Archive for the 'Podcast' Category

Mel Tewahade: Making Documentary on US Foreign Aid Program

Published by Tadias December 28th, 2011 in Podcast. 0 Comments
“Point Four”, a new documentary about Alemaya College --- now Haramaya University - highlights the history of U.S.-Ethiopia relations. Some rarely-seen White House images are part of the upcoming film. (Photos: The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum)

Source: CelebrityDialogue.com

Ethiopian born Mel Tewahade is the President, Founder and CEO of Infinity Wealth Management. Mel is making a documentary on Truman’s American Foreign Aid Program and its effects on third world countries. He recently spoke to CelebrityDialogue.com about his film.

CelebrityDialogue: Why did you have to leave Ethiopia when you were just 18 years old?

Mel: In 1975 Ethiopian communists with the help of USSR and Cubans overthrew Emperor Hail Sellasie which marked very dark days for Ethiopia. A lot of young people were being murdered all over Ethiopia which meant to either stay and get killed or run. I chose to run with only a shirt on my back.
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CelebrityDialogue: How did you end up in the United States?

Mel: I came to the US 1993 from Canada through Met Life executive transfer program. I have since left Met Life and started my own company, Infinity Wealth Management,Inc (www.infinitywealth.net).

CelebrityDialogue: Tell us about your success story in the US?

Mel: I started Infinity Wealth 1996 and succeeded to build it into a company that manages over $150,000.000 in client assets with over $600,000.00 in force life insurance coverage for our clients. Infinity now has offices in Denver, Houston, Richmond and Mississauga Ontario, Canada. We have 45 brokers that work for Infinity Wealth.

CelebrityDialogue: Why did you decide to produce the documentary “Point Four”? What inspired the name of the film?

Mel: I borrowed the name from President Harry Truman’s inaugural speech on January 20,1949 , where he outlined his foreign policy objectives. Point one, was we wouldl support UN. Point two was to help form NATO. Point three was to help people to stop communism. Point Four was we would share our agricultural know how with poorer countries. My motivation to make the movie came from the fact that my own father was the governor of the region from 1962 to 1969 on the which Alemaya University was built. As a kid I also met the American friends of my father who visited our house. I want to show the positive effects of US foreign aid program.

CelebrityDialogue: When do you plan to release the documentary?

Mel: I will be releasing the movie on the 20th of January, 2012.

CelebrityDialogue: Who is funding the project?

Mel: My family foundation is funding 100% of the cost.

Read the full interview at CelebrityDialogue.com
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Related:
New Film Highlights Rarely Seen White House Photos (TADIAS)
An Interview With Documentary Filmmaker Mel Tewahade (Curve Wire)
Point Four: A Film About Haramaya University (TADIAS)

Rastafarians in Ethiopia (Audio Report)

Published by Tadias November 2nd, 2011 in News and Podcast. 0 Comments
Owner of "One Two" fast food, a restaurant runs by two jamaican friends in Shashamane, Ethiopia. (Photo by Achille Piotrowicz)

Click Here to Listen to the Audio Report

PRI
By Megan Verlee

Rastafarian artist Bandi Payne leads visitors through the jungle-like garden that surrounds his house in Shashamane, pointing out the many trees he’s planted in his two decades here.

“That’s guava, my guava tree. Tangerine, banana trees and… that is cassava,” Payne said pointing to the shrubby plant.

Payne was born on the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent, but long wanted to make Ethiopia his home.

Rastafarians – whose religion follows an afro-centric reading of the bible – believe that Ethiopia’s last emperor, who died in 1975, was the Messiah, fulfilling the Biblical prophecy that kings would come out of Africa.

That belief that Africa is the Promised Land makes moving here a life goal for many Rastafarians.

(Caribbean artist Bandi Payne – Photo: Megan Verlee)

“Rich is not the right word for it – it’s more than rich, it’s sweeter than honey, more valuable than pearls the culture, very strong,” Payne said.

But while Rastafarians consider their arrival in Africa a homecoming, Payne said local Ethiopians don’t look at it quite the same way.

“They need to give us a special welcome here, man. People who were taken away from Africa, now they come back home, they should welcome us back. Don’t think they have to have us as foreigners. So we’re working up on that, but it’s an uphill struggle,” he said.

Read more.

Search On for Driver Who Rammed Into Seattle Church

Published by Tadias October 26th, 2011 in Podcast. 0 Comments
"No one was injured, but the crash displaced several church elders who live above the church. The Red Cross is assisting the displaced residents while investigators determine whether the building sustained any structural damage." (KOMO News)

By KOMO Staff

SEATTLE — The search is on for the driver who crashed into a church, then fled the scene.

The crash, which occurred just before 2 a.m., [Tuesday, October 25th] destroyed the stage inside Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church, and left a large gaping hole on the side of the building.

Firefighters said the driver abandoned his car and ran from the scene in the 2100 block of 14th Ave. S. before police arrived.

A description of the sought driver was not available.

Watch:

Africa Blossoms: A Continent On the Verge of an Agricultural 
Revolution

Published by Tadias October 21st, 2011 in Podcast. 0 Comments
From famine to feast: Ethiopia's commodity exchange symbolizes hope for African farming - Time. (Photo from Bloomberg video)

Time Magazine
By Alex Perry / Addis Ababa

It’s a slow day on the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange, so the dealers are trading stories instead. “I love the money, and I love the atmosphere,” says sesame and coffee dealer Takele Chemeda, 38, surveying the octagonal trading pit and the giant screens hanging from the ceiling. “What happens on the floor stays on the floor, you know? After a big session, we all go out and party.” At 43, sesame trader Stemsu Abdella worries about how much longer he can take the pace. “What do you see on my face? That’s stress, man, stress.” Inevitably, talk turns to sesame buyer Belayneh Kinde, the exchange’s most legendary trader. Says floor manager Fekadu Berta: “He buys five, maybe six million dollars a session. He knows what’s happening and what’s going to happen. The guy came from a really poor family. He just bought a hotel.”

To those who think of Ethiopia primarily as a place of hunger, the idea that the country’s first yuppies are food traders will come as a surprise. But much has changed in the quarter-century since Live Aid. A nation that was once the focus of a multimillion-dollar famine-relief effort is now home to a trading floor — the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX) — that sold $1 billion in coffee, sesame, wheat, maize, peas and haricot beans last year.

Read more at Time.com.

Swing State: Jazz-Mad Ethiopia Rejoices at a Musical Revival

Published by Tadias October 8th, 2011 in Podcast. 0 Comments
Time: "Africa might worship hip-hop, but Addis digs jazz — and has done so since it was first introduced in the 1920s." (Photo: Munit at the jazzamba lounge in Addis Ababa)

TIME
By ALEX PERRY

Thursday, Oct. 06, 2011

Walking into the jazzamba lounge in Addis Ababa as it readies for a Friday night is like stumbling into a gig by an Ethiopian Buena Vista Social Club. The venue is hung with low-lit golden chandeliers, candles dot the tables, the barman is flirting with the waitresses, and on stage, running through its discordant but not unappealing set, is a jazz band comprising seven musicians: a drummer, percussionist, guitarist, bassist, keyboard player and, sitting on stools out front, an elderly mandolin player and an equally aged singer.

Read more at Time.com.

Harlem to Horn: Fundraiser for Famine Relief

Published by Tadias October 7th, 2011 in Events, Featured, News, Podcast and Reviews. 16 Comments
The benefit event was held in September at the Harlem residence of Chef Marcus Samuelsson and his wife model Maya Haile.

Tadias Magazine
Events News

Published: Friday, October 7, 2011

New York (TADIAS) – The following is a video coverage of “Brunch for the Horn of Africa,” the fundraiser for famine relief held last month at Marcus Samuelsson and Maya Haile’s home in Harlem. The sold-out event was attended by a diverse crowd from New York and nearby states.

“The big part of this event is to inspire people to do it in their homes” said Marcus. “A brunch like this can raise awareness about a part of the world that is very troubled right now.” He adds: “This is something that as Ethiopians we can’t avoid…12 million people whether it’s on the Somali side or Ethiopian side it doesn’t matter.”

“It sends a signal that it’s very possible for all of us to do something to organize small groups to work within our mahber, book clubs, schools and organizations and set something up to help those who are in our home and our country,” said the author Maaza Mengiste, who attended the event. “I am very proud that as Abehsa we are helping each other, whether we live in Ethiopia or we are in the Diaspora, we can still reach out to those in need.”

“Famine is terrible because it’s something that is preventable,” said Robert Kayinamura, a Harlem resident who also attened the brunch. “I think it’s important not only to create awareness about this event but to continue to be aware of things in Africa.”

Watch: Harlem to Horn: Fundraiser for Famine Relief (Taped on 9/18/2011)

Ethiopian Families Gather in Oakland to Celebrate Meskel

Published by Tadias September 30th, 2011 in Podcast. 0 Comments
Ethiopian families from all over the Bay Area celebrated Meskel last Sunday. (Photo: Oakland North)

Oakland North | By: Mariel Waloff and Alex Park

September 30, 2011

Hundreds of Ethiopian immigrants and their families from around the Bay Area gathered at the Ethiopian Orthodox Cathedral on Mountain Boulevard Sunday for Meskel, or the finding of the True Cross, one of the most important holidays in the Coptic Christian calendar and a national holiday in Ethiopia.

“In Ethiopia, no one misses Meskel,” said Rebecca Bekele, an Ethiopian immigrant who came for the day from Fremont. “We’re used to gathering and celebrating in this manner, so it really reconnects us to our country and our church.”

Read more at Oakland North.

Watch:

Photos Show Shweyga Mullah Arriving in Malta for Medical Treatment

Published by Tadias September 16th, 2011 in Podcast. 1 Comment
Above: Shweyga Mullah, the badly burned former nanny of two of Moammar Gadhafi's grandchildren, is greeted with a bouquet of flowers on her arrival at Malta’s international airport. "she was being brought over in a private plane chartered by the Maltese government," reports Darrin Zammit Lupi, a Reuters stringer covering news in the Mediterranean Island Nation of Malta. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)

Reuters
By Darrin Zammit Lupi

SEP 16, 2011

Ever since the Libyan uprising began last February, the small Mediterranean island of Malta which I call home has been a vital cog in the vast humanitarian machine in operation. It started as an evacuation hub for thousands of people and then became a critical transit point for humanitarian aid. Several months later, Malta continues to play its part. I got the call to head to Malta’s international airport VIP lounge around lunchtime, to photograph Shwejga Mullah arriving on the island for medical treatment. Shwejga Mullah is the Ethiopian nanny who was recently discovered weak and alone in the home abandoned by deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s son Hannibal. It’s been reported that Hannibal’s wife Aline threw boiling water over her, causing horrific scald burns and scars, when she did not stop his daughter from crying and refused to beat the child.

View the photos at Reuters.com.

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Related Stories:
The Plight of Ethiopian Women in the Middle East: Q & A With Rahel Zegeye
How Gadhafi’s Daughter-in-Law Burnt Ethiopian Nanny With Scalding Water
Click Here to Donate to Shweyga Mullah’s Fund

Watch: Luxury, horror lurk in Gadhafi family compound

Two Ethiopian Journalists, Actor Detained on Terrorism Charges

Published by Tadias September 16th, 2011 in Podcast. 0 Comments
Journalist Eskinder Nega's latest writings, including a column criticizing the government's arrest of the famed Ethiopian actor Debebe Eshetu (right) on terrorism charges, triggered his arrest, CPJ reports. (Photo credit: Eskinder Nega via Awramba Times, Debebe Eshetu via Ezega.com)

Source: Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

New York, September 16, 2011 — Authorities in Ethiopia arrested two independent journalists this week on accusations of involvement in a terrorism plot, bringing the total number of journalists imprisoned since June under the country’s far-reaching antiterrorism legislation to six, CPJ research shows.

On September 9, Ethiopian security forces picked up journalist Sileshi Hagos at his home, local journalists told CPJ. A contributor to the Addis Ababa-based radio station 96.3 FM, Hagos was the former managing director of the now-defunct political monthly magazine Change, which used to cover the banned political group Ginbot 7 before it was designated a terrorist organization. He is also the fiancé of journalist Reeyot Alemu, who has been imprisoned under terrorism charges since July, according to CPJ research. Authorities interrogated Hagos and confiscated his laptop shortly after they arrested Alemu, local journalists said.

On Wednesday afternoon, security forces also picked up journalist and dissident blogger Eskinder Nega, local journalists told CPJ, adding that they suspected some of Nega’s latest writings, including a column criticizing the government’s arrest of the famed Ethiopian actor Debebe Eshetu on terrorism charges, triggered his arrest.

“In the past four months, authorities have used sweeping terrorism laws to detain six independent journalists in an attempt to wipe out the few critical voices left in the country,” said CPJ East Africa Consultant Tom Rhodes. “If the authorities have credible evidence against any of these journalists, let them present it publicly. Otherwise, they must release them.”

Read more at CPJ.
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Related:
Ethiopia Police Deny Using Anti-Terror Law to Stifle Dissent (VOA)
Watch: Ethiopian TV on the arrests under the country’s antiterrorism legislation

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Related stories:
Ethiopian Journalist Named in Wikileaks Cable Flees Country (VOA News)
15 Ethiopians Missing From All Africa Games (VOA News)
Journalist Eskinder Nega Detained In Ethiopian Anti-Terror Sweep (VOA News)
How ‘war on terror’ unleashed a war on journalists (CNN)
Famed Ethiopian Actor Debebe Eshetu Charged Under New Anti-Terrorism Law
4 Journalists Face Terrorism Charges in Ethiopia (VOA News)
Ethiopia Detains 29, Including Opposition Members (VOA)
Amnesty Int’l Says Delegation Expelled From Ethiopia (VOA)

America Marks 10 Years Since Sept. 11 Terrorist Attacks

Published by Tadias September 11th, 2011 in Podcast. 0 Comments
U.S. President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, former U.S. President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush walk beside the North pool of the WTC Memorial during ceremonies marking the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, in New York, September 11, 2011. REUTERS/Larry Downing

VOA News

Michael Bowman | Washington

Published: September 11, 2011

Today marks 10 years since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States that killed nearly 3,000 people and transformed a nation that had previously believed it was largely safe from a major attack on its mainland.

From New York to Washington, the skies were clear and blue on that morning when two hijacked jetliners crashed into the towers of the World Trade Center and another rammed into the Pentagon.

A fourth hijacked plane crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers tried to gain control of the aircraft.

By the end of 2001, the United States was at war in Afghanistan. Two years later, the United States would invade Iraq. In the meantime, the nation overhauled its domestic security apparatus, creating the Department of Homeland Security, and rewriting laws to facilitate the detection and tracking of potential terrorist threats at home and abroad.

While Americans reflect and remember, President Barack Obama marks the anniversary with trips to all three attack sites. In his weekly Internet address, he paid tribute to those who responded on 9-11 in the face of great danger.

“Ten years ago, ordinary Americans showed us the true meaning of courage when they rushed up those stairwells [at the World Trade Center], into those flames, into that cockpit [in Pennsylvania]. In the decade since, a new generation has stepped forward to serve and keep us safe. In their memory, in their name, we will never waiver.”

Earlier this year, U.S. Special Forces killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, fulfilling a pledge made by President Obama and his predecessor, George W. Bush.

In recent days, U.S. officials have warned of what they term credible, but unconfirmed, terrorist threats to coincide with the 10-year anniversary.
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Watch: Last woman rescued – “I can’t believe I am here”

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Ethiopian Girl, 4, Is Brought to U.S. for Life-Changing Surgery

Published by Tadias September 7th, 2011 in News and Podcast. 0 Comments
"Samirawit, or Sami, as her doctors call her, is from a rural village in Ethiopia. She was born with a venous malformation – a condition, which if left untreated, can be deadly. (Source: Fox News)

FoxNews.com
By Karlie Pouliot

Published September 07, 2011

When you first glance at Samirawit Hallemariam – it’s almost impossible not to notice the growth protruding from the left side of her face.

But, after spending just a few moments with this spunky 4-year-old, all of that disappears, and instead you see the twinkle in her big brown eyes. What’s more, you see all of the strength she has mustered up in her short life.

Read more at FoxNews.com
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Watch:

Why U.S. Roasters Avoid Ethiopian Coffee

Published by Tadias September 1st, 2011 in Podcast. 1 Comment
Traders in colored jackets at the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange in Addis Ababa buy and sell as screens flash prices for coffee from New York, wheat and corn from Chicago, and sesame from Nigeria, India and Sudan. (Source: Bloomberg)

The Washington Post with Bloomberg News

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Ethiopian coffee beans are being shunned by boutique U.S. roasters and retailers because the rules of the Ethiopian Commodities Exchange make it impossible to know where most of the nation’s beans are grown. Bloomberg’s Jon Bascom reports.

Watch:

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Related:
Starbucks Rivals Reject Ethiopian Coffee (Bloomberg)

Ethiopia Wins Gold in Mens 10,000m in South Korea, Kenenisa Bekele Pulls Out

Published by Tadias August 29th, 2011 in Podcast. 0 Comments
Ethiopia's Ibrahim Jeilan (left) wins the men's 10,000m at the world championships in Daegu, South Korea, while Kenenisa Bekele (right) walks off the track during the World Athletics competition on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011. (Photo: AP)

Tadias Magazine
News Update

Monday, August 29, 2011

New York (TADIAS) – Ethiopia’s Ibrahim Jeilan was the surprise winner of the men’s 10,000m at the world championships on Sunday in Daegu, South Korea. He finished the race ahead of British favourite Mo Farah, the Somali-born Briton, who finished runner-up, and fellow Ethiopian Imane Merga, who came in third.

Meanwhile, defending champion Kenenisa Bekele, who pulled out halfway through the race on Sunday, said he is returning to Ethiopia early and will not compete in the upcoming men’s 5,000m. His agent Jos Hermens told the Associated Press on Monday that he will instead focus on defending his long-distance double at next year’s London Olympics.

Watch: Ethiopia’s Ibrahim Jeilan wins the Mens 10,000m in Daegu World Championships

Tadias TV Interview With Amsale Aberra

Published by Tadias July 16th, 2011 in Featured, Interviews and Podcast. 1 Comment
Above: Amsale Aberra, one of America’s top bridal & evening wear designers. Watch her interview with Tadias Magazine - video below. (Photo courtesy of WE tv)

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Updated: Monday, July 18, 2011

New York (Tadias) – The following video features the full version of Tadias Magazine’s recent interview with couture bridal-fashion designer Amsale Aberra.

Amsale discussed her reality TV show Amsale Girls, her success in the wedding-gown industry, her memories of Ethiopia, her musican daughter Rachel Brown, and more. Amsale also offers tips to brides and advise to aspiring fashion designers.

We have also included a second video highlighting a tour of Amsale’s luxury Boutique, taped immediately following our interview with the designer.

The interview took place at Amsale’s office in New York City on Tuesday, June 28, 2011.

Watch: Tadias Magazine’s Interview With Bridal-Fashion Designer Amsale Aberra

Watch: Tadias TV Exclusive – Inside Amsale Aberra’s Luxury Manhattan Boutique

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Click here to join the discussion on this topic.

Boys & Girls Club of Ethiopia?

Published by Tadias June 25th, 2011 in Podcast. 1 Comment

Above: Ted Alemayhu of USDFA says Africa could gain much
from organizations such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Saturday, June 25, 2011

New York (Tadias) – Inspired by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, a national organization whose mission is “to enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens,” social entrepreneur Ted Alemayhu, Founder and Chairman of US Doctors for Africa, announced plans to launch a similar pilot program in Ethiopia.

Mr. Alemayhu made the announcement at a meeting with a small group of philanthropists in Los Angeles, California this week as part of his plans for 2012.

“The true driving force behind this idea is the encouraging effort being made by several private and public organizations to help bring about well defined and managed social activities for young people in Ethiopia, including preventive healthcare,” Mr. Alemayhu, said via email. “I have always been inspired by the work of The Boys & Girls Club of America whereby millions of young Americans are participating in healthier activities and receiving proper care that continues to play an effective role in shaping their future to becoming better Americans.”

Asked if the club will be a formal chapter of the U.S. organization, Mr. Alemayhu, who is also a father of a young boy, said there is no affiliation.

“We’re certainly inspired by it, but our version will not have any formal connection with The Boys & Girls Clubs of America,” he said. “The idea is to partner with existing agencies and schools in Ethiopia to implement our program. If the test is successful there, then we intend to make it a continent-wide organization. ”

Mr. Alemayhu adds: “An official website will be dedicated to the project where people can read more about it and get involved in helping to materialize the program.”
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To learn more or get involved, send an email to: info@usdfa.org. More information about US Doctors for Africa can be found at www.usdfa.org

Cover image: Press conference by US Doctors For Africa to announce a historic health summit with 15 First Ladies from Africa, April 16, 2009 – Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/PR Photos)

2011 African Business Awards: Ethiopian Named Outstanding Businesswoman

Published by Tadias June 22nd, 2011 in Podcast. 4 Comments
Above: Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, founder of Sole Rebels, is the first Ethiopian to win the annual African Business Awards. (Photo courtesy of SoleRebels)

Tadias Magazine
News Update

Published: Thursday, June 23, 2011

New York (Tadias) – Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, founder and managing director of the footwear brand SoleRebels and one of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders for 2011, has been named Outstanding Businesswoman at this year’s African Business Awards, becoming the first Ethiopian to receive the accolade.

The fourth edition of the prestigious gala, which took place in London yesterday, boasted an impressive list of nominees, including Sandie Okoro with Barings Asset Management, Stella Kilonzo, Chief Executive of the Kenya Capital Markets Authority, and Pedu Adebajo of the Mouka group in Nigeria.

Contenders for Business Leader of the Year included Aliko Dangote of Dangote Group from Nigeria, Nizar Juma of Jubilee Holdings Ltd from Kenya, James Mwangi of Equity Bank from Kenya, Phuthuma Freedom Nhleko of MTN Group from South Africa and Vimal Shah of Bidco Oil Refineries, also from Kenya.

“The African Business Awards is a key annual event for the African business world and its accolades are much sought after by Africa’s leading companies and entrepreneurs,” IC publications, the event’s host, notes on its website. “Organised by African Business magazine, and the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC), the African Business Awards has become a platform to celebrate excellence and best practices in African business and recognizes those who have driven Africa’s rapidly transforming economy.”

“ I am excited and deeply honored by this award and I accept it on behalf of all the persons who have played and continue to play a role in my success,” Bethlehem said in a statement. “My success has been and continues to be a truly collective effort.”

Commenting on her award , “Omar Ben Yedder, Publisher of African Business magazine, stated : “ Bethlehem is truly a remarkable entrepreneur and leader . She has built an incredibly successful company and a global brand from scratch. At the same time she has empowered her community and her country while presenting a galvanized, dynamic face of African creativity to the global market. With that in mind we are excited and honored to name her Outstanding Business Woman of the year.”
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Click here to learn more about African Business Awards 2011.

Meeting the Godfather of Ethiopian Jazz

Published by Tadias June 15th, 2011 in Podcast. 0 Comments

Above: Mulatu Astatke first cooked up EthioJazz 42 years ago
while studying music in the United States. (Photo BBC News)

By Will Ross
BBC News, Addis Ababa

14 June 2011

Mulatu Astatke, the godfather of Ethiopian jazz music, is often flying around the world performing sell-out shows so I was lucky to find him at his home in Addis Ababa surrounded by art, conjuring up magic on his vibraphone – which looks like a giant xylophone.

He described the recipe for Ethio-jazz which he first cooked up 42 years ago while studying music in the United States.

“Most of our Ethiopian music is based on five notes [pentatonic]. What I did was fuse the five tones with 12 tones. For many years I’ve been experimenting and the more I do that the more complex it gets,” Mr Mulatu told the BBC.

Read more and watch video at BBC News.

Tutu Belay’s Ethio­pian Yellow Pages: Life, by the book

Published by Tadias June 9th, 2011 in Family and Podcast. 0 Comments

Above: Tutu Belay’s Ethiopian Yellow Pages have helped to
make her a prominent member of DC’s Ethiopian community.

The Washington Post – Lifestyle
By Emily Wax,

Published: June 8

With her bulky Ethiopian Yellow Pages jostling in the passenger seat, “Mama Tutu” Belay lurches her black Mercedes to a stop. She squints suspiciously at a new bakery operating in a basement on Georgia Avenue that claims to use clay plates to make an authentic version of injera, the spongy bread that is a dietary staple of her homeland. “It’s suspect!” Mama Tutu decrees while looking over the bakery, which is painted pumpkin orange and flies American and Ethiopian flags. “I need to make sure it’s legit before it goes anywhere near my book.”

Her book is the Ethiopian Yellow Pages, which includes hundreds of the Ethiopian American businesses that have taken over once-blighted storefronts across the Washington region. Read more at The Washington Post.

CNN’s African Voices: Award-Winning Journalist Dawit Kebede

Published by Tadias May 24th, 2011 in News and Podcast. 0 Comments
Dawit Kebede, Editor of Awramba Times newspaper in Ethiopia, was honored with CPJ's 2010 press freedom award.

Tadias Magazine
News Update

Published: Tuesday, May 24, 2011

New York (Tadias) – The Award-winning Ethiopian journalist and independent newspaper Editor Dawit Kebede is the subject of this week’s CNN’s African Voices, which according to the cable news channel “highlights Africa’s most engaging personalities, exploring the lives and passions of people who rarely open themselves up to the camera.”

Dawit Kebede, Founder and Managing Editor of Awramba Times, was one of four journalists who was honored at the Committee to Protect Journalists’ 20th Annual International Press Freedom Awards benefit dinner on the evening of Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010 at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria. He was one of the first journalists to be jailed for reporting on the violence following Ethiopia’s 2005 national elections. He was released two years later by presidential pardon. He continues to live and work in Addis Ababa where he publishes an independent political Amharic newspaper.

Watch:

Related from Tadias archives:
Spotlight on Dawit Kebede: Winner of the 2010 Press Freedom Award

Ethiopian ‘Sesame Street’ teaches life-saving lessons

Published by Tadias April 26th, 2011 in News and Podcast. 0 Comments

Above: Bruktawit Tigabu (R) is the co-creator of children’s TV
show “Tsehai Loves Learning,” gives health lessons to kids.

From Diane McCarthy, CNN
April 26, 2011

Every week CNN International’s African Voices highlights Africa’s most engaging personalities, exploring the lives and passions of people who rarely open themselves up to the camera. This week we profile Bruktawit Tigabu, co-creator of Ethiopian children’s TV show “Tsehai Loves Learning.”

(CNN) — For millions of Ethiopian children, it’s the most cherished moment of their day: a wide-eyed, smiling giraffe hops in front of them, crooning funny songs in a language they can understand.

The beloved sock puppet, known as Tsehai, is the star of a ground-breaking TV show that’s been revolutionizing childhood education in the east African country.

The brainchild of Ethiopian educator Bruktawit Tigabu and her husband Shane Etzenhouser, “Tsehai Loves Learning” is the only children’s TV show in Ethiopia in Amharic, the nation’s official and most widely spoken language. Read more.

Watch:

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