Capital

Bicycle for the poor

By Kirubel Tadesse

Karl Zettelmeier had to retire
and pass on his company to his son after decades of dedication and hard work. "I didn't know what to do, "says Zettelmeier who suddenly found himself jobless with a monthly retirement payment. Fortunately for Zettelmeier and other German national seniors, there is a program where their participation would be most welcomed.
A non-profit organization - Senior Experten Service (SES) - is a program of the Foundation of German Industry for International Cooperation where interested retirees get to pass on their skills and knowledge to others, both within Germany and abroad. SES is a popular program as more than one hundred seventy countries have already applied to host these senior experts in their country.
It is through SES program that Zettelmeier first came to Ethiopia. He was assigned at the ADA Flour and Pasta Factory in Debere Zeit -15 kilometers south of Addis Ababa, in March 2007. As a retired Mechanical Engineer Zettelmeier had a lot to share with ADA professionals in the areas of maintenance and quality management.
It was during this assignment that Zettelmeier took a weekend trip to Awassa which turned out to be an inspiration and quite a difficult task to take on for the coming months.
"On this weekend trip I saw a woman carrying wood on her back and traveling long distance. Children and other people too were walking, some even bare foot, which bothered me very much," Zettelmeier said.
As in the case of most tourists Zettelmeier's shock and dismay didn't fade right away. He took some pictures on his digital camera and later, back in Debere Zeit, he sought advice from few friends he made on how to help these people.
Back home - in Germany - Zettelmeier recalled, there is a huge collection of used bicycles which can be a great help for the people he saw covering long distance - carrying heavy goods.
"We are 82 million people and we have over 70 million bicycles of which a significant number are obsolete. We no longer use them for transport purpose but for exercise. Also when children grow out of the size of the bicycle, people don't know what to do with it, they usually keep it without purpose," said Zettelmeier, explaining why he thought it would be easy to get bicycles donation from Germany.
The challenge he was willing to take on was to convince his fellow country men to bring their bicycles out of their garage to donate to the people of Ethiopia.
Excited with his idea Zettelmeier wasted no time to write an action plan and implement his targets of shipping bicycles to the people who could really use it.
"Who has more power than the press to echo this idea? No one!" Zettelmeier said to himself and immediately contacted a local daily newspaper - BergstraBer Anzeilger -which printed on its front page the picture of the barefooted woman Zettelmeier saw walking on the road carrying woods. His appeal for bicycles attracted other coverage from papers like Darmstadter Echo and Melibokus. He announced a collection day and rented a van and store at a building construction to put the bicycles.
The first Saturday Zettelmeier set for the collection was a huge surprise. "I thought we could get 20 to 50 bicycles," says Zettelmeier who got more than 150 bicycles on his first day which was followed by more numbers as neighboring city took part. Altogether, after maintaining some of the bicycles, he was ready to ship over 750 bicycles.
Zettelmeier once again invited the press in November 2007. This time it was not to ask for a donation rather, to celebrate the loading of the bicycles into three containers that will be shipped. Filled from top to bottom, the three containers had only room for 724 bicycles.
First to Germany's and then to Ethiopia's closest port - the bicycles arrived in Djibouti on 21st January, 2007. After that, it was no easy task. The procedures took more than seven months and to make matters worst, Zettelmeier was asked to pay custom fees for the bicycles. That was too much to comply for him as he already spent close to 20,000 euros of his own money to have the bicycles shipped here. He had planned to deposit the bicycles in ADA compound [the factory he assisted in the SES program] and distribute to the people the donation was collected for.
Zettelmeier accounts his lack of experience on how such donations are handled for the hiccups encountered. However, he finally got a way out of deadlock from customs. The Oromia region Department of Economy and Finance opened its doors for him and was ready to draw a two way street for the two parties' benefit. The department advised Zettelmeier to work with the region's Educational Bureau which said would take care of the custom issue as long as Zettelmeier was willing to donate the bicycles for the Bureau. It was not the original plan, but Zettelmeier hardly saw it as a disappointing option.
In August this year the containers arrived at the Education Bureau premise and a day later, they were handed formally in the presence of Ethiopia's government and GTZ officials.
The bicycles will be distributed to the Education Bureau's supervisors who cover long distances on foot to monitor the schools, mainly found in rural areas.
"The original goal was to bring these bicycles and give them to those women and the poor; that, we did not achieve. But on the other hand, the donation is going to the supervisors which the Education Bureau sends to rural areas," says Zettelmeier.
With his new Ethiopian partner Gebriel Abebe, he returned to Germany last week, to organize another round of bicycles donation, this time for the Amhara region.
For Zettelmeier, mobility, which the bicycles guarantee, is the best aid the poor can really use and this, in the long run, would result in sustainable economic improvement. The next shipment, Zettelmeier hopes will be easier.

“To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest.”

M.K. Gandhi

In what is considered to be an exemplary initiative between a diplomatic mission and one of among the many international organizations based in Ethiopia, the Embassy of India and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UN-ECA), for the second year, marked the 139th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, aptly linking it with International Non-Violence Day.
The Annual Mahatma Gandhi Lecture was presented by H.E. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who stated in his opening remarks:
"I would like to start by thanking my friend Abdoulie Janneh for helping to organize this special occasion, for his leadership in re-vitalizing the UNECA and for making the UNECA more relevant to Africa's Future.
I would also like to thank my good friend Ambassador Gurjit Singh who is affectionately known as "the bull-dozer" by some of us, because although he doesn't look like one, he certainly acts like one in getting things done. In regards to the rapidly growing relations between India and Ethiopia, he has left an indelible mark. So I thank him very much for his extraordinary commitment.
I am honored to have been asked to give the Annual Gandhi Memorial Lecture on this, the second International Day of Non-Violence, established by the UN General Assembly last year. The UN asked member states to commemorate the day properly - to disseminate the message of Non-violence. There could hardly have been a more fitting choice to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi when October 2 was chosen as a mark of respect to coincide with the birthday of an apostle of non-violence…"
The prime Minister then sent the gathering into a wave of chuckles when he said: "Some of you may be surprised to find a former guerrilla leader asked to speak about Mahatma Gandhi, who is perhaps the greatest ever exponent of non-violence. It isn't really as much of a contradiction as it might appear. We launched our struggle as a response to violence and to defend the dignity and self-respect of the peoples of Ethiopia, to create a society in which diverse opinions could flourish and politics operate in peace. Indeed, our struggle could be said to be for a non-violent society in which all problems however large could be addressed peacefully. Gandhi I think would have understood."
Also in attendance at the function which included an exhibition illustrating the life and work of Mahatma Gandhi were Gurjit Singh, Ambassador of India to Ethiopia, Abdoulie Janneh, UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the UNECA Junedy Saado, Minister of Transport and Communication, ministers, ambassadors, emissaries, the Indian Community in Ethiopia, Invited guests and the media.
Judging by how intently and deeply absorbed the gathering was during the course of the commemorative event, it is evident that the legacy of Mahatma K. Gandhi lives still and resonates more - even keeping pace with alarming developments in an increasingly peace challenged world.
Ambassador Gurjit Singh, after welcoming the assembly, stressed the importance of the celebration of Gandhi's birth year and the aptness of the occasion, held in this year when the 60th anniversary of India-Ethiopia diplomatic relation and the golden jubilee of the establishment of the UNECA coincided.
The Ambassador warmly praised P.M. Meles Zenawi for gracing the occasion by accepting to deliver the annual Mahatma Gandhi lecture and also thanked Abdoulie Janneh, UNECA Executive Secretary, for facilitating and hosting the commemorative event. Ambassador Singh furthered by referring to Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography - "My Experiments with Truth".
"When Gandhiji came back to India (from South Africa) in 1914 - and the day is now marked as the India Diaspora Day, he set out to travel the length and breadth of India to try and identify with the people and understand them. It was perhaps in this period that Gandhiji made the transition from the first class traveling barrister to the third class traveling Indian.
His attire, his language, his life style, all underwent change and he showed an immense empathy with the trials and tribulations, joys and sorrows of the common Indian person. He brought together the questions of example and precept with his keen, intuitive and sensitive heart and won the total and complete confidence of the masses of India in him."
Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of life, 'Satyagraha' in defining the path to emancipation and peace, is not at all complex, nor is it an abstract ideology.
Satyagraha has taught us that peace and equity, with the self and between and among humanity is not only attainable but that with enough commitment, the means have always been at our disposal. Gandhi said, "The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems."

Mahatma Gandhi

A light for ages …

October 2, 1869 – Mohandas is born in Porbandar, Gujarat, India
October 1882 – Mohandas Gandhi is wed to Kastruba
1887 – Gandhi passes High School Matriculation
1888 – His father, a Diwan (Minister), sends him to England to study law.
1891 – Returns to India and opens law firm in Rajkot and then, in Bombay (today’s Mumbai)
1893 – Disappointed with his law career to date, Gandhi accepts a case involving a wealthy South African and steams to Africa.
1889 – Joins Indian Ambulance Corps during Boer War, serves with the rank of sergeant – major
September 11, 1906 – Gandhi experiences inner spiritual enlightenment and then-after dedicates his life to the service of humanity. Proclaims ‘Satyagraha’ (Truth Force) as the path to the redemption of the suffering of humanity, by way of total commitment to truth and non-violence.
Gandhi also launches ‘Passive Resistance Movement’.
1908 – Writes ‘Hind Swaraj’ (Indian Home Rule), an integrated philosophy of life and considered as the ‘Bible’ of social regenerationists.
October 28, 1913 – Leads 3,000 marchers from New Castle to Volksrust (S.A.) in historic protest against the 3pound tax levied on indentured Indian laborers.
January 21, 1914 – General Smuts accepts Gandhi’s terms and the Satyagraha is suspended. Gandhi departs South Africa for good.
April 17, 1918 – Gandhi issues the 15 ‘Instructions to Satyagraha’ at Satyagraha camp in Nadiad; Launches protest action following Lokomaya Lilac’s death; becomes leader of the freedom movement.
1921 – Peasant uprisings against British rule rock India.
1928 – Strikes break out all over the sub-continent as millions put down their tools in protest against British rule.
December, 1929 – Indian National Congress unveils flag of independence, in Lahore, presently located in Pakistan.
March 12, 1930 – Gandhi leads 78 followers escorted by thousands on ‘Salt March’ or Salt Satyagraha to the seashore at Dandi, to make salt domestically, contravening a lucrative colonial import. Over the next year, he launches a series of non-violent protests.
1932 – Gandhi begins fast to highlight the plight of India’s so-called ‘untouchables’, describing it as a ‘Fast unto death’.
1935 – The struggle produces some success with more powers given to provincial administrations.
1937 – Achieves limited agrarian and social reforms.
1942 – ‘Quit India Movement’ spurs the freedom struggle. Gandhi and Kastruba (his spouse) are jailed. She passes away in jail – a martyr.
1946 – Noakhali March, on the eve of independence.
January 30, 1948 – Gandhi is fatally shot while on his way to a New Delhi prayer meeting

Instructions to Satyagraha

Satyagraha Camp, Nadiad, April 17, 1918

1. The volunteers must remember that, as this is a Satyagraha campaign, they must abide by truth under all circumstances.
2. In Satyagraha, there can be no room for rancor; which means that a Satyagrahi should utter no harsh words about anyone.
3. Rudeness has no place in Satyagraha. Perfect courtesy must be shown even to those who may look upon as their enemies and the villagers must be taught to do the same. Rudeness may harm our cause and the struggle may be unduly prolonged.
4. The volunteers must remember that this is a holy war. We embark upon it because, had we not, we would have failed in our dharma. And so, all the rules which are essential for living a religious life must be observed here too.
5. We are opposing the intoxication of power, i.e the blind application of law, and not authority as such. The difference must never be lost sight of. It is therefore, our duty to help the officers in their other work.
6. We are to apply here the same principles that we follow in a domestic quarrel. We should think of the government and the people as constituting a large family and act accordingly.
7. We are not to boycott or treat with scorn those who hold different views from ours. It must be our resolve to win them over by courteous behavior.
8. We must not try to be clever. We must always be frank and straightforward.
9. When they stay in villages, the volunteers should demand the fewest services from the village-folk; wherever it is possible to reach a place on foot, they should avoid using a vehicle. We must insist on being served the simplest food.
10. As they move about in villages, the volunteers should observe the economic condition of the people and the deficiencies in their education and try, in their spare time, to make them good.
11. If they can, they should create opportunities when they may teach the village children.
12. If they notice any violation of the rules of good health, they should draw the villagers’ attention to the fact.
13. If at any place, they find people engaged in quarrelling among themselves, the volunteers should prevent them from their quarreling.
14. They should read to the people when the latter are free, books which promote Satyagraha.
15. At no time and under no circumstances is the use of arms permitted in Satyagraha. It should never be forgotten that in this struggle the highest type of non-violence is to be maintained. Satyagraha means fighting oppression through voluntary suffering. There can be no question here of making anyone else suffer. Satyagraha is always successful. Let every volunteer understand this himself and then explain it to the people.