AFRICA 2000

UHURULAND

Kenya is Ethiopia’s most preferred neighbor as it is seen by Ethiopians as a benign nation of people who would rather do sport and business than politics and regional rivalry.
The Republic of Kenya has been blessed with relative property and consistent stability ever since it became independent on Dec 13, 1963, ending British colonial rule which had lasted for over 200 years.
Anthropologicaly, Kenya is regarded as an important site for early human habitation. The area was first settled thousands of years ago by various indigenous peoples from whom present day Kenyans are descended.
The new nation of Kenya after 1963 embarked upon over a decade of consistent growth in industry agriculture and services such as wildlife tourism. In 1974, opposition parties chargd president Jomo Kenyata’s administration of corruption and political intolerance. Four years later, Kenya’s liberator and founding president died and his vice president, Daniel Arap Moi, became only the second person since 1963 to lead Kenya.
Kenya has a long and proud record in wildlife and habitat conservation. It is the most popular wildlife tourism destination and to prove it, has lent the term safari ‘ to the world’s vocabulary. Ethiopia’s lack luster tourism ‘industry’ could learn a thing or two from Kenya in how to attract global tourists.
Kenya boasts a relatively (meaning by world not Ethiopian standards) mature tourism infrastructure which according to latest figures, drew more than 1.5 million visitors to the country. To give some perspective, Kenya earns more from tourism than Ethiopia does for its aromatic coffees.
The stability of the nation has played a huge role in the development of tourism and has also spurred progress in most other economic sectors. Much as Ethiopians regard Kenya as a peace loving and unobtrusive neighbor, such mushy – mushy sentiments evaporate when the two nations meet on the athletics circuit.
The historic rivalry in long distance running remains athletic lore, what with Kenya and Ethiopia dominating the field for close to four decades.

The Elder statesman

Kenyatta, Jomo (1897-1978), first prime minister (1963-1964) and then first president (1964-1978) of Kenya. Kenyatta was Kenya’s founding father, a conservative nationalist who led the East African nation to independence from Britain in 1963
EARLY YEARS
Kenyatta was born in Gatundu in the part of British East Africa that is now Kenya; the year of his birth is uncertain, but most scholars agree he was born in the 1890s. He was born into the Kikuyu ethnic group, Kenya’s largest. Named Kamau wa Ngengi at birth, he later adopted the surname Kenyatta (from the Kikuyu word for a type of beaded belt he wore) and then the first name Jomo. Kenyatta was educated by Presbyterian missionaries and by 1921 had moved to the city of Nairobi. There he became involved in early African protest movements, joining the Kikuyu Central Association (KCA) in 1924. He quickly emerged as a leader within the KCA, and in 1928 he became editor of the movement’s newspaper. In 1929 and 1931 Kenyatta visited England to present KCA demands for the return of African land lost to European settlers and for increased political and economic opportunity for Africans in Kenya, which had become a colony within British East Africa in 1920. Kenyatta had little success, however.
Kenyatta remained in Europe for almost 15 years, during which he attended various schools and universities, traveled extensively, and published numerous articles and pamphlets on Kenya and the plight of Kenyans under colonial rule. While attending the London School of Economics, Kenyatta studied under noted British anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski and published his seminal work, Facing Mount Kenya (1938). In this book, Kenyatta described traditional Kikuyu society as well-ordered and harmonious and criticized the disruptive changes brought by colonialism. Facing Mount Kenya was well received in Great Britain as a defense of African culture, and it established Kenyatta’s credentials as spokesperson for his people.

Fused to music

Kenya’s (singer, songwriter, dancer) musical journey began at the age of 8 playing the flute. Somewhat the shy type she was encouraged by those close to her to attend tryouts for a tribute to Motown. Out of this experience her desire to perform and sing grew exponentially until, to use her own words, music became her main fuse.
“I cant really say that I have much of a musical background because growing up there wasn´t much music played in my home. Then one day my mom bought me a CD by Earth Wind and Fire which I played until it broke. After that I got a Bob Marley CD and from that point on, I was totally hooked on music.”
Kenya has always been quite the poet. The thought of songwriting at first seemed to be such a huge task until she stumbled upon the realization that writing songs and poems was basically synonmous. She strives for her music to have no age, gender or cultural boundaries.
When asked what made her choose to pursue a career as a singer, she replies “ I can´t not sing.”

Location-Southwest corner of Horn of Africa – Somalia on East, Ethiopia on North, Sudan on North west, Lake Victoria and Uganda on West , Tanzania on South.
Area-582,650 sq km
Topography-North Kenya is vast and arid, Coastal areas, central plateau in South, Great Rift Valley runs north, high mountain ranges, Mt Kenya at 17,058 ft is Africa’s highest after Kilimanjaro (Tanzania)
Population-36,000,900
Distribution -40 % urban
Ethnic Make-up-Kikuya, Luhya, Luo, Kalenjin, Kamba, Kisli, Meru
Languages –English, Swhahili (both official), at least 20 other languages
Religions – Christian Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 33%, Indigenous beliefs 10%, Muslim 10%,
Capital City – Nairobi ,POP, 2,773,000
Other Urban Centers – Mombassa, Nakuru, Machakos, Kisumu, Eldoret, Meru
Government Type – Republic
Head of State and Government - President Mwai Kibaki, since 2002
Currency – Kenya Shilling (KES) 72.72= $ 1 US
Gross Domestic Product - $ 37.2 bln
Per Capita GDP -$ 1,100
Economy - Industry – Consumer goods, food proc, oil refining, cement
-Agriculture – Coffee, tea, corn, wheat fruit, flowers,sugarcane
-Services – Tourism, banking and insurance
Natural Resources–Wildlife, gold, limestone, salt, soda ash, precious stones, hydropower
Electricity Production – 5.7 bln kwh
Literacy – 74%
Life Expectancy – 54.3 male, 54.2 female
AIDS Rate – 6.1 %
Ports – Mombasa, Kisumu, Lamu
Airports - 15
Vehicles – 600,000 units
Telephones – 281,000 lines
Radios – 216 per 1000 people
TV sets – 22 per 1000.
Daily Newspaper Circulation – 8.3 per 1000
Internet – 1.5 mln users

Facts and figures are the latest available at time of publication and may not necessarily be the most accurate.

Addis Stranger

By Tedla Desta

Born and raised in Washington DC, Marie Claire Andrea started taking pictures with a camera her father gave her 10 years ago. She says that she is obsessed with Ethiopia and photography so she started it as a hobby. Though she hasn’t taken courses in photography, she has been mentored by the notable photojournalist Luis Gomez, who works for Associated Press.
“Lots of people ask me why I live here and I tell then I came to study Amharic. I went to language school for nine months and graduated with a certificate. I have also been doing some photography.”
23 year old Marie Claire is set to exhibit her works on three consecutive occasions here in Addis. The first, “Strange Addis”, is a joint 10 day photo exhibit that will open at 6 pm Saturday, September 1, 2007 at the DA__BIRHAN Art Studio near Bole, MOENCO area and will portray over 60 photographs.
Her second exhibition is, “The Best of 1999 and if you think this is good I can’t wait for the Millennium”- beat that for a title!
Last on the list is, “Presenting Beza Artisans”, a multi-media poetry, painting, photography exhibition from September 7-9 featuring 15 young and inspiring artists on the theme of the relationship between humans and the land.
“The idea behind ‘Addis Strangers’ is that I and my partner Dawit (who is joint exhibitor) were strangers to each other. He has a completely different way of taking pictures . He likes colors, pictures and forms in a different way than I do. With these two different styles we came together. We wanted to bring the humanity back so with this exhibition, I feel that I am growing as an artist.”
Marie Claire completed her first degree in Psychology and plans to peruse further studies in photography.
Commenting on the photographs that she sees on Ethiopian newspapers,she says that there is a problem in focus,print quality and camera itself.
Pictures that she took in the US were also published in various top newspapers in Washington DC. She wants to make her headquarters in Addis Ababa. Marie Claire has been able to visit various places in Ethiopia and says that her childhood dreams have come true by being here.
“Ethiopia is part of my identity and I consider myself as half Ethiopian and half American. I have been dreaming about Ethiopia since I was 10 years old; I actually saw the corrugated iron and mini buses in my dreams! One of the countries that I had a strong rapport with was Ethiopia. I was first here for only 8 days when I came to visit my former youth pastor and had to return again because I was completely obsessed.
It is her belief that Ethiopia is an ideal country in which to take pictures. “With the customs, food, clothing styles and the many ethnic groups, Ethiopia is definitely a land to take pictures, “says the cheerful professional. All of these elements tell different stories which she hopes her photography can capture.

Sereyet: Genuine Suspense

By Kirubel Tadesse

· Directed by: Yidnekachew Shumete
· Written by: Dereje Fikru
· Produced by: Thomas Getachew
· Type: Suspense Action
· Duration: 110 min.

Sereyet, an Amharic action suspense, makes you scared, wondering and even cry, if you are that soft, from the very first minute you put your eyes to the screen. When a mystery of a silent watcher got two brothers inquisitive, nobody imagined where their curiosity would take them. When the silent watcher becomes a cold blooded murderer and the brothers start hunting for clues in connection to their father, the film takes you to your fright peak.
Life isn’t the only thing people want to save in Sereyet; you enjoy the two lovers’ passion and the price they and their parents pay to keep their love alive. The love the young couple share eases your mind as you take a journey with this film. Too bad the camera always cuts just before the two lovers kiss, just like in bollywood movies.
The cast is composed of new talents with a few experienced actors, which has proven to be a perfect combination in recent films. Thomas Torra, with his cold dangerous look, has dominated the screen once again, as he did in Yefelegal. Girum Ermias, famous for the role he played as an abusive character in Hermela, here supports his funny and scared younger brother and plays the role of a brave lover for his girl friend. He is one of the highly talented actors the Amharic film industry has discovered in recent years. Actress Bertukan Befikadu, who took on the role of the girl friend, was great with her usual dazzling smile. I am sure anybody who sees the film won’t forget “gaga”, Solomon Tashe.

Aram and Tarmo

By Tedla Desta

The Geleb (Dasenech) are one of 51 tribes found in the Southern Nations and Nationalities Peoples Region (SNNPR). The tribe lives in Omo zone, Kuraz woreda in the Omo River basin - 736km from Awasa. They speak the Ab-Dasenech language. Their population is approximately 34,000 and their livelihood depends on pastoralist activity.
The Geleb (Dasenech) have special qualities and one of these is their punctuality. However, they do not have watches to use and are only aided by the sun’s shadow. Just like the rest of the Ethiopian people these people are famous for their strength in preserving their culture. Their feeding, clothing, singing, dancing, mourning, funeral and living arrangements are the same as it had been.
Merkeb Duko, an expert at the SNNPR Information and Culture Bureau has something to say regarding marriage among the Geleb, called Ara and Tarmo.
“Ara is a kind of marriage based on the willingness of the partners. Unlike other cultures -where one sends a love letter or throws a lemon to the other- they commence and boost their relationship (love affair) during the dancing ceremonies.” Merkeb stated.
Based on the culture, when both sexes reach the adolescent age, there would be cultural dance one evening among the youth called Ara. Many young girls and boys, jumping and holding their bodies together, perform the dance. This phenomenon leads the boy to go over to one of the girls and vice-versa. After the boy takes the girl he has chosen out of the crowd, they get on with their sexual affairs and later on perform their wedding.
Tarmo or Taricha is the other type of marriage and involves deals with the bride’s family. “Here, the bridegroom to-be puts on a coffee coat (sheguro) to show that he is interested in some girl. Then he hides himself during the night in a container called Nono. Upon his exit, he whispers his identify to the neighbors.
In the morning, when the family watches this “request symbol”, they secretly check the man’s identity and prepare themselves. Within the same week, they prepare the sheguro in a ceremony and invite the man’s family to discuss on the matter. They study how many cattle the bridegroom has. If they agree to give their daughter, they order him to grant four goats to each elder on the girls’ side.
The goats are slaughtered and everyone is invited. On that day her family will give him their daughter.
A man, in their culture, can marry three or four girls as long as he owns many cattle. The bridegroom’s mother gives goat hides as a gift to the bride.
When the party is over, untying the mulage proceeds. Mulage is a metal worn on the leg of the bride before her marriage to show that she is single. When the mulage is untied, she becomes a bride and walks to the bridegroom’s house.
During the Chagula ceremony, the next event after marriage, the bride pretends not to be with the bridegroom. However, this does not mean she does not want him; it is just part of the tradition.
Her husband would not be the first person to take her virginity because a Geleb “girl”, since the day of her circumcision, is allowed to have sexual intercourse with anyone. Even if he accidentally finds her virgin, the husband would be disappointed.
Ten days after the wedding, her parents ask him to give them 10 to 20 cattle.
When the bride gets pregnant, she goes to visit her parents. Then her husband kills a goat with a spear and people pick up the goat and circle it four times around themselves. They also wash themselves with the blood, meaning that they are living healthy. This process, according to the Geleb, is termed as Agnwal fu if faz, which means the marriage is over. The goat hide is later used to cover her when she gives birth.