Comments on: Volunteers come to the aid of famine victims in Wolayita http://www.ethiopianreview.com/content/2833 Ethiopian News & Opinion Journal Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:36:43 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Sileshi http://www.ethiopianreview.com/content/2833/comment-page-1#comment-47903 Sileshi Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:24:47 +0000 http://www.ethiopianreview.com/content/?p=2833#comment-47903 Hi all, I'm wondering how many of us willing to change the lives of these people in this country /Ethiopia/. I mean change not talk! Let me put my point in plain words, if we have one tractor with little irrigation, what will be the outcome?How may farm tractors do we have? I always think of long lasting change! We've been known for centuries as absolute poor people /beggars/on the face of the earth; however, we have abundant natural resources to change the face of this country if we all agree with one and only one purpose, i.e., changing/improving the old way (primitive) way of farming. I'm sure I didn’t exaggerate, yes we do have waters, we do have lands for cultivation. Think of just water by itself, it can bring a 99% change if we manage and use it appropriately/effectively. I am not member of any group, I'm part of you all. I would like to join you all who are working and will work for the best of this country and people. Thanks Sileshi Hi all,
I'm wondering how many of us willing to change the lives of these people in this country /Ethiopia/. I mean change not talk! Let me put my point in plain words, if we have one tractor with little irrigation, what will be the outcome?How may farm tractors do we have? I always think of long lasting change! We've been known for centuries as absolute poor people /beggars/on the face of the earth; however, we have abundant natural resources to change the face of this country if we all agree with one and only one purpose, i.e., changing/improving the old way (primitive) way of farming. I'm sure I didn’t exaggerate, yes we do have waters, we do have lands for cultivation. Think of just water by itself, it can bring a 99% change if we manage and use it appropriately/effectively. I am not member of any group, I'm part of you all. I would like to join you all who are working and will work for the best of this country and people.
Thanks
Sileshi

]]> By: Rev.Tegga Lendado, PhD. http://www.ethiopianreview.com/content/2833/comment-page-1#comment-37728 Rev.Tegga Lendado, PhD. Sat, 28 Jun 2008 12:37:28 +0000 http://www.ethiopianreview.com/content/?p=2833#comment-37728 Just six months ago, I was in Wolayita, one of the most fertile and beautiful regions of the South. There was plenty of food in the market as well as the restaurants. One restaurant owner in central Soddo city said he slaughtered a dozen of sheep a day. A decent meal in Bekele Molla Hotel where tourists, expatriates, wealthy businessmen and local professionls and government officials frequented, cost about Birr 20. Looking at the surface it seemed like everything was OK. It can be very misleading though,to an outsider, like myself who could see the green vegetation surrounding the Damota Mountain. My team bought a bunch of banana, very short and typical to Wolayita for only Birr 1.00 on our way from Shonie to Boditi. Kids seemed to have been enjoying school. There was no visible sign of famine. However, as it the case with other parts of Ethiopia, food production, preservation and distribution are not mechanized. Farm land is extremely scarce. Except for the lights in dark nights, one can hardly differntiate the rural from the urban area. Wolayita has been unbelievably over-populated, over-grazed and over-cultivated since 1960's. Despite the critical situation, Nortern Ethiopians affected by recurrent famine have been settling in the lowlands of Wolayita. This might be because the Wolayita people are very welcoming, docile and hospitable due mainly to their compssionate culture of receiving strangers, although this may be true in many parts of Ethiopia. Even before the Protestant relgiosity dominated the popular customs, Wolayita was a "Walaheta", meaning "mixture" of ethnicities. Apparently, one can observe a veritable Ethiopian ethos where unity and diversity converge. Uniquely, it is an open society to the core. Woayitans, both ethnic and exotic take pride in their Wolayitan root as much as their Ethiopian identity. I have yet to see an exotic Wolayitan, be he/she, Gurage,Tigre, Amhara, Hadiya, Oromo, etc., not wishing to live and die in Wonderful Wolayita. Now, I would to appeal to every one, Ethiopian and others alike, to help this small multi-ethnic community of Ethiopians, the Wolayita people, at the time of their need. The other area most affected, I believe is Kambata, another rugged mountainous region, densely populated. Passing trough Hadero-Shinshicho area, I spotted malnourished children there. Let us do whatever we can to save our people. We may have every reason to blame each other. Mind also, that we will always have enough and oportune time to blame one another. I believe we should first save the people and then prosecute the culprits, if any. If we start blaming each other, we will be stuck in the mud and render unproductive. Let us be proactive. May God Bless Ethiopia and Ethiopians everywhere. Just six months ago, I was in Wolayita, one of the most fertile and beautiful regions of the South. There was plenty of food in the market as well as the restaurants. One restaurant owner in central Soddo city said he slaughtered a dozen of sheep a day. A decent meal in Bekele Molla Hotel where tourists, expatriates, wealthy businessmen and local professionls and government officials frequented, cost about Birr 20. Looking at the surface it seemed like everything was OK. It can be very misleading though,to an outsider, like myself who could see the green vegetation surrounding the Damota Mountain. My team bought a bunch of banana, very short and typical to Wolayita for only Birr 1.00 on our way from Shonie to Boditi. Kids seemed to have been enjoying school. There was no visible sign of famine. However, as it the case with other parts of Ethiopia, food production, preservation and distribution are not mechanized. Farm land is extremely scarce. Except for the lights in dark nights, one can hardly differntiate the rural from the urban area. Wolayita has been unbelievably over-populated, over-grazed and over-cultivated since 1960's. Despite the critical situation, Nortern Ethiopians affected by recurrent famine have been settling in the lowlands of Wolayita. This might be because the Wolayita people are very welcoming, docile and hospitable due mainly to their compssionate culture of receiving strangers, although this may be true in many parts of Ethiopia. Even before the Protestant relgiosity dominated the popular customs, Wolayita was a "Walaheta", meaning "mixture" of ethnicities. Apparently, one can observe a veritable Ethiopian ethos where unity and diversity converge. Uniquely, it is an open society to the core. Woayitans, both ethnic and exotic take pride in their Wolayitan root as much as their Ethiopian identity. I have yet to see an exotic Wolayitan, be he/she, Gurage,Tigre, Amhara, Hadiya, Oromo, etc., not wishing to live and die in Wonderful Wolayita.

Now, I would to appeal to every one, Ethiopian and others alike, to help this small multi-ethnic community of Ethiopians, the Wolayita people, at the time of their need.

The other area most affected, I believe is Kambata, another rugged mountainous region, densely populated. Passing trough Hadero-Shinshicho area, I spotted malnourished children there. Let us do whatever we can to save our people.

We may have every reason to blame each other. Mind also, that we will always have enough and oportune time to blame one another. I believe we should first save the people and then prosecute the culprits, if any. If we start blaming each other, we will be stuck in the mud and render unproductive. Let us be proactive.

May God Bless Ethiopia and Ethiopians everywhere.

]]> By: Bodite http://www.ethiopianreview.com/content/2833/comment-page-1#comment-37649 Bodite Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:48:44 +0000 http://www.ethiopianreview.com/content/?p=2833#comment-37649 This is the problem of Administration in Wolaita region. Simon Mechalle, Teshomo Toga and Hailemariam Desalegn were born in Wollaita region and they didn't mention any thing about this situation to the gov't. They are self centered and HODAM. This people took power by cheating the Wollaita people voice. No body like this people except their clan (EZIA). This is the problem of Administration in Wolaita region. Simon Mechalle, Teshomo Toga and Hailemariam Desalegn were born in Wollaita region and they didn't mention any thing about this situation to the gov't. They are self centered and HODAM. This people took power by cheating the Wollaita people voice. No body like this people except their clan (EZIA).

]]> By: Hagos Araya http://www.ethiopianreview.com/content/2833/comment-page-1#comment-37648 Hagos Araya Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:42:29 +0000 http://www.ethiopianreview.com/content/?p=2833#comment-37648 Elias, can you open the comment box for the newly added article about ESFNA, pls Elias, can you open the comment box for the newly added article about ESFNA, pls

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