phonenix reles robed in shema

It is not too often that we hear of a life condemned to many years incarceration can in the end be turned around completely. This is the happy ending to a personal tragedy – an ending which is in fact, a whole new beginning…

Be it good or evil, sometimes the direction of our life can be determined by incidents that pass quickly. Alemayehu Wachamo has never thought of becoming a traditional clothes (Shema) maker, until he shot someone in his house at midnight three years ago. This tragedy also paved the way for him to display his products on the 2nd Africa China Summit few months ago. What happened that night has also embarked him on a project to export his products to the rest of world.
Home for his busy government job that night Alemayehu, 40, was exhausted. He was asleep at home with his wife and four children until he grabs his gun and when he had shoot someone who had come to attack him. That night was the moment. which changed the direction of his life from a government official to a business man.
Three years ago, charged of for second degree murder, he was sentenced to two years imprisonment. There, in Sidama Zone prison, he took a ten month course in making Shema, Ethiopian cotton cloth made by traditional weaving, shema making was previously limited to the rural areas of the country.
“I never thought of being involved in this business as it has been considered as a job for the uneducated and unprivileged,” says Alemayehu who has just submitted his thesis for his BA in Management.
“What I always wanted was to be famous in something, but making Shema had never crossed my mind,” he says. Before turning to producing Shema export, had Alemayehu tried 12 various professions.
Though he didn’t stick to it, some 12 years ago he had finished second place in the Abebe Bikilla International Marathon that takes place in Addis Ababa every year. As a government employee, he served in various positions for 16 years before he had to go to jail. He was the administerator of Menahariya sub-city in Awassa, befor his arrest.
He noted the high demand for Ethiopian traditional Shema during the 2nd China-Africa Summit in Beijing. He has since become an employer focusing on exporting quality products.
Clothes for both sexes such as shirts, Vests, scarves, dresses and trousers are some of his products.
The information he has obtained from the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce enabled him to travel and display his products in China and Dubai. There he met with various business people who were interested to import his products.
“During my trips to Beijing and Dubai, I realized that there is a huge market out there for our Shema. Now, my intention is to create as many jobs as I can and generate foreign currency for my country,” he says.
Currently, Alemayehu is working on the expansion of Shema production on the 200 square meter plot he received from Awassa Transitional Administration. He plans to hire an additional 36 employees. It seems the time has come for the restless man to settle down. Now, everywhere he goes, he wears his own shema with pride. Alemayehu teaches other people to value their own traditional cloths.
Fana Alemayehu, 15 who is now a 7th grade student, also seems to share the restless nature of his father until he becomes a hero in some profession. He is becoming a good designer of Shema and whishes to be a marathon hero some day like Abebe Bikila.
In the future, he has a vision of providing educational and material support to prisoners in various correctional centers of the country, to enable them to change their life by becoming productive citizens.
Nowadays, the number of Ethiopians who wear clothes increasing. Especially, women‘s dresses are becoming more popular even by foreigners although the price of one good dress from Saba is equivalent to the price of 15 ordinary dresses imported from China.
“There are limitless opportunities to provide quality Shema products at fair prices. What it needs is only focus and commitment,” Alemayehu concludes.