Tadias Magazine
By Tseday Alehegn

Published: Tuesday, March 10, 2009

New York (Tadias) – For the past three years, Tesfaye Tekelu, Co-Founder and Manager of the Awassa Youth Campus (AYC), has been training at Aikido dojos around the world. Last month, he completed leadership training courses and took his Black Belt exam under renowned Aikido instructor Richard Strozzi-Heckler Sensei in Petaluma, California. On February 11th, 2009, Senator Mark Leno awarded Tesfaye with the State of California Senate certificate of recognition in honor of his becoming the first Ethiopian Aikido Black Belt and Sensei of the Awassa Peace Dojo. The certificate highlighted Tesfaye’s “participation in the Aiki Extensions Training Across Borders Middle East Aikido Peace Conferences in Cyprus and in Zurich; developing the Awassa Youth Center and dojo program; and culminating in intensive Shodan-Ho training with senior instructors across America.”

Tesfaye Tekelu (Photo by Tadias/Chicago, November 2008)

Aikido, a non-competitive martial art was developed by its Japanese founder, Morihei Ueshiba in the 1920s. The term “Aiki” can be translated as “harmony” while “do” means “the Way.” Hence, Aikido is the way of harmony, a way of blending your energy with the energy of the universe and your fellow humans. Encompassing the power of breath, form, and awareness, Aikido techniques are used to protect both the attacked and the attacker from harm. Since its official registration in Japan as a martial art form in 1942, Aikido has spread to the West, and modern instructors, such as those affiliated with Chicago-based non-profit Aiki Extensions (www.aiki-extensions.org), use the art to nurture and develop social support and social networks. Aikido ideas have also been applied in areas such as education, psychotherapy, bodywork, mediation, and social conflict resolution.

The Awassa Youth Campus (AYC) was founded in February 2006 through the collaboration of Aiki Extensions non-profit group and the Awassa-based Debub Negat Circus, now known as AYC’s One Love Theater AIDS Education program. Since then, AYC’s program has expanded. It now offers a recording studio with instruments for learning music, a library (free and accessible to the community), an art studio and sports venues including a paved basketball court, a volleyball court, a soccer field, as well as the aikido dojo, recently built by students using bamboo and other local materials. It currently has an enrollment of 75 students, and classes are offered seven days a week.

As the main instructor at the Awassa Peace Dojo at AYC, Tesfaye has toured throughout Ethiopia to give Aikido demonstrations both to the general public and on Ethiopian national television. He has provided Aikido workshops to Addis Ababa Ministry of Education officials, inspiring them to move toward requiring aikido training for secondary school Seniors.

Tesfaye first met his mentor Donald Levine Sensei who was visiting the Awassa Children’s Center with his wife Ruth after receiving an honorary Doctorate from Addis Ababa University in August 2004. After watching a show by the children that incorporated gymnastics, martial arts, and street theater, Levine asked if anyone there knew about Aikido. When requested to demonstrate this art, Levine looked around for a volunteer and pointed to Tesfaye.

As Tesfaye recalls, “He [Levine] asked me to grab his hand and as I did so, at that moment, I felt something different than what I have known before from my practice in martial arts.” Tesfaye immediately asked Levine to teach him Aikido; lessons began every day when Tesfaye served as tour guide for the couple in remote parts of the Southern Region.

Tesfaye’s first tenkan with mentor Donald Levine

“My life journey started 200 km from Awassa, in a place called Amaro in Korate Village before I moved to Awassa,” Tesfaye shares. “I was born in a traditional house called a gojo bet (tukul), where there was no electricity, no telephone, and no running water.” There are several aspects that he loves about Awassa. “The town is surrounded by mountains and by a lake,” he enthuses “and the city is flat and leveled. If you want to see the town you have to hike up to one of the mountains surrounding Awassa. And once you’re up there you see the carpet of forest, and Awassa is nestled in that forest. It is a town where we grow up swimming in the lake, fishing, floating on boats, hiking in the mountains, and playing football. It’s a vacation place. For me it’s like Ethiopian California” he says comparing it to places he has discovered on his most recent training tour to the United States.

Awassa, serves as a capital for 56 southern tribes and Tesfaye admits it’s inspiring for him to see the town people living “in harmony, peace and respect” among such diversity. “It should be a model for our continent Africa,” he reminds us. He conjures up an image of us stepping out of a box or getting over a fence, demolishing the notion that color, politics, borders, religion, and tribe can divide us. “We have to reach out of that box and see each other as people and come together as one Africa. Then we can have a little Awassa in Africa,” he concludes. He believes that Ethiopia’s interfaith history, for example, is a model for the rest of the world. He points to his own family as an example and says “More than three religions are practiced within my family, and we are living together with love and respect.” He uses his life lessons to promote community programs such as the HIV awareness circus group and theatre. He describes AYC as “a place where street children and adolescents come to learn and share their awareness with each other.” AYC has an open-door policy and all community members are welcome to participate as members. Under his guidance the Awassa Peace Dojo is providing youth with an alternative to involvement in gang-related violence.

Tesfaye participates in training across borders program in Cyprus focusing on
reducing social conflict

Recently, Tesfaye embarked on an extensive dojo tour and training program in various U.S. cities in pursuit of a Black Belt in Aikido. “I have trained with one of O Sensei’s students, Saotome Sensei as well as with Levine Sensei, and Kevin Sensei in Chicago,” he says. He has also trained with various instructors in dojos located in Berkeley, Santa Cruz, San Diego, and Seattle. He took his Black Belt exam in Strozzi-Heckler Sensei’s Two Rock Dojo in Petaluma last month and awed his audience. Tesfaye was especially touched by the nature surrounding Two Rock Dojo, which reminded him of his own growing up experiences in Ethiopia.

Tesfaye took his Black Belt exam at Two Rock Dojo in Petaluma, California (Feb. 2009)

His trip to America also involved participating in a theater festival in New York City entitled “Performing the World” with two other AYC staff members. He also worked to raise funds for AYC projects. Among some of his most favorite moments he cites training and assisting Levine Sensei’s University of Chicago students in their Aikido class, as well as taking the Strozzi Institute Leadership course, which he felt was ‘”very powerful, and something everyone should get a chance to study.” Levine had also assisted Tesfaye in furthering his Aikido practice by sending him to training summer camps in Zurich prior to his training in America.

With such an intensive schedule, was there any time to unwind? He assures us he has had plenty of sight-seeing. He lists a plethora of U.S. cities that he has visited during his stay. “I have toured New York, Chicago, Colorado, Boston, Pennsylvania, Washington, DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Petaluma, Santa Cruz, and San Diego,” he reports. “I don’t even remember all the names of places that I have seen.” He is excited to share that he also participated in a music video promoting Obama’s presidential campaign. “I had a chance to meet Obama in Pittsburgh,” he says happily. “I had a chance to fly a helicopter in California and went skiing for the first time in Seattle.”

“Now I understand what one means by the term “Western,” he says. He reflects on it and thinks aloud about what he can learn from the West. It makes him also pay closer attention to what he deems are “tremendous opportunities around us” in Awassa. “We have to see what we already have around and believe that every thing we dream is possible. It starts with us and is evident around us,” he urges. “That is what I am interested in: to work with youth and bring that awareness to my country and beyond.”

“Finally I am grateful for the people who understand the challenges we face, and those who help and support me in their action,” he says. He gives special thanks to Levine Sensei and all the instructors that he trained with in the U.S. and Europe. “I feel lucky to meet and know these great people across the country and to train with them, and I am very grateful” he adds. “I would like to thank them for their wonderful help and support.”

Tesfaye with students in Awassa.

“My wish,” he says “is to open more centers in Ethiopia, and within two or three years my mission is to have a Pan-African network.”

Within five years? “An African Youth Campus” he replies. “My vision is to work at the grassroot level across the continent and beyond to bring change and awareness to the next generation.”

Worldwide, change is definitely the word of choice this year.

—-
About the Author

Tseday Alehegn is the Editor-in-Chief of Tadias Magazine. She is a graduate of Stanford University (both B.A. & M.A.). In addition to her responsibilities at Tadias, Tseday is also a Doctoral student at Columbia University.

By Tadias Staff
Above photo by Jeffrey Phipps for Tadias Magazine

Published: Tuesday, December 9, 2008

New York (Tadias) – We recently spoke with Yohannes Gebregeorgis, one of the Top Ten CNN Heroes of 2008. He was recognized for his remarkable efforts to bring free public libraries and literacy programs to thousands of children in Ethiopia, including the country’s first Donkey Mobile Library. Mr. Gebregeorgis, 59, was born in Ethiopia and came to the United States as a political refugee in 1981. He eventually put himself through college, earning a graduate degree in library science and worked as a librarian in San Francisco for nearly two decades before embarking on his current project.

Here is our interview with Yohannes Gebregeorgis:

Yohannes Gebregeorgis

Tadias: Yohannes, congratulations for being selected as one of CNN’s Top 10 Heroes of 2008!

Yohannes Gebregeorgis: Thank you. I appreciate Tadias Magazine for consistently covering Ethiopia Reads and making it possible for a lot of Ethiopians and other people to know our work. It’s very helpful when media like Tadias give coverage to such works. Thank you again.

Tadias: CNN’s Anderson Cooper said: “Our Top 10 CNN Heroes are proof that you don’t need superpowers — or millions of dollar, — to change the world and even save lives.” Please tell us about your organization, Ethiopia Reads, and your efforts that led to this recognition.

YG: It’s very true that one doesn’t have to be a superpower or a millionaire to change the world. Even though Ethiopia is not a super power, we know that there are millionaires in Ethiopia. However, they are not using their wealth to make an effective change or to save lives. I think the recognition that Ethiopia Reads has received is primarily for the recognition of the importance of literacy to the development of a country’s future; for it’s power to change individuals and society. What we’ve accomplished in the last six years is a drop in the ocean compared to the need. It’s a good beginning that needs to be kept alive and going until we cover all regions of Ethiopia. We’ve established two free public libraries for children and youth; one in Addis and one in Awassa. We’ve established one donkey mobile library and adding three more by January 2009. We’ve established 16 school libraries and adding another 18 in the next 6 months to one year. We’ve published 8 children’s books and distributed over 30,000 books freely to children with another 75,000 to be distributed freely in the next six months to a year.

Children reading in Awassa, Ethiopia.

We have over 100,000 children that make a visit to all our libraries; We’ve instituted an annual Ethiopian Children’s Book Week, a children’s book award – the Golden Kuraz Award, we’ve provided basic library and literacy training to about 120 teachers and assistant librarians, we’ve taken thousands of children on a march to parliament, and in our annual Book-A-Thon, we’ve made it into the local news media many times advocating reading and literacy. We’ve been widely featured in international media. We’ve created a solid foundation from where we can launch massive campaigns to cover all of Ethiopia given that we have the resources.

Tadias: Among your projects that has received the most press attention is Ethiopia’s first Donkey Mobile Library. What inspired you to come up with this creative concept?

YG: The Donkey Mobile Library was conceived because of the need to reach out to children in rural communities.. The idea of portable and mobile libraries existed in other countries. For example, there is a boat library in Colombia, south America, a camel library in Northern Kenya, a bicycle library and other forms of book delivery methods. The donkey mobile library is similar to a book mobile, a bus that carries books to different communities in developed countries. I’ve seen a donkey pulled satellite station in Zimbabwe several years ago and that has given me the idea of the donkey mobile library. I designed the whole donkey mobile cart with the shelves and storage areas. A very experienced Ethiopian metal engineer built the units from sketches and guidance I gave him. An artist made the necessary logos and designs on the cart and it turned out to be the best.

Donkey pulls mobile library.

Yohannes with the donkey mobile library.

Tadias: Can you share with us an anecdote describing some of the experiences children had when they first visited one of your libraries? How did it change his or her life?

YG: When we first opened our first library in Addis Ababa and the Donkey Mobile Library in Awassa, we noticed several children who were holding books upside down. This children had never held a book before. One of these children, who was nine years old at the time is now a Star Reader, one of many children who are chosen annually for their reading skills and for reading out loud to other children. We select 12 Star Readers from thousands of children who come to our library annually. Robel has visited the library everyday since he first came six years ago. He’s participated in every program that we offer at the library such as English lessons, theater, art and crafts and the sanitation program. Robel is also doing very well in his school as his grades have improved significantly.There are others like Robel who are part of the library family as we’ve known them for as long as the library’s existence.

Tadias: Eighteen years ago, you gave Mammo Qilo (the popular Ethiopian children’s story) its American debut. You are the author of “Silly Mammo”, which was the first bilingual Amharic-English children’s book. Why Mammo Qilo?

YG: I’m so glad that Kilu Mammo has become famous in America! When I first thought about producing a book for Ethiopian children, Kilu Mammo was the only story that came to mind which appealed to me. Many Ethiopians remember the story from their childhood as I did. It’s a very simple but nice story. Children like silly stories to begin with and Mamo Kilu amuses not only children but also adults.

Tadias: We understand that you hold a graduate degree in library science and you served as Children’s Librarian at the San Francisco Children’s Library. How big, would you say, is the pool of trained librarians in Ethiopia that can assist with new library projects?

YG: There aren’t many Ethiopians who have a library training. There is no institution that has a training program as the Addis Ababa University folded its library science program some five or so years ago.I don’t think Ethiopian education authorities think of libraries as something very essential. Besides, there are no library policies in the educational policy of the country that I know of, therefore it makes it hard to have training programs where no one would hire the people that are trained. We have difficulty finding trained librarians. We’ve been hiring librarians ever since we started our program in Ethiopia. We’provide basic library training program for the school libraries that we establish.

Tadias: What are your long term plans to expand your program across the country? And what kind of help do you need?

YG: Our plan is to expand our projects and programs to all regions of Ethiopia by expanding to at least one region every two years. We now have projects in place that can easily be duplicated. In order to accomplish this ambitious goals we need, first and foremost financial support, then other material support such as books, computers, etc., and then any other kind of support such as volunteers.

Tadias: How can your U.S.-based fans help to further your organizational goals?

YG: There are so many ways that our fans in the US can help. For example, we’re about to embark on a membership drive that is geared towards Ethiopians. We’ve seen how enthusiastic Ethiopians have become when they discovered the work we do in Ethiopia. We see a very positive attitude and desire to help by a large number of Ethiopians. We’d like Ethiopians to support our work by becoming members and donating ten, twenty or whatever amount of money they could. Every book week has a theme around which we can raealy afford on a monthly instalment. We’d like to get a few thousand Ethiopians signing up for this monthly donation. Those who can afford can sponsor a library in memory of someone they love, sponsor a Donkey Mobile Library, sponsor publishing of a book, etc. There are so many ways our fans could be involved. People can find more information on our web site ethiopiareads.org.

Tadias: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Since 2003, Ethiopia Reads has organized an annual Ethiopian Children’s Book Week, an annual celebration of books, reading and libraries. During our first book week, we took more than a thousand children on a march to the Ethiopian Parliament with a petition asking the government to provide libraries and boks for children. We’ve special programs everyday of the week such as Read-A-thon, Book-A-Thon, Bread and Books Day, International Children’s Book Day, Book Launch, Golden Kuraz Award, the Star Reader Award, Art Day and many other activities take place during the one week. Every book week has a special theme as a focus. Readers are Leaders, Libraries for Rural Development, Bread and Books for Children, Those who read Bloom, Ethiopia Stretches her Hands, are the book week themes of the last six years. Special posters that reflect these themes are made and distributed. The next book week is the Sixth Ethiopian Children’s Book Week to be held April 1-7, as it always is, with a theme “Ethiopia Reads” (Ethiopia Tanebalech). What we want to share with Tadias readers is to celebrate book week with us by reading to children, by making books available to your family, support Ethiopia Reads and other organizations that work in Ethiopia.

Tadias: Thank you so much for your time, Yohannes, and good luck with your work.

YG: Thank you Tadias for your interest in the work of Ethiopia Reads and for supporting us by writing about our work.

—
Yohannes will speak in Harlem (New York)
Saturday, December 13 at 2:00 PM at Cafe Addis (435 West 125 Street, NY, 10027). Phone: 212-663-0553 (Mekonen or Negus).

Yohannes in Silver Spring, Maryland
Wednesday December 17 – 7:00pm Abol Restaurant, 8628 Colesville Road (across the street from the AFI Silver Theater) Silver Spring, MD 20910 (RSVP: Matt Andrea 202-232-9085, Maureen Evans 301-386-5610).

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Wednesday, October 8, 2008

New York (TADIAS) – We recently spoke with Valerie Steele, CEO of GojoSuites – a brokerage firm that sells property in Ethiopia – about the current real estate market in that country.

Prior to her current position, Steele served as the Director of International Development for the Organization of Rehabilitation and Development in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

Here is our interview with Valerie Steele:

Valerie Steele: CEO of GojoSuites

TADIAS: Please tell us about GojoSuites.

Steele: GojoSuites is a subsidiary of African First Real Estate Finance LLC (AFREF) and was developed to serve the Ethiopian diaspora who want to buy homes in their homeland. AFREF is currently developing additional companies that will serve diaspora from other African countries. GojoSuites has an exclusive contract with Ayat Share Company, Ethiopia’s real estate pioneer.

TADIAS: We understand that you recently relocated to Washington D.C. from Bahir Dar to become the CEO for GojoSuites. What attracted you to get involved in the real estate business in Ethiopia?

Steele: The Ethiopian real estate market, as the diaspora knows, is booming and it’s an exciting opportunity for Ethiopians around the world. When I lived in Ethiopia, I saw firsthand the development of new homes and neighborhoods with amenities only previously available in western countries. I know that the diaspora has a desire to be reconnected and I see the lack of connection between the developers and the home seekers and feel I could make a difference in bridging the gap.

TADIAS: You’ve mentioned that you have an “exclusive contract with Ayat share Company” in Ethiopia. Why only Ayat?

Steele: We chose to partner with Ayat because they are so well established and have gone through the learning curve to figure out what works and what doesn’t. With 12 years of experience and the fact that they have built and delivered more than 4,000 houses, they are truly the experts.

I spent a month with Ayat to understand the way they operate and to build the relationship with them so that we can effectively represent them in the US.

TADIAS: Why should people purchase a home in Ethiopia?

Steele: That’s a very personal decision. For some people, it is about providing a beautiful home for family members who live in Ethiopia. For others, it’s about making sure there is a place for them to return to live when they retire. And others recognize what an incredible investment it is since the Ethiopian real estate market has been hot for several years and is expected to continue to be in the foreseeable future.

Photo: Villa – single family house – in Ethiopia (courtesy of GojoSuites)

Single family villa in Ethiopia (photo courtesy of GojoSuites).

TADIAS: Who is legally eligible to buy property in Ethiopia from overseas?

Steele: Anyone who meets one of the following criteria:
1. Has Ethiopian citizenship and lives abroad
2. Foreign nationals of Ethiopian origin
3. Has Ethiopian parents

TADIAS: How affordable is a new home or apartment? What is the average price in your market?

Steele: Ayat is working hard to make housing affordable for those who have been unable to buy in the past. They are offering mortgage financing (50% financing for villas and 40% or 67% financing for apartments). And they are offering a unique plan where the buyer can lock in a price today and delay delivery of the home for up to five years. This gives the buyer more time to save money so that they can finance less of the cost of the house and save interest.

Ayat apartments start at $42,951 for a two bedroom 62m2 home. Villas (single family houses) start at $144,941 for a two bedroom, 72m2 home. These prices include the 15% VAT and land lease. Also, Ayat is offering 5% discount off the base price (not including VAT) of a new apartment home in Ayat Mender until October 31. The prices for all Ayat homes will increase November 9 so, for people who are ready to buy, now is a good time.

Apartment building illustration (Apartments are currently under construction).

Some people tell us the prices are high but those are individuals who have not been to Ethiopia for many years and do not realize how prices have changed since they were last there. In fact, the customers who buy Ayat homes are quite satisfied with the prices and, to our knowledge, Ayat homes are actually priced below market rates.

TADIAS: Are there are any U.S. taxes, fees or penalties that potential customers would need to pay Uncle Sam for owning land in Ethiopia? Also are there any hidden fees from the Ethiopian government that we need to know about?

Steele: We are not aware of any taxes, fees or penalties that would be owed to the US government for owning property in Ethiopia but we always advise people to check with their tax person or accountant on matters such as these.

As far as fees from the Ethiopian government, there is value added tax (VAT) which is 15%. VAT is included in the published price of all Ayat homes. There is also the title deed transferring fee of 6%, which is not included in the published price.

TADIAS How does financing work for U.S. residents?

Steele: Prospective buyers have several options. They can pay cash as a lump sum or on an installment basis as their home is built. The final payment is made at the time the home is turned over to the buyer.

Or, as I mentioned above, they can select from Ayat’s financing options. Ayat lets the customer choose the length of the mortgage for up to 30 years. We are not aware of anyone else offering a financing option this long.

5% will lock in the price of any villa or apartment for up to 90 days after the expiration of that price. 10% is needed to get a contract on a specific property.

TADIAS One of the biggest complaints we hear from Diaspora homeowners and investors is that new houses are never completed within the time frame that clients are promised. Is that a problem that people should expect?

Steele: Ayat and other builders experienced delays in the past due to limited availability of raw materials, such as cement, steel and other imported construction items, lack of access to construction financing and outdated construction techniques. GojoSuites and Ayat are aware of this issue and are creating solutions to overcome it. For example, GojoSuites is partnering with Ayat to identify new approaches to construction that can speed up the process. And Ayat is researching the potential for building their own cement factory so they will be less reliant on external vendors. Initiatives such as these are giving Ayat the confidence to guarantee us there will be no delays.

TADIAS: What advice would you give to someone who is considering acquiring a primary or second home in Ethiopia?

Steele: We are not in a position to give advice to prospective buyers but we can reiterate what we know from those who have chosen to buy a home. It’s a wonderful way to connect with your homeland and help or be near to the people you love. Having lived in Ethiopia, I have a deep appreciation for the closeness of families and the beauty of many local traditions, so I understand why people who grew up in Ethiopia want to reconnect. And it’s a great investment opportunity.

TADIAS: What is the most challenging issue you face as a Real Estate Professional for property in Ethiopia?

Steele: Helping customers overcome the negative stigma that was associated with home real estate development in the past. Real problems occurred and, though Ethiopia has not reached the level of speed and predictability that exists with home construction in the US, it’s come a long ways and we expect that improvements will continue over time.

TADIAS: Tell us one of your client success stories or an interesting moment in your profession.

Steele: A woman who recently visited our office has been helping out an older woman and a young orphaned girl who live in Addis Ababa, both of whom have no families. Her dream is to buy a home for them where they can live together and become a family for each other. Another couple has children that are nearly grown and they want to buy a home in Addis so their sons can visit and become more connected with their Ethiopian heritage. These are examples of the fun part of my job of making people’s dreams come true.

TADIAS: How do you expect the housing market in Ethiopia will be affected by the global meltdown in real estate?

Steele: So far so good! The Ethiopian real estate market continues to grow at an astounding rate, despite all of the unprecedented and shocking situation in home real estate in the US. In fact, we wonder if it will make buying a home in Ethiopia even more attractive because people feel safer investing there than they do in the US right now.

TADIAS: How do you advertise and how can potential buyers learn about your company and the services you offer?

Steele: We are advertising in Ethiopian media in major US cities where Ethiopians live. In October, we are having free seminars every Sunday afternoon in our DC headquarters to provide detailed information about the opportunities available. In 2009, we will go on tour to the major US cities where Ethiopians live.

For more information, call us at 202-234-gojo [4656] or visit our website at: www.gojosuites.com.

TADIAS: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Steele There are many Ethiopians from the diaspora moving back to Ethiopia for several reasons. These include medical doctors, IT experts, engineers and entrepreneurs. They don’t want to deal with the hassle of buying houses from Addis Ababa brokers (“delalas”) so they come to us for a hassle free experience.

We are very excited about the opportunity to meet you and get to know you so that we can help make your dream of owning a home in Ethiopia come true!

—
Publisher’s note: GojoSuites advertises on Tadias Magazine.

By Tadias Staff

Published: Tuesday, September 16, 2008

New York (Tadias) – We recently spoke with Washington, D.C. resident Kedist Geremaw, a health care administrator and one of the 3,600 individuals who were selected and trained as an Obama Organizing Fellow this summer.

According to the Obama-Biden campaign website, the Fellows are “trained on the basics of organizing & campaign fundamentals and then placed in a community to carry out grassroots activities.” Their purpose? To encourage “a new generation of leadership that believes, like Senator Obama, that real change comes from the ground up.” Individuals who pass the highly selective process end up working a minimum of 30 hours per week alongside other grassroots leaders and the Obama campaign staff.

Kedist Geremaw (whose daughter Naomi Senbet, a 2004 Kids-Week Jeopardy contestant, also featured on Tadias along with Naomi’s father Professor Lemma W. Senbet) says she was sold on the idea of becoming a Fellow after reading Obama’s memoir, Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance.

Geremaw hopes Obama will become the next President of the United States. She recounts her initial introduction to the man. “Some time ago, someone suggested a book called Dreams From my Father, and after I was done reading, I went out and purchased Obama’s second book: The Audacity of Hope. I was hooked!! When he declared his intention to run for the presidency, I jumped on the bandwagon and joined the D.C. for Obama group,” she says. She took a road trip to Denver to hear Senator Obama’s historic acceptance speech on August 28th at Invesco Field.

“It was a historical and unbelievable experience,” she recounts with excitement. “There wasn’t a dry eye in the stadium; there was hugging, high fiving, flag waving, cheering. There were people of all backgrounds, colors, ages. It was unlike the other campaign.” “In Denver,” she concludes, “people were unified under one cause and a future President.”

Kedist Geremaw at Senator Obama’s historic acceptance speech on August 28
at the Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, CO.

Geremaw had worked for Ethiopian Television prior to immigrating to the United States. “As a Washington, DC resident I have been troubled by the lack of representation in both Houses – the Congress and the US Senate. This started my journey to greater political involvement. I have been part of a community of grassroots organizers for many years” she says.

“‘No man is an island entire of himself’,” she adds quoting John Donne, “so I come to this campaign with the spirit of enthusiasm of a grassroots organizer hoping to make a contribution to my community, my country and my world.” As a health care worker, Geremew sees health disparities every day. “And as an informed citizen,” she says, ” I see an unnecessary war which has alienated our country from the rest of the world.”

Asked about the possibility of Ethiopian Americans swinging the vote in states like Virginia, where the election is expected to be close, Geremaw’s answer is an emphatic ‘yes.’

“If we go back and look at what happened in 2000 the gap between the two candidates was so minimal, with the high number of Ethiopians living in Virginia, the swing vote is a reality within our reach. The answer is yes, yes, and yes,” she says confidently.

Does she have time to collaborate with the swelling Ethiopians for Obama movement?

“I am very much familiar with the effort of Ethiopians for Obama,” she replies. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for choosing me as person of the week for my involvement in the campaign. They are working tirelessly doing voter registration by going to where our Ethiopian community congregates including churches and restaurants.”

She also mentions the annual pilgrimage to the Ethiopian soccer tournament which took place in early July.

“There was a lot of work done at the Ethiopian soccer tournament early this summer. These young energetic Ethiopian Americans are working hard, day in and day out” she adds.

And about the recent McCain-Palin surge in the polls?

“You know what? I am the most optimistic person. I have this belief in what is at hand. It is like a wave and nothing will stop it. But the reality is between now and November things can happen which may change the course. Our obligation is to stay focused in our work and commitment,” she says.

Geremew then quotes Eleanor Roosevelt: “‘The future belongs to those who believe in beauty of their dreams’. To make the dream a reality we as citizens need to register and VOTE.” “It is our civic duty,” she emphasizes, ” that is the only way to bring profound change.”

Geremaw, who tells us that she has incorporated the American culture of volunteerism into her lifestyle, believes that getting involved is the only way to make a difference. “A lot of my close friends complain at times about the little time I spend with them. Every time I am away from my professional duties my time is spent on volunteerism. I love it and it is rewarding. Your horizon, your network, your knowledge is enhanced by these experiences,” she concludes.

“When the founding fathers wrote the masterpiece that is our constitution, they did not foresee the great influx of new citizens, like you and I, that have arrived from every corner of the globe, and that now make up the beautiful fabric of this nation. As we assimilate and enjoy its many benefits we must also assume our share of the responsibilities of civic duty and volunteerism.”

There is much for Geremew to accomplish as an Obama Organizing Fellow, and the creativity, dedication, and optimism that she and her colleagues are displaying is inspiring, commendable, and contagious.

Tadias Magazine
By Liben Eabisa

Published: Thursday, May 29, 2008

New York (Tadias) – It was announced in Geneva last week that Ethiopian-born Bekele Geleta, 64, has been appointed as the Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Mr. Geleta is currently the general manager of international operations for the Canadian Red Cross. He spent five years in prison in Ethiopia, and later served as a Cabinet Minister and the Ethiopian Ambassador to Japan.

According to The Ottawa Citizen: “Geleta came to Canada as a refugee in 1992, settling in Ottawa with his wife, Tsehay Mulugeta, and four young sons. He soon started building a new career in humanitarian work, serving with Care Canada, the Red Cross and other organizations,” which eventually led to last week’s announcement of his new prestigious post.

Below is my interview with Bekele Geleta.

(But first here is a recent CNN Video on the voice of the Red Cross)

Video: Bekele Geleta – Life of Service

Tadias Magazine’s interview with Bekele Geleta
Published: Thursday, May 29, 2008

Tadias: Mr. Geleta, congratulations from all of us at Tadias on your new position. How does it feel to be named the Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies?

Mr. Geleta: Well, good, firstly. There’s a bit of anxiety around taking over a huge challenge with great responsibilities. We’re seeing more disasters with increasing frequency and intensity; conflicts around the world are creating worsening vulnerability. There’s desperation, famine, insecurity, urban violence – the world of humanitarian work is becoming more and more challenging and therefore I’m coming into the Secretary General position at a very critical time. I feel very determined to make a difference in the lives of the vulnerable going forward.

Tadias: How do you imagine your typical work day would be like in Geneva?

Mr. Geleta: Well, it will be very interesting. I’ll start very early in the morning, attend and lead meetings, take time to reflect, conceptualize and give guidance. I like to walk around and talk to staff in their offices, motivate them, and I’ll respond to requests and issues raised by national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies from around the world.

The days for the Red Cross chief executive are extremely busy. There is no down time. I know this from my days as head of the Africa Department in the late 90s and early 2000. My days were extremely busy so, I can imagine that for the Secretary General it will be full and busy days.

Tadias: In all of your years building a career in humanitarian work, what do you consider your finest achievement?

Mr. Geleta: Every effort in the humanitarian world is an achievement. Every life saved is an achievement. Every livelihood contributed to or improved is an achievement. It’s really difficult to say, this is better than that. In the Red Cross – even when I was in prison – I considered every contribution to be a good contribution.

Probably the most sustainable contribution is what I was able to do in building the capacity of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies in Africa and South East Asia. That’s extremely important because when disasters happen the early hours are the hours in which the most lives are saved; the period before international support arrives. So, the more capacity that’s been built-up internally and the more sustainable it becomes, the more effective it will be in saving lives in those early hours after a disaster and reducing vulnerability. Capacity is extremely important. Capacity of indigenous organizations and capacity built-in to the community factor largely in the humanitarian world and I’ve done quite a bit in this area in the countries I have worked in.

Tadias: We have learned through press reports that you spent five years in prison in Ethiopia, and later served as a cabinet minister and as the Ethiopian ambassador to Japan. How have your experiences in Ethiopia helped you in your career serving as a humanitarian?

Mr. Geleta: I have known vulnerability first hand. I come from a poor family. I worked myself out of it.

I have lived in a prison where for the first two years, at five o’clock, nearly every day, buses arrived, names were called, they were taken away and those people never came back. No one would see them again or know what became of them or whose turn would be next. It was very difficult life in prison and a terrible kind of vulnerability to live through.

I have also been a refugee, in Canada, which also brings its own kind of vulnerability. Not in that you don’t have food or a place to stay. Not that your children won’t be able to attend school. It’s a vulnerability based in the feeling that you are a burden on a society that you have not contributed to. It’s a different kind of vulnerability.

But that actually makes one feel very strongly about supporting the vulnerable. I identify with the vulnerable and feel very strongly in my heart that I must work to support them.

On the good side of life I have been a deputy minister and ambassador to Japan. These positions exposed me to management skills, to the workings of diplomacy and enabled me to gain a certain comfort when dealing with heads of state and people at all different levels of government. And it enables a person to feel comfortable in any situation – from the lowest point in prison to the imperial palace – I feel able to contribute at any level.

It prepares a person to be useful at all levels and has prepared me well to quickly assess situations, I can easily enter into dialogues with people at the highest levels and I can also work with volunteers and staff to most efficiently respond to a disaster or other situations.

Above: Mr. Bekele Geleta, General Manager, Canadian Red Cross
International Operations hands over a symbolic key to Mr. Siasat Baeha,
Head of Village of Hilihati, Lahewa, Indonesia.
Photo Courtesy of Canadian Red Cross.

Tadias: We understand that you came to Canada as a refugee in 1992, settling in Ottawa with your wife and four young sons. What are your reflections regarding your Canadian home?

Mr. Geleta: I often tell my Canadian colleagues, I’m a Canadian by choice, not by accident and there’s a big difference in that. If you are a Canadian by birth, you’ll probably only start to really feel it when you are outside the country for the first time. But if you are a Canadian by choice, you come here and you realize how important it is to your life. And then you realize that this country, the Canadian people have done a lot of good. They take you in, they help you to establish a home, ensure that your children can attend school, it’s tremendous. So, I feel really great about choosing Canada as my adopted home.

There is some difficulty when people like me come, having been educated at one of the best universities in the world and having worked in your home country at a certain level but you come out of your country and become a refugee. They can’t fit you in at a senior level in your new country because you don’t know the system. They can’t graft you somewhere in the middle because there are those who have been working their butts off to achieve those positions and so it’s very difficult for organization to graft a refugee into what they might consider a suitable level. But we can’t be taken as beginners either. We’re not beginners. So essentially we become misfits. It’s not anyone’s fault, it’s simply what we are. That’s the reality

Therefore it’s up to us. At whatever level of experience, whatever level of education, we must find a way to access the new country’s systems. That’s what I did and I’m not alone.

There are a great many refugees who have attained certain levels of education or experience and come to new countries and I hear them complaining and I say, complaining is not enough. One has to do the work, one has to make a major effort to find a way to access the system and it does not depend on the new country. It depends on you.

And once you realize it’s up to you and you make the effort you will come to see that great opportunities are available.

So, my message to other refugees is, find a way. Canada is a great country and we are lucky to live here.

Tadias: What’s your vision for the Red cross for the following years under your direction?

Mr. Geleta: Well, this interview comes a bit early to fully answer that question, just at the very beginning of this assignment, before I take over the position.

The one thing I can say is that the Red Cross has an excellent strategy called Strategy 2010 which was formulated in 2000, revised four years ago in Seoul and articulated the direction of the Federation going forward. This strategy will hopefully go a long way toward making the Red Cross, the largest humanitarian movement, the most efficient and most reliable civil society organization in the world.

One should always remember is that the Red Cross has a special relationship not only with the community but also with governments around the world. This makes the Red Cross unique because there is no other civil society that has established a permanent presence in every country and community. Only governments or faith-based organizations have permanent presences in every country. The only civil society entity that has come to that level is the Red Cross. It’s known everywhere by everybody and it’s challenge, my challenge, is to make it the world’s most efficient humanitarian organization; an organization that everyone feels comfortable with, an organization that people feel they can turn to and know they can rely on.

So that’s what I’ll be working on and from the lessons of Strategy 2010, I will look forward to 2020.

Tadias: There has been recent press reports that famine is once again imminent in Ethiopia. According to BBC: “Six million children in Ethiopia are at risk of acute malnutrition following the failure of rains, the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, has warned. More than 60,000 children in two Ethiopian regions require immediate specialist feeding just to survive.” Does this concern the Red Cross? and if so what are your plans to act to prevent this disaster?

Mr. Geleta: The Federation has already issued a preliminary appeal for 2 million Swiss Francs but that is preliminary. Assessments are being done and following the assessments, there will be further appeals for funding to support the Ethiopian Red Cross Society in the work they will be doing to help the vulnerable, the children.

Ethiopia has a strong Red Cross Society. I worked very hard to make it a sustainable organization and it is a strong society with many volunteers and good leadership. So the Federation has good and reliable partners in the Ethiopian Red Cross Society and we will be doing a full assessment around the issue of food security and as necessary increasing the level of expertise sent into the country to support the national society.

Tadias: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Mr. Geleta: The message I have for Ethiopians in the Diaspora: please do less politics; more development. And participate and contribute to the humanitarian endeavours which will help lessen the vulnerability of Ethiopians. You can always take the Red Cross as your partner. You can support your people in Ethiopia – including the children – by supporting the work of the Red Cross. The Ethiopian Red Cross or, if you like, the Canadian Red Cross, because you can be certain that there you have a partner in lessening the vulnerability of people.

Tadias: Mr. Geleta, once again our warm thanks for taking our questions and best wishes in your endeavors.

—-

Tadias Maagazine
By Liben Eabisa

New York (TADIAS) – We recently received a press release from Addis Ababa by Precise Consult International (PCI), a business consulting group managed by Henok Assefa, a former Director of iBrooklyn, the flagship home site of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.

PCI organized (with financial support from The World Bank, USAID, and The Embassy of the Netherlands) the first annual Ethiopian Diaspora business conference, which took place in Addis Ababa on September 19, 2007 at the UNECA conference center.

In the press release sent to Tadias Magazine, the group announced that it has partnered with Access Capital Services, a local Ethiopian investment firm (founded by a former member of the New York Wall Street Ethiopian community), to offer attractive equity investment opportunities to the Ethiopian Diaspora.

We reached Henok Assefa, Managing Partner at PCI, at his office in Addis Ababa

(Photo: Henok Assefa)

Tadias: Henok, where in New York did you grow up and when did you move to Ethiopia?

Henok: How’s it going in Harlem, Tadias? How is the best city in North America treating you all these days?

You know I was always meant to be a New Yorker. Even in Addis, I grew up around Arada Giorigis (piazza) or more specifically Dejach Wube Sefer (Wube Bereha) which is like the New York of Ethiopia.

In New York, I spent most of my years in the Bronx and Manhattan. I did both my first and second degrees at Fordham University in the Bronx. I also spent a considerable amount of time working in Brooklyn. I have a special attachment to New York as it has given me so much and helped to create the person I am today. Everyone who knows me expects me to visit the city at least twice a year. I never seem to be able to stay away for too long. New York is in my blood.

By the way, I want to take this opportunity to say hello to all my friends and family in New York….and of course, big up to Brooklyn and the Boogie Down Bronx!

Tadias: We understand that you were quite an athlete while growing up in New York. Or are you still an athlete?

Henok: I did well enough in Athletics. In addition to teaching me so much about discipline and team work, Athletics scholarship actually got me through college and graduate schools. I ran Division I track and field and cross country for Fordham University where I finished off my career as captain of both teams. I no longer compete. However, I have hardly been out of shape for more than a month since 1992. Luckily, Addis Ababa now has some really high class gyms and I manage to stay in shape. It is a way of life for me.

Tadias: Your company organized the the first annual Ethiopian Diaspora business conference. How did that go?

Henok: It was phenomenal! The conference exceeded our expectations in many ways. We packed up the UN Conference Center and there took place a genuine and very sophisticated discussion. Ethiopians from virtually everywhere in the World were in the audience and they wanted to hear about doing business in Ethiopia from those that are already doing it on the ground. They were certainly not disappointed.

Our panelists, all of whom had enjoyed high levels of success in corporate America and Canada were there sharing their business experience in a land much less developed but offered many opportunities nevertheless. Between Ermyas Amelga, Tadiwos Belete, Yoseph Kibur, and Mohammed Umer, these guys were responsible for the direct creation of almost 2000 jobs. In addition, as outspoken leaders in their respective industries, the dynamism the four are bringing into the Ethiopian economy is incalculable. It was clear that the audience left seriously inspired and we felt that it was truly history in the making.

But we didn’t simply leave the audience inspired. We wanted to start planting some business ideas in them. In the afternoon, we had interesting presentations from the Ethiopian Investment Commission, the Privatization Agency, and USAID’s Agribusiness development program.

We have since committed ourselves to keeping the Ethiopian Diaspora well informed of business opportunities in Ethiopia that offer reasonably high returns while helping the country to grow.

Tadias: We hear that you have partnered with Access Capital to do even bigger things. Tell us about Access Capital and your new project with them.

Henok: As a development and business consultancy, we at PCI have great faith in the potential that exists within the global Diaspora community (we call it Greater Ethiopia) to help change Ethiopia for the better.

There are 1-2 million of us overseas and pretty much all of us are die hard well wishers for our country. After doing months of studies, we have concluded that there are about four very effective ways for the Diaspora to contribute economically to the country while making money at the same time. These are through remittances, direct investments, importing Ethiopian products, and by making equity investments in local companies. We are partnering with Access Capital precisely because it offers the latter mechanism.

Set up by a former member of the New York Wall Street Diaspora, Access Capital Services is a local finance advisory and investment firm which helps companies raise capital to take advantage of investment opportunities in different sectors of the Ethiopian economy. In essence, it is helping to build well capitalized and globally competitive Ethiopian businesses based on well crafted business plans. What is unique and pioneering about Access Capital is that the companies it advises raise their capital by selling shares to the public. Outside of the banking and insurance industries, this does not happen very much in Ethiopia.

Most businesses here are weak and under capitalized because they lack precisely the mechanism Access Capital offers to raise equity. On the other hand, there is something close to 50 billion birr in the vaults of local banks. The public is keeping all this money in the banks, earning only 4% return in an environment with up to 20% inflation.

They are doing this because there are few safe opportunities in which they can invest to earn positive returns. Access capital is now helping to offer alternatives to simply keeping money in the bank.

Our partnership with Access Capital is simply designed to extend these equity investment opportunities to the Ethiopian Diaspora. We feel that much higher rates of return are possible by investing in Ethiopia’s emerging market than in stocks, bonds, and savings accounts in the West that yield very low single digit returns. The few share companies in Ethiopia today, the banks, regularly bring in return on investment (ROI) of 50 to 60% annually. But the best part is the knowledge that your money is now creating jobs and helping to build your country. This is why we’ve set up the website www.DiasporaInvest.com to keep everyone overseas informed of such opportunities.

Tadias: What exactly is the “emerging” equity market in Ethiopia? Give us specific examples.

Henok: It is actually a little known fact that Ethiopia had one of the earliest stock markets in Africa during the time of the Emperor. At the time, well capitalized share companies were built in the agriculture and other sectors and performed very well. Unfortunately, that era ended with the advent of communism in the 1970s.

Starting in the mid 90s, we started to see share companies being built in the banking and insurance industries even though there existed no stock market. Companies like Awash Bank and Dashen Bank have been turning in attractive returns for their shareholders ever since.

With the advent of Access Capital, you are now starting to see non-bank share companies. It appears also that this is slowly becoming a trend. A recent presentation by Access Capital on the launch of Access Real Estate Share Company (under formation) attracted over 1000 prospective investors.

There are other examples as well. For example, I just read in the paper today that Ato Abinet Gebremeskel, a close confidant of Sheik Al Amoudi, bought a big chunk of shares in East Africa Bottling, the company that produces Coca Cola in Ethiopia.

Tadias: We recently attended the meeting of the Abyssinian Baptist Church delegation to Ethiopia here in Harlem. Tadias actually did a story on it. At the meeting, they were talking about sending another delegation to Ethiopia soon. And interestingly, this time around, the group will be made up of business people looking for investment opportunities. We also had a discussion with a gentleman, an executive at BET, who told us that he was already in process to buy a house in the Old Airport area and starting a flower farm business with Ethiopian partners. So the question is: Are you targeting only and specifically the Ethiopian Diaspora? Or are you looking at the bigger pie?

Henok: Yes, I have followed the story on Tadias.com and also read about the members of the Abyssinian Baptist Church here in Addis. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to meet with them. The African Union identifies African Americans as part of the greater African Diaspora. I think this is very appropriate. However, we are looking at things from an even bigger perspective.

You know what Ethiopia needs to develop economically is a dynamic productive sector that is well capitalized both financially as well as technologically. As a company, we have aligned our business objectives and services to help create and support such a productive sector.

In essence, we are also banking on the fact that Ethiopia will increasingly move in this direction thus creating more business opportunities for us. Therefore, even if our present immediate focus is specifically on the Ethiopian Diaspora, the services we are developing will serve anyone interested in doing business in or with Ethiopia. We are not only looking to attract and service our brothers and sisters in Harlem but also anyone looking to add value to the Ethiopian economy.

Tadias: What are the safeguards in place in terms of rules and regulations to assure safe investment and minimum red tape?

Henok: The Commercial Code of Ethiopia, produced during the time of the emperor, is a surprisingly well crafted piece of work that is still applicable today. It provides for the rules and regulations to oversee share companies. In addition, it is truly important that companies offering shares to the public have in place transparent and effective corporate governance structures.

Tadias: What is the minimum required to invest in these share companies?

Henok: It depends on the company that is offering shares. For example, the current offer by Access Capital is Access Real Estate Share Company. The minimum required investment is 25 shares or 25,000 birr payable in four installments over one year.

But it is also important to mention that there is maximum amount of shares one can buy which is 2000 shares. The idea is to make it hard for an individual or a group of people to control these share companies.

Tadias: How much money does the Ethiopian Diaspora send to family and friends in Ethiopia?

Henok: I have seen many different figures for this. However, the National Bank of Ethiopia figures suggest that the Diaspora annually sends in about USD $1 billion home. Of course, if you count in the money being transferred into the country unofficially, that is through people carrying cash and other informal means, the amount can be as high as USD $2 billion.

Tadias: Is it true that the Diaspora’s earning is much bigger than Ethiopia’s annual GDP?

Henok: Ethiopia’s GDP in 2006 was reported to be USD $13 billion. If you figure the low estimate that the 1-2 million Ethiopians overseas earn USD $10,000 a year per person, you are looking at an income of anywhere between USD $10 and $20 billion for the Diaspora as a whole. So in all likelihood, the Diaspora is probably earning even more than the home country is with its 80 million people.

Tadias: Do you know how much of that comes from the Ethiopian-American community?

Henok: We know that the Ethiopian-American community sends home significant amount of money. However, we don’t have that breakdown readily available. We hope to be making in-depth studies in the near future on the topic.

Tadias: Great chatting with you, Henok. Good luck.

Henok: Thank you! And keep up the good work at Tadias.
—-

By Liben Eabisa

New York – We contacted a volunteer for Senator Barack Obama’s Presidential campaign and sent our questions via email. Here is our interview with Adey Fisseha, law student here in New York and Harlem resident.

Tadias: Adey, thank you for agreeing to do this interview. We understand that you attend law school here in New York. Please tell us a bit more about yourself.

Adey: Before going to law school, I worked in DC in a number of policy positions but had never participated in politics until the 2004 Presidential elections. I was so disillusioned by the results of the 2000 election that I volunteered to go to Florida and “get out the vote” in the week immediately before the election. It was another disappointing result.

Tadias: How did you get involved in the Obama campaign?

Adey: Like many, I first heard Senator Obama speak when he gave the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. I was impressed by Senator Obama’s oratory skill and was moved by his message – that we have to redraw the political map by appealing to the many issues on which a large cross section of the population agree. I decided to get involved because his candidacy is drastically reshaping how Americans view and practice politics. His vision moves us away from politics rooted on false divisions based on race, gender, ethnicity, and region towards one based on shared goals.

Adey Fisseha

In his first book, “Dreams of My Father,” Senator Obama recounts his experiences organizing among the low-income residents of Chicago’s South side. It is the skills developed working among disenfranchised people – of seeing complicated issues from multiple vantage points, bringing people who were on opposite sides of the spectrum together that I think are critical for the next President. The next President will have the monumental task of re-establishing civil and Constitutional Rights dismantled during this administration. Who better for the task than Senator Obama who taught Constitutional law and practiced as a Civil Rights lawyer.

Tadias: What is your role as a campaign volunteer?

Adey: This is a grassroots campaign. Volunteers can create their own events or participate in events that have been organized by other volunteers. For instances, on Thursday a classmate and I created a post on the Obama website that we planned to stand outside of the Union Square subway and hold up signs and hand out materials. At least 10 other Obama supporters signed up through the website and joined us. On Friday, I joined a group of people who had decided to do a visibility event outside of the 145th street subway station.

Tadias: We also understand that you have been active trying to reach Ethiopian Americans. How are you doing that?

Adey: There is a massive outreach scheduled for this weekend in Harlem. As a part of that effort we have asked Ethiopians’ who support Obama to pass out literature at the two churches based in Harlem.

Tadias: A significant number of older Ethiopian Americans, at least those that we have talked to, say that they will vote for Hillary because Obama will not win the general election. How do you answer that?

Adey: In the general election, the Democratic candidate will not only need the support of the democratic base but will also need to attract the independent vote. In Iowa and New Hampshire, Senator Obama picked up a significant portion of the independent vote. Further, he has also shown the ability to appeal to republicans. These indicate that he would make a strong contender in a general election.

Tadias: There was a high profile Harlem endorsement recently that was widely covered by the media. Reverend Calvin Butts, head of the Abyssinian Baptist Church, who led a 150 member delegation to Ethiopia this fall, has endorsed Senator Hillary Clinton. How serious a blow is that to your efforts?

Adey: I believe that Senator Obama has strong support among the residents of Harlem.

Tadias: The media is split on the question of whether Harlem is for Hillary or Obama. But a recent article by the New American Media had a headline that declared “Obama Has Harlem Locked.” Is Harlem really Obama country?

Adey: I believe that Senator Obama has strong support among the residents of Harlem.

Tadias: How can people get involved?

Adey: There are a number of ways that people can help. One: Vote. New York’s primary is on Tuesday, February 5th. Polling stations are open from 6 a.m. – 9 p.m. You must be a registered Democrat to vote in the Democratic primary in New York. Every vote counts — the New York primary is not winner-takes-all. Delegates are awarded proportionally so it is critical that everyone go out and vote. If you are registered, you can vote now at the Board of Elections’ Borough Offices. The Manhattan office is located 200 Varick St., 10 Fl. Borough Offices are open this weekend and on Monday 9:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m. and on Election Day until 9 p.m.

Two: Recruit. Talk to at least five additional people about why you support Senator Obama. Call and remind those people to vote on Tuesday.

Three: Contribute. 22 states are voting on Tuesday and buying ads, airtime, posters etc costs a tremendous amount of money. The race for the Democratic nominee is unlikely to be a decided on Tuesday as the race continues the campaign will require funds to continue to get its message out to voters. The purchase of T-shirts, sweatshirts and other items from the Obama Campaign website is also another way to donate to the campaign. To contribute go to the Obama website. To purchase T-shirts etc go to the Obama online store.

Four: Volunteer. Even if you only have an hour there are plenty of volunteer opportunities. The website lists volunteer opportunities throughout the country. New York residents can find volunteer opportunities at http://newyork.barackobama.com. Residents of other states should go to the main website www.barackobama.com and click on state.

Tadias: Thank you, Adey. Good luck!

Tadias Magazine

By Tadias Staff

New York (TADIAS) – We recently had an email chat with Wondwossen D. Dikran, director of the independent film Journey to Lasta, which has been picked up by Vanguard Cinema, and is now available in most major outlets, including Amazon.com, Blockbuster.com, and Netflix.com.

In 2004, during a cover interview with Tadias Magazine, while discussing the pros and cons of being an indie filmmaker, Wondwossen had described his personal experience by providing a hefty list of pros.

“The freedom of artistic expression, the ability to take risks on new ideas that would otherwise be deemed ‘un-sellable,’ the pleasure of working with other equally passionate people,” he told Tseday Alehegn, Editor-in-Chief of Tadias Magazine.

“Magic happens when the group has a common goal and understands that it could not get any worse but rather better.”

Fast forward three years later, and the distribution deal for Journey to Lasta just got sweeter.

Tadias: Wondwossen, thank you for taking your time to speak with us. It’s good to hear from you again.

Wondwossen: It’s good to be back with Tadias. I miss getting my hard copies 🙂

Tadias: Tell us about the deal with Vanguard Cinema.

Wondwossen: We were approached by Vanguard about half a year ago after an executive saw a screener copy of the film and got in touch with us to get the film a distribution deal in the US and international video / DVD and TV market. I was very excited and pleased with the proposal since they have a great reputation in the industry for distributing independent and foreign films that include titles by cinema giants such as Andre Wajda, Jacques Rivette and Michealangelo Antonioni to name a few. Their library is very unique, and the interest and passion they showed about the film gave us enough incentive to get the deal done. We are also very proud that an Ethiopian film has received a major distribution deal from a powerhouse such as Vanguard, and that the film will find an international audience that it would not have been able to reach otherwise.

Tadias: Just so you know, we just requested a rental from Netflix 🙂

Wondwossen: Thank you. Make sure to rate, and write a review on it , and add me to your friend’s list. Me and Writer / Director Yemane Demisse send each other recommendations, so we would love it if you join the madness. I am also curious to see what the Tadias rental queue looks like:)

Tadias: How do you think your partnership with Vanguard Cinema will impact the future of the budding Ethiopian and Ethiopian-Diaspora film industry?

Wondwossen: I think it will bring us one-step closer to having our stories being able to reach audiences of all kinds, despite the geographical and other cultural barriers. I don’t think distribution will be an issue for our artists and our industry, if we made films and told stories that really matter. The market has been saturated with so much “fast-tracked” products for a quick buck. That attitude needs to change, and change very quickly.

Tadias: How do you define success as a filmmaker?

Wondwossen: These days, just waking up and being able to do what you love to do is a success, and i have been blessed as far as that is concerned. Obviously, having our work out there so that it can be seen is a pivotal part of the process in our profession, but i am also looking forward to working on the next thing, and the next, and the next.

Tadas: What are you working on these days?

Wondwossen: I have been working as a producer for a few Network shows on Television and getting experience in that world, which is a different beast all together. I have also been writing my next film, and seeing it come alive has been very exciting. I do not like to be comfortable, and always try pushing myself and my own creative limits. What you will be seeing from us in the next few years will be a series of assaults on the senses, and i mean that in the best sense of the term. And I will share that when the time is right.

Tadias: Anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Wondwossen: I would like to thank everyone who has supported “Journey To Lasta” for getting us here. For those who have not seen it yet, the film will be out Nov. 20th.

If you have any interest in film-making, writing, or would like to send your questions and comments, feel free to e-mail me @ wdikran@yahoo.com. I always make time to connect with audience from all over the world.

BTW, What Director Yemane Demisse has been cooking up in the kitchen is going to blow everybody’s minds away. I was very lucky to see many scenes from his upcoming film, and it looks fantastic. Look out for it.

Tadias: Great chatting with you, as always. Good luck.

—
Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

By Tadias Staff Writer

New York – Ethiopian-born celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson is introducing an exclusive line of professionally styled cookware, manufactured by Regal Ware Worldwide.

The new stainless steel cookware line named Marcus, which will be available at major retailers this fall, is aimed at the home chef who wants to prepare food like a professional.

“After cooking for so many years I wanted to make a switch in my cookware. There are far better stoves with higher heat appearing in home kitchens and I wanted to create a product to match,” says Samuelsson.

“MARCUS Cookware embodies my vision for every home chef to have the best products for their culinary experiences. More and more, real working pots and pans are being displayed in kitchens. Home chefs should be proud of their tools – that’s why I created such a sleek and contemporary line of cookware.”

Marcus Cookware is manufactured and distributed by Regal Ware Worldwide, the leading manufacturer of high quality stainless steel cookware in the United States. “We are pleased to partner with a chef of Marcus Samuelsson’s caliber in bringing this product to the retail market,” said Jeff Reigle, President and CEO of the Wisconsin based company. “MARCUS cookware reflects our tradition of offering the world’s finest cookware to promote the health and wellness of families today.”

Photo courtesy of Regal Ware Worldwide

According to a press release by Regal Ware Worldwide, a portion of all proceeds from the sale Marcus cookware will be donated to charities close to Marcus Samuelsson, which help to improve children’s lives.

The Marcus Cookware line consists of two Covered Stock Pots (8 quart and 5.4 quart); three Covered Sauce Pans (3.5 quart, 2 quart and 1 quart); two Covered Sauté Pans with Helper Handle (11.75 inch and 10 inch); three Fry Pans (11.5 inch, 10 inch, 8 inch); and a Pasta Set. Every item can be used on gas, electric, ceramic glass and induction stoves.

Born in Ethiopia, Marcus was adopted at age 3 and raised in Sweden. By the time he was 6, Marcus was spending countless hours in his grandmother’s kitchen, watching and learning from her. At 14, Marcus enrolled in cooking school, going on to apprentice in France, Austria and Switzerland. At the young age of 23, he became Executive Chef of Aquavit restaurant in New York City. Today, Marcus Samuelsson is recognized as one of the premier chefs throughout the world. From the James Beard Foundation to the culinary Institute of America, Marcus has received more accolades than most chefs receive in a lifetime.

Photo courtesy of Regal Ware Worldwidemarcuscookware.com

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Above: Marcus Samuelsson at his home in Harlem, New York.
(Photo Credit: Tesfaye Tessema for Tadias Magazine).

Tadias Magazine
By Tseday Alehegn

New York (Tadias) – It’s a slightly drizzly evening in Manhattan and I’m walking with a loping gait to Aquavit restaurant, anxious that I am tardy, simultaneously juggling my umbrella, checking whether I brought my voice recorder, notes, interview questions and pen. My hurried steps are sharply interrupted by the calm and warm colored entrance of Marcus Samuelsson’s Scandinavian restaurant. As I wait by the door, slow down my pace, and go through the questions in my mind, I see his familiar figure, the midnight blue of the Aquavit uniform, a blackberry in hand and a welcoming smile. “Let me show you on a quick tour,” he says after we greet, knowing that it’s my first time here. “First – the kitchen.”

The spacious kitchen is divided by two main isles behind each of which stand a row of chefs, working like clockwork. Each plate out in front stands ready to be modeled as the most soigné art that food could be transformed into. We make an exit towards the café and settle down to talk about his most recent project – an adventure-filled trip throughout the African continent and the journey that led to his new book: The Soul of a New Cuisine. As I pull out my notepad and prepare my notes, Marcus steals a few moments to scroll through the emails on his blackberry. In just a few hours, after we wrap up our interview, he will be packing for another trip back to Ethiopia to see his birth father and his eight half-brothers and sisters, with whom he was first reunited in April of 2005. “I have to leave on a personal trip to Ethiopia, but I wanted to have this conversation now rather than later,” he says, then he turns off his phone, restores it in his pocket and lets me know that he is ready for our duologue.

Africa on My Mind

The first time that Tadias Magazine had interviewed Marcus was in March 2003. Marcus had mentioned back then that he intended to work on an African cookbook. He had concluded the interview by saying that he wanted to write not just about Swedish or American food, but also about African cuisine. “People lump all of Africa, as if it’s one homogenous country,” I recalled him saying, and I remember the eagerness and determination in his voice to make this project a reality. Fast forward three years later and Marcus has traveled extensively with his photographer and friend, Gideon Kifle. Together they go from South Africa to Morocco; from the famous spice island of Zanzibar to the fish markets of Senegal.

“I have gone several times, but I began my travels to Africa in ’99.” Marcus says. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve had Africa on my mind,” he writes in the introduction of his new book, and he pieces together culinary treasures with his intimate, personal journey to the village where he was born as Kassahun Tsegie. His journey to reconstruct his family heritage is as much a journey of peace as is his quest for peace embodied in the sharing of food across cultural terrains. “My favorite term is ubuntu,” he says – a popular South African concept which translates as “I am what I am because of who we all are.” Being a chef is about remembering and practicing ubuntu. It is about food for the body and soul that peacefully unites us as beings, allowing for conversations and the sharing of happiness, knowledge, soul and love.

“I’m a Swede, I’m also an Ethiopian, and a New Yorker,” he says.

ABOVE: Marcus Samuelsson and
Liben Eabisa walking in Harlem,
New York.

He can’t help but embrace and reify diversity in his identity and in his work. Marcus’ personal story of his adoption by Swedish parents, his passion for cooking and his eventual move to New York as one of the top chefs in the world is as colorful as his fusion of recipes renowned for their flavor, originality, and multicultural emphasis. Weaving together the diverse fabrics that constitute his life’s journey, Marcus reflects on his youth growing up in Sweden. “The difference between an immigrant and an adopted kid, is that when you are an immigrant you are more clear on your identity; you are Ethiopian. When you are adopted you are stripped a little bit of one identity, and when you grow up you sort of go back to that identity.” “And again, I can only speak for me, I can’t speak for someone else,” he adds.

“For me coming to America, and New York in particular, and being around Ethiopians, going to all the concerts – to weddings, to restaurants, I found a whole lot of community.” He compares his upper middle class Swedish upbringing with that of his childhood friend Mesfin’s, who lived in close proximity to Stockholm’s ‘Little Ethiopia’ neighborhood. “What my friend Mesfin had was a community that I wasn’t familiar with. He was exposed to Ethiopian music, language, identity and customs,” Marcus recounts. “Once I was in New York however, by going to Meskerem and Sheba [restaurants] and making friends like Yeworkwoha [owner of Ghenet Restaurant] who introduced me to work behind Ethiopian food, I got immersed in Ethiopian culture.”

My Medium is Food

His eyes light up and he lifts his head and chest higher as he admits that his exposure to a broader Ethiopian and African community as well as the overall spirit of internationalism in New York got him ruminating over how to tie it all together. “And it was only then that I started thinking, What can I do? What’s my medium? Well… my medium is food. So I went back there [Ethiopia] and gave a couple classes at the Sheraton for Ethiopian kids. For me it’s not a one-off , I want to be in the country with Ethiopian children, and show young people, show young men how to cook.”

From there Marcus vowed to see as much of Africa as he could, and to capture the myriad of dishes and ways of sharing and eating food that he discovered in his travels. While Marcus worked with Gideon on article assignments about Ethiopia for American news outlets, he also started thinking of other ways of giving Ethiopians tools to be proud of.

“There are so many stories coming out of Sweden in comparison to my Ethiopian side,” Marcus points out. “Cars, IKEA, there are so many brands coming out of that little country, and in the case of Ethiopia although there are many rich stories, the music, the art, the food..you don’t get as much exposure to it. So I wanted to do a project that viewed Africa and its cultures,” he concludes. “You know a lot of people think of Africa as war, famine, all this stuff , and for me..it’s like..every part of the world has that.”

Marcus has other reasons for wanting to write about the cuisine of the African continent and its diaspora. “Africa also has a huge deposit of oral history. A mother tells her daughter about music and food and so on. And this tradition of oral history is important, but the written history is also important,” Marcus asserts. “You know just going to Barnes and Noble you can find 500 books on Tuscany, a tiny region, and for a huge region like Africa you have three books.” Marcus is determined to show where the influences in Africa came from and where African influence spread to. “So in East Africa and Ethiopia, for example, you can see the Indian influences in their food, and when you go down to southern Africa you recognize Indonesian and Malay food. No part of the globe is untouched by Africa and vice versa.

Soul of a New Cuisine

Motivated to show and encourage African-to-African connections, Marcus reflects on opportunities to learn from each other. “In general, South Africans don’t go up to Morocco and you don’t see Ethiopians going down to Angola. But it’s important to develop these connections, and it’s easy to do so through food. If I’m an Ethiopian family, let’s do a Senegalese dish tomorrow. Or if I’m Senegalese let me make a Malay dish tomorrow. Pan-European and Pan-Asian cuisine is a common occurrence now. You know if I am a Swedish family, Monday I have Italian, on Tuesday I’ll really like this French recipe and then on Wednesday I cook Swedish again. Well Ethiopians… we cook our food. And that’s great and it’s very nice,” he says. “But what if we just try a different path?”

“The food itself, the recipes may be ancient,” Marcus says of African cooking, “but I want this book to be a fusion of African cultures and food…sort of looking into the window of other countries within Africa. And ‘Africa’ doesn’t mean you have to live in Africa to experience it. It’s more about revealing this diversity, the richness, and being open-minded.” The combinations are endless and the experiences will be new, hence the title, The Soul of a New Cuisine. Along with the recipes Marcus has prepared a music album entitled Afrikaya, a compilation which features world music diva Gigi, and the new Ethiopian hip-hop fusion Bole to Harlem. “So it’s food, music, and people. I want something that other Africans will be proud of. The ‘new cuisine’ is that I make all these recipes palatable for Americans and the Western world.” Pan-African fusion is something you can’t find here on a regular basis.

“For example, I take an Ethiopian Shiro and I pair it with a fish dish from Morocco while borrowing cooking techniques from South Africa. So there is a fusion within the continent. And that’s what the ‘new’ is about.” As another example, Marcus suggests the term ‘Pan-Asian.’ “When I use this term with you, ‘Pan-Asian,’ you understand what that is. You can envision the fusion involved, which today is also considered fine dining.” “Fine dining,” Marcus reminds me, “came from a very elitist society.” It conjures up the image of French restaurants, a certain culture only for the upper class. “Today the fl avor of the food is considered fine dining. Now you go to Paris or London and they are catching on to fusion. So in the same way, you understand the term Pan-African as it relates to music, but how about Pan-African food?” Marcus gets us thinking about Pan-African ways of making and eating food.

The communal aspect of African cooking and ways of eating are very much a central core in Marcus’ writings. “In Senegal I stayed with my dishwasher’s family,” he shares. “They had grandmothers and other family members all living together. That was a way for me to get close.” It may have been more comfortable to travel throughout Senegal as a tourist, staying in hotel rooms and visiting local eateries, but Marcus knew from the start he would miss the fervor of communal cooking if he chose such a path. “You know I can’t wing it. I can’t do it from hotels either. I wanted to be there form the start, when they made breakfast and when they made lunch..to see the cooking together. I have to see it to really know it.” He took this attitude with him wherever he traveled to, and he noticed that although the recipes may be starkly different, the eating patterns throughout Africa had one thing in common – they were very communal. “Kids are welcome and grandparents are welcome in the preparation of food,” he notes. “In Africa, how we start a meal and how we feed each other…it’s very communal and it brings extended families together.”

From farming, to harvesting, to cooking, and to selling food in the marketplace, food transactions are a communal business. “I’ll tell you about the fish market in Senegal, which has such a beautiful, organic way of working,” Marcus enthuses. “The men go out to fish, drop off their catch to the women who run the fish market.” He describes in colorful detail the women selling fish. “They have several skirts on..and they lift up one skirt and they have Euros, and then Dollars, CFA Franc [Senegalese money]..and it’s like NASDAQ.” He makes the whirring sound of money being counted and continues, “And the kids help package the fish while the people come to buy it, and there is a certain rhythm to it. That to me is colorful and loud.” And it’s the larger experience of food and food making that you don’t see when you purchase packaged meals at a supermarket.

Every Place is Great for Me

Between the moments of discovering new foods, tastes, and cooking techniques Marcus perambulates around the open markets. He mentions Marakesh and Merkato, the latter, considered one of Africa’s largest open-air markets, being his favorite. “I enjoy places like Merkato. Wherever people see danger, I enjoy it. I travel deeper and deeper and see the mix of Jewish, Muslim, and Orthodox traditions. I just love it,” Marcus says. “What makes travel interesting is the people, their history, where they came from and where they are going to.” He points out that food, like any other aspect of culture, has its own history, and learning about food without the history wouldn’t make for a full experience. “Because of their history of trading with Arabians and Indians, the food of the people of Zanzibar is so flavorful,” he says. And he implants pieces of history among his recipes so that it becomes an exploration of a continent’s way of food and not just the raw ingredients. “I want to bring you onto that journey. And I have to do it thoroughly,” he says. “I have been privileged to go and be in South Africa, Sweden, New York, to Ethiopia. Most people haven’t had that opportunity.”

I ask him which place he enjoyed the most, but Marcus is quick to answer “Every place is great for me.” “In order to do this [work] you have to be really curious,” he adds. “And there are stories everywhere..people are eager to tell you.” Marcus enjoys traveling. “Bahia is different from the rest of Brasil, and Addis Ababa has a different story than Soweto. You know when I’m in Ethiopia. It’s great. I feel at home. But when I go to a new place like Soweto, a place I’ve never been, and then Desmond Tutu writes the forward to my book, it takes on a whole other meaning for me. So I enjoy all of it…the entire experience.”

The Universal Peace of Food

The end result is a new cookbook, lots of travel stories, adventures, and something for UNICEF’s programs for children around the world. Marcus is donating part of the proceeds of The Soul of the New Cuisine to UNICEF programs. “There are so many great organizations in the world, but I picked two to work with: UNICEF and CCAP – one works with children internationally and the other works with public high school students.” As a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, Marcus had to come up with a program and he chose this cookbook as one of them. “I have been down to Ethiopia and seen the NGOs working. I don’t want to micromanage the process, but if I believe in your work then I’ll let you do your work the way you believe is best.” It’s all part of the process of using food as a medium of peace.

When you think of the first presence of food in your life, it’s easy to picture the image of a mother giving life-sustaining milk to her newborn child. One of the first acts of bonding and love is expressed through food. Mozart once said, “Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.” This is apparent in Marcus’ work.

“One thing that’s really cool about food is that everyone thinks their recipe is the best. But it’s great that they don’t fight about it. It’s not like money, and it’s not religion where someone is trying to convert you. Do you know what I mean? It’s peace,” Marcus asseverates with a smile and an earnest look in his eyes. As beings we are on a universal search for comfort and peace and Marcus shares how food is fundamental in that quest. “It’s a very peaceful way of taking pride in something. With food, people take a tremendous amount of dignity and say “I want to show you what I can do” without fighting,” he says “And I love that.”

The Soul of a New Cuisine is the new food, the new fine dining, and food itself is the universal peace.

Above: Black Cook Wanted, painting by Samuelsson
Photos by Tesfaye Tessema for Tadias Magazine.
—-

About the Author:

Tseday Alehegn is the Editor-in-Chief of Tadias Magazine. Tseday is a graduate of Stanford University (both B.A. & M.A.). In addition to her responsibilities at Tadias, she is also a Doctoral student at Columbia University.

Above: Forbes highlight EthiDolls through an interview with
Co-Founder & CEO Salome Yilma. Video posted by Dire Tube.

Tadias Magazine
Created by Two Ethiopian Women: EthiDolls to Spread
a New Vision of Africa

By Margaret Heneghan

Updated: Monday, August 16, 2010

New York (Tadias) – As young girls in Ethiopia, Yeworkwoha Ephrem and Salome Yilma were part of the first generation to help their native land bridge into the modern world. Today, they are New York City entrepreneurs working to preserve African culture for future generations.

Through their start-up company EthiDolls™, Ms. Ephrem and Ms. Yilma are developing African signature dolls and accessories that teach history and tradition, as well as celebrate cultural diversity.

“As a child, I believed that the world had infinite possibilities because all around me women had equal responsibility for life. School, play, my mother’s work, my father’s work — all were life,” says Ms. Yilma, EthiDolls’ chief executive officer. “This notion has always grounded me and allowed me to thrive – personally and professionally – uninhibited by the many prejudices we all experience as we go through life.”

“I have my parents to thank for this precious gift; their emphasis on integrity, education and aspiration has always been my touchstone,” she says. “We at EthiDolls believe that these are the same gifts all parents wish to bestow on their children. And we hope to awaken this same spirit of leadership in today’s young African-American girls and their multicultural playmates by offering a new vision of the African experience. We believe that connection to the rich historic cultural heritage of Africa will be a good source for young people to extract a sense of pride and self empowerment.”

Video: Ethiodoll CEO & Founder Salome Yilma on Forbes

Established in 2003, EthiDolls launched its first product line in December 2006 with the “Makeda: Queen of Sheba” doll, storybook and CD narration. The line is based on the ancient legend of Makeda, “The Queen of Sheba,” the first female ruler of Ethiopia, the land known as the “cradle of civilization” because people throughout the world today can trace their roots to it.

The dolls are collector quality and hand-crafted for EthiDolls by Madame Alexander® maker of the popular collectible doll line and no detail or expense was spared to capture the Queen’s majestic image. The doll stands 16 inches tall and has 18 points of articulation from head to toe, including hair and lashes made of top-of-the-line kanekalon fiber and gold hoops and bangles for her wrists. The fabric used for the costume is rich in detail, hand woven in Ethiopia, and is an authentic representation of the traditional Ethiopian dress still worn today.

The accompanying items are of equal quality. The storybook is beautifully illustrated by a young Ethiopian artist, and the CD provides a compelling narration of Queen Makeda’s rise to the throne and her relationship with King Solomon.

EthiDolls launches the Queen Makeda merchandise as African culture emerges into popular consciousness and as “edutainment”— learning through a medium that educates and entertains — is on the rise. According to the Toy Institute of America, dolls rank as the toy industry’s second-largest product category in dollar volume with sales of $2.7 billion in 2005. The superior quality and authenticity of the product line also will appeal to the doll collector community, which vies with stamps and miniatures as the No.1 hobby group in the world.

“Our true aim is to enrich the lives of young girls of African heritage especially in this fast-paced and media savvy age we live in,” says Ms. Ephrem, EthiDolls’ executive vice president. “And we’re also pleased to contribute to the growing and important movement of African-American families researching heritage and re-connecting to cultural traditions. We’re eager to serve this market with upscale, quality merchandise that meets their high expectations.”

EthiDolls will launch several more dolls based on African royal figures in 2007. Currently, the company is utilizing the rapidly growing direct-to-consumer marketing and distribution channels to sell Queen Makeda merchandise. Future plans include distribution in targeted specialty shops and other locations that provide unique family experiences.

For more information about how to purchase Queen Makeda products, visit www.ethidolls.com.

Tadias Magazine

By Tseday Alehegn

This feature was first published in our print issue in 2005

New York (TADIAS) — In the hamlet of Washingtonville, New York, lies the scenic campus of Brotherhood Winery, a national historic landmark and America’s oldest winery, established in 1837. According to the Washingtonville Village Historian, Edward J. McLaughlin III, the original owner John Jacques “had planted a vineyard in the rear yard of his lumber business store, shipping the harvest of grapes to the Isles of Manhattan for 15 cents a pound.” When the price of grapes fell, Jacques experimented with pressing the fruit into juice and started producing wine. Subsisting on the sale of sacramental wine during the prohibition years, Brotherhood Winery continued its winemaking legacy.

Today Brotherhood Winery is a popular site for tourists, producing a wide assortment of award-wining wines, including Chardonnay, Johannisberg Riesling, Seyval Blanc, Chelois, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir. Under the supervision of Cesar Baeza, an internationally-renowned Chilean winemaster and new owner of Brotherhood Winery, a new dessert wine called Sheba Tej made from pure organic honey is now part of the premium wine list. Although the honey wine may be newly introduced to the Hudson Valley, Ethiopians have known it for centuries as “Tej”.

Brotherhood Winery, a national historic landmark and America’s oldest winery, established in 1837. (Photo: TADIAS)

Tej, or honey wine, is one of the world’s earliest fermented drinks, mentioned in ancient texts and scriptures, and consumed before the time of Christ. Traditionally, in Ethiopia, Tej was prepared primarily by women. In his book A Social History of Ethiopia, Historian Richard Pankhurst writes, “None except nobility and the highest chiefs and warriors were privileged to drink Tej.”

The honey wine’s popularity, all the same, surpassed the environs of the royal courts to be enjoyed by all sectors of ancient and modern Ethiopian society. Tej became a favorite during feasts and celebrations, notably weddings. The unique wine recipe contains no sulfites nor grapes, just pure honey. Legend even has it that Tej was one of the many gifts carried by Makeda, the Queen of Sheba, to Jerusalem’s King Solomon.

Honey wine was also known as mead and enjoyed in other parts of the ancient world. According to S. W. Andrews’ accounts of mead and meadmaking, in classical Greek mythology, the ‘Nectar of the Gods’ was a honey concoction known as Melitites; and the term “honeymoon” refers to the old tradition of newly weds drinking wine and feasting on honey cakes for one lunar month after their marriage, in the hopes that their actions would make their union more fertile.

America’s oldest winery began producing one of the world’s oldest wines after an African American entrepreneur, Ernest McCaleb, met and initiated a joint collaboration with Brotherhood Winery. McCaleb is founder and CEO of Sheba, Inc., a company focusing on the production and distribution of organic Ethiopian honey wine. Prior to founding Sheba, Inc., McCaleb had spent significant time conducting and financing highly successful import/export businesses in Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Cameroon, Gabon and Sierra Leone. His corporate offices were located on Wall Street in New York City and Western Avenue in Lagos, Nigeria, and his import/export financing company generated over $250 million in sales of cement, rice, sugar,and other commodities to governments and major businesses in West Africa.

A chance meeting with an Ethiopian in Paris gave rise to his eventual introduction to Ethiopian honey wine. Having a great passion for Africa, its diversity, traditions, and history, McCaleb continued on his entrepreneurial quest and established Sheba in 2003 with the sole purpose of producing authentic honey wine according to ancient Ethiopian traditions. To that end, he arranged for three generations of Ethiopian women — a mother, her daughter and granddaughter — to travel from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to New York’s Brotherhood Winery to demonstrate how Tej is prepared. Winemaster Baeza studied how this first batch of Sheba Tej was made. The careful end product was a naturally fermented, organic drink with a pleasing golden yellow hue — an ancient, spicy, semi-dry, full-bodied wine. The aroma of honey and wild flower permeated the air, and the Tej was joyously tasted by Baeza and the employees of Brotherhood Winery in conjunction with a hearty meal of Injera and Wot prepared by the three Ethiopian women.

Since then, Sheba Tej, produced at Brotherhood Winery has won awards at international honey wine festivals, and is distributed in many stores across the U.S. and the Caribbean. “Since I’ve begun doing this,” McCaleb says, “I’ve learned more about this rich history, and as I give tasting sessions I have become even more inspired. This is beyond the commercial success. It’s about pride and heritage, which those women taught us when they came to Brotherhood Winery.”

Ernest McCaleb, Founder & CEO of Sheba, Inc. (Photo: TADIAS)

The nutritional benefits and health promoting agents in honey itself are to be marveled. Honey, when stored properly, can remain edible for centuries, having almost no expiration date. According to a recent study conducted by Gross Market Research for the National Honey Board, four out of five households in America use honey in various capacities — as a sweetener, source of carbohydrate, anti-oxidant, skin cleanser, and even as an antiseptic to heal burns and wounds. Pure honey contains several important vitamins, including Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate, Vitamin B-6, and Vitamin C. Numerous essential minerals, such as Calcium, Iron, Zinc, Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Selenium, Copper, and Manganese, are also contained in honey. Honey continues to be used to alleviate symptoms of allergies, anemia and several chronic diseases, including asthma and high blood pressure.

Sheba Tej — prepared from pure, organic honey and preserved without the use of sulfites — retains the nutritional qualities of honey while at the same time making for an excellent wine with meals, or alone as an aperitif.

By producing and introducing Sheba Tej to the world, McCaleb and Brotherhood Winery are not only sharing in Ethiopia’s rich heritage but also fusing together the oldest tradition of winemaking in America with the ancient culture of preparing honey wine in Ethiopia. Their efforts have strengthened American and Ethiopian ties and, in the process, brought the famous ‘Nectar of the Gods’ to your dining table.

So uncork a bottle of Sheba Tej, pour generously into your cups, raise them, and proclaim the traditional Ethiopian toast, “Le tenachin!” To our health!

——————
About the Author:

Tseday Alehegn is the Editor-in-Chief of Tadias Magazine. Tseday is a graduate of Stanford University (both B.A. & M.A.). In addition to her responsibilities at Tadias, she is also a Doctoral student at Columbia University.

Related:

A friend to remember – Ernie of Sheba Tej dies (December, 2007)

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