 Accommodates: From 20 -650 People Radission Blu Addis Ababa Available Rooms: 2 Accommodates: From 12 -120 People

Places for Retreat Kurifitu Resort & Spa Location: Bishoftu (Debrezeit) Things to do: Restaurant & Bar, Swimming, Kayaking, Spa, Rooms Kurifitu Resort & Spa Location: Bahir Dar Things to do: Restaurants, Rooms with Lake Tana View, Fireplace, Swimming, Spa Adulala Resort Location: Bishoftu (Debrezeit) Things to do: Restaurants & bar, Spa & Gym, Bungalows, Horse riding, fishing at Babo Gaya Lake & much more African Vacation Club Location: Langanoo Things to do: Restaurant & bar, Swimming, Kayaking, Spa, Rooms, Horse ridding, Game Zone and Different Beach Games Yaya Village Location: Sululeta Things to do: Restaurant & bar, Horse Riding, Rooms & High Attitude training Liesake Resort and Spa Avanti Blue Nile Hotel Location: Bahir Dar Things to do: Bar and Restaurant, Rooms with overall city view, massage

Immerse yourself in Ethiopian Music and Dance Fendika Location: Kazanchis Time: from 7:00 PM- Mid night 2000 Habesha Location: Bole Time: from 7:00 PM- Mid night

What to see in Addis Ababa?

Holy Trinity Cathedral Location: Arat Kilo

Beautiful Scenic and Wildlife in Ethiopia

National Museum Location: Amist Kilo

Ethiopian traditional clothes and jewelry market Location: Shiro Meda Panoramic view of Addis from Entoto Location: Entoto

Hangout Spots Edna Mall/ Bob and Bongos Things to do: Watch box office movies, Skating, basket ball, cafés, 7D movies Lafto Mall Things to do: Read your favorite books & enjoy hot drinks Balageru Coffee Things to do: Read your favorite books & enjoy hot drinks Bilos Café Things to do: Some of the best pastries in town Yogurt Inn Things to do: Free Wi-fi while enjoying tasty flavored yogurts

Night Life in Addis Gaslight Night Club Location: Sheraton Addis Club Illusion Location: Next to Ambassador Theater Black Rose Location: On Boston Building Champion Bar Location: On Boston Building Liquid Lounge Location: Next to Intercontinental Addis Hotel Club H2O Location: On Yolly Building, “Chichiniya” Suba Lounge Location: Wollo Sefer on Ethio-China road Gravity Lounge Location: Next to Bole Medihanialem Church Fendika Club Location: Kasanchis

Ethiopian Korean War Veterans Association Location: Afincho Ber The largest open market in Africa Location: Merkato The gold jewelry market Location: Piassa

44 | The Eminence - Issue 16 -February 2016

Al Mendi Location: Meskel Flower Specialty: Arabian Restaurants

Four Seasons Location: Bisrat Gabriel Specialty: Japanese, Thai and Indian

Ethnological Museum Location: Sidist Kilo Park (Anebesa Gebi) Location: Sidist Kilo

International Cuisines in Addis

Caribo Resturants Location: Mekinisa Specialty: Caribbean and African cuisine Simien Mountains National Park Location: Semien Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region Some of the animals that can be found: Gelada baboon, Simien fox & Walia Ibex Nechisar National Park Location: SNNPR Some of the animals that can be found: Burchell’s Zebra, Grant’s gazelle, Guenther’s Dik-dik, Anubis Baboon & Grey Duiker.

Awash National Park Location: Southern part of Afar Region and northeastern of Oromia Region Some of the animals that can be found: Beisa oryx, Hamadryas Swaync’s Hartebeet Omo National Park Location: SNNPR Some of the animals that can be found: Burchell’s Zebra, Gerenuk & Kudu Mago National Park Location: SNNPR Some of the animals that can be found: buffalo, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, hartebeest, leopard, lion and zebra

Bale Mountains National Park Location: Oromia Region Some of the animals that can be found: Topi, Lelwel Hartebeest, Bustards, Hornbills, Weavers & Starlings

Castelli Location: Piassa Specialty: Italian Restaurant Chez Fasil Restaurant and Bar Location: Meskel Flower Specialty: Specialized in Nouvelle & Fusion Cuisine German Restaurant Location: Near Japan Embassy Specialty: German food and beer Kuriftu Diplomat Restaurant Location: On Boston Building Specialty: “The ultimate global cuisine” Hahn Khuh Restaurant Location: Atlas Specialty: Korean Aladdin Location: Near Japan Embassy Specialty: Middle Eastern

Some of the best Coffee house Tomoca Coffee Abissiynia Coffee Alem Bunna

Gambella National Park Location: Gambella Region Some of the animals that can be found: Nile Lechwe,White-Eared Kob, Roan Antelope, and Whaleheaded Stork Abijatta-Shalla Lakes National Park Location: Oromia Region Some of the animals that can be found: Great White Pelicans and Flamingo Yangudi Rassa National Park Location: Afar Region Some of the animals that can be found: Beisa Oryx, Dorcas gazelle, gerenuk and Gravy’s zebra

Your Home Away from Home for Your Extended Stay Beer Garden Inn (Guest House) Total Rooms: 21 Location: Bole Medhanialem Road near Edna mall GT Guest House (Guest House) Total Rooms: 13 Location: Kirkos kifle ketema, 200m in from Dashen Bank on Sierra Leone Street Yeka Guest House (Guest House) Total Rooms: 14 Location: British Embassy across the street from the Bio-Diversity Institute Addis Guest House (Guest House) Total Rooms: 12 Location: Bole road 5 minutes from Bole International Airport

“Please let it be noted neither the editorial team nor the company is liable for any errors or mistakes on the sources of information. The list is in no specific order”.

PHONE SERVICE Toll Free Information Service Federal Police Commission National Operator Fault Report Dial Up Internet Pre Paid Mobile Service/Bill Inquiry/Lost Mobile Registration/ Number Change Information Broad Band Customer Service PSTN Service Voice Mail

PRIVATE HOSPITALS 997 916 998 994 900 994 980 980 908

COURRIER SERVICE DHL EMS(Ethiopia) Federal Express TNT Skypok UPS Trans Express Ethiopia

011 662 16 00 011 515 20 72 011 618 63 83 011 551 41 54 011 662 13 09 011 551 41 54

UN United Nations Development Program United Nations Children Education Fund United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

011 663 35 82 011 518 40 00 011 551 72 00

BANK Abay Bank Addis International Bank Awash International Bank Bank of Abyssina Berhan International Bank Buna International Bank Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) Construction and Business Bank Cooperative Bank of Oromia Dashen Bank Debub Global Bank Development Bank of Ethiopia Enat Bank Lion International Bank Nib International Bank Oromia International Bank United Bank Wegagen Bank Zemen Bank

011 552 88 51 011 557 0502 011 557 00 00 011 551 41 30 011 618 57 32 011 158 08 67 011 122 87 55 011 551 23 00 011 552 27 59 011 467 18 03 011 467 40 87 011 551 11 88 011 550 49 48 011 662 60 00 011 550 32 88 011 557 21 13 011 465 52 22 011 552 38 00 011 550 11 11

AIRLINES British Midland (BMI) Egypt Air Ethiopian Airlines Emirates Kenya Airways K.L.M Royal Dutch Lufthansa Saudi Airline Yemen Airways

011 665 04 94 011 156 44 93 011 665 66 66 011 518 18 18 011 551 42 58 011 552 55 41 011 551 56 66 011 663 81 37 011 551 50 76

FIRE BRIGADE Station Menilik II square Station Addisu Kera Station Mekanisa Station Nifas Silk Station Akaki Station Megenagna Station Bole

011 156 70 40 011 466 34 20 011 276 91 46 011 442 55 63 011 434 00 96 011 663 03 73 011 664 85 80

POLICE STATION Police Information Federal Police Commission AA Police Commission

Addis Cardiac Hospital Addis Hiwot Hospital Bete Zata Hospital Landmark Hospital Hayat Hospital Kadisco Hospital Broad Band Customer Service PSTN Service Voice Mail

011 663 47 20 011 618 04 49 011 551 41 41 011 552 62 29 011 662 44 88 011 629 89 04 980 980 908

COURRIER SERVICE DHL EMS(Ethiopia) Federal Express TNT Skypok UPS Trans Express Ethiopia

011 662 16 00 011 515 20 72 011 618 63 83 011 551 41 54 011 662 13 09 011 551 41 54

PUBLIC Black Lion (Tikur Anbessa) Hospital Black Lion (Tikur Anbessa) Hospital Black Lion (Tikur Anbessa) Hospital

011 551 12 11 011 551 12 11 011 551 12 11

LIBRARY Academy of Ethiopian Languages Addis Ababa Municipality Library Alliance Ethio-Française British Council Economic Commission for Africa library German Cultural Institute Italian Cultural Institute J.F Kennedy (A.A.U) National Libraries & Archives

011 551 59 26 011 155 01 11 011 155 02 13 011 155 00 22 011 551 72 00 011 155 28 88 011 111 34 27 011 111 04 33 011 551 62 47

ART GALLERY Asni Gallery Ersas Art Studio Goshu Art Gallery Gigi’s Afro Asian Design& Fine Interiors Makush Gallery

011 123 32 44 0913 66 02 30 011 661 03 97 0912 20 43 37 011 552 68 48

Sudoku Answer

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011 823 71 82 011 662 3179 011 662 62 14 011 371 79 40

PHARMACY Abader Pharmacy Bata Pharmacy Ethio German Pharmacy

011 662 43 97 011 655 21 34 0911 20 94 88

ONLINE CLASSIFIED 2 Merkato Latest Ethiopian Tenders and Bids Buy and Sell ( Ethiopia) Gulit Online Market Mekina Online Car Market Kaymu Whats Out Addis?

www.2merkatos/ tenders buysellethio.com wwww.gulit.com www.mekina.ney et.kaymu.com Whatsoutaddis.com

991 916 011 157 21 21

Issue 16 - February 2016 - The Eminence |45

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48 | The Eminence - Issue 16 -February 2016