Above:Ethiopia’s Central Bank announced Wednesday that
the birr has been devalued from roughly 13 birr to the dollar
to nearly 16 ½ birr, a one-day drop of about 17 percent. AE
Ethiopia has sharply devalued its currency – the birr – in a bid to boost economic growth. The move was welcomed by economists, though it may have the side effect of fueling inflation.
Ethiopia’s Central Bank announced Wednesday that the birr has been devalued from roughly 13 ½ birr to the dollar to nearly 16 ½ birr, a one-day drop of about 17 percent. The rate was posted on the bank’s website. Officials were not immediately available to comment.
Action Gets ‘Thumbs Up’ – With Some Reservations
The International Monetary Fund representative in Addis Ababa, Sukhwinder Singh Toor, welcomed the move, saying it would help to bolster the competitiveness of Ethiopia’s struggling economy.
Analysts said the devaluation should improve the Horn of Africa nation’s trade deficit. Figures for fiscal year 2010 show a $7 billion deficit, based on $8.7 billion in imports and $1.7 billion dollars in exports. The trade deficit comprises about 30 percent of Ethiopia’s Gross Domestic Product of about $23 billion a year.
But Tewodros Mekonnen, a researcher in the Macroeconomic division of the Ethiopian Economics Association, said the devaluation may not have the desired effect immediately because imports are mostly essential goods, such a food and fuel, while exports are agricultural items.
“In order to reduce your trade deficit, your import and export needs to respond to the exchange rate devaluation, but at the moment imports are too essential to reduce it, so imports may not respond as much,” said Mekonnen. “Also, exports may not respond as much because you cannot increase your agricultural exports just because you have the advantage of the exchange rate devaluation.”
Above:Nine-year-old Berhannu from Ethiopia had everything
stacked against him. He lost both his parents to AIDS and he
had a debilitating back deformity. A local charity discovered
Berhannu and brought him to Los Angeles, KABC reports.
WATCH
Ethiopian Reggae in DC: Eyob Mekonen With Zion Band & Dawit Melese
Above:Eyob Mekonen along with Zion Band and Dawit Melese
will perform in DC during Labor Day weekend on September 4.
Tadias Magazine
Events News Submitted by promoters
Published: Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Washington, D.C. (Tadias) – Emerging Ethiopian reggae artist Eyob Mekonnen, accompanied by Zion Band and singer Dawit Melese, will make a concert appearance during the upcoming Labor Day weekend in Washington D.C.
According to the promoters, the event is set to take place at DC Star Nightclub on Saturday, September 4th, 2010.
The musician’s debut CD, which was released by Nahom Records and Massinko Entertainment, is highlighted in the following promotional video.
If you Go:
Labor day Weekend
Saturday, September 4th, 2010
2135 Queens Chapel Rd, NE
Washington, DC 20018
Doors Open: 9:00pm-4:00am
ENTRANCE: $25.00
Hosted by Ethiostar & SENU BVLGARI ENT
Video: Georgia Police Bust Man with Rare African Drug
Above:Khat is a plant that grows in parts of Africa, mainly in
Somalia and Ethiopia. Investigators say when they made the
bust the plants were very fresh as if they had just came in.
Above:Ezkyas Sisay of Ethiopia approaches the finish line in
Balboa Park to win the men’s division of the 2010 America’s
Finest City Half Marathon. – (Photograph by HOWARD LIPIN)
SPECIAL TO THE UNION-TRIBUNE
BY BY GLAE THIEN
SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2010
The men’s winner at this year’s America’s Finest City Half Marathon had extra reason to congratulate Belainesh Zemedkun Gebre after she set the women’s course record in the 33rd annual event.
Ezkyas Sisay also has been her coach and training partner since the two moved to this country a month apart close to four years ago from their native Ethiopia.
So, steps beyond the finish line, Sisay was the first to salute the repeat women’s winner with a handshake and a simple compliment “Good job!” on Sunday after the 13.1-mile race that started at Cabrillo National Monument, traveled through downtown and ended at Balboa Park. Read more.
At White House dinner celebrating Ramadan, Obama Strongly Backs Islam Center Near 9/11 Site
WASHINGTON — President Obama delivered a strong defense on Friday night of a proposed Muslim community center and mosque near ground zero in Manhattan, using a White House dinner celebrating Ramadan to proclaim that “as a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country.” Read more.
Related News Ramadan Kareem | From President Obama AFP
Wednesday, Aug 11th
WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President Barack Obama on Wednesday offered best wishes to Muslims in the United States and around the world as they observe the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
“All of us must remember that the world we want to build — and the changes that we want to make — must begin in our own hearts, and our own communities,” Obama said in a statement released by the White House.
The US president said he looked forward to hosting a White House Iftar dinner, the meal that breaks the daily fast. Read more.
Video: President Obama’s video Ramadan Message from 2009
Above:“Marcus Samuelsson met the cheffers for the Quick-
fire.They were to prepare Ethiopian based on his heritage. Why
because DC is as overrun with Ethio joints as is with politicians.
The Wall Street Journal
By Elva Ramirez
Top Chef Masters winner Marcus Samuelsson meets the cheffers for some quickfiring. This week, a take on Ethiopian, which is all the rage in D.C. It made us misty for our favorite Ethiopian place, Awash, which if you’re ever near Columbia University, we suggest you check out. So! Kind of a hard challenge, right? Several chefs have not only never cooked Ethiopian, a few have never eaten it. Angelo, Kenny and Ed think they’ve got this on the bag because they have experience cooking this cuisine. Marcus, upon tasting Angelo’s dish, even jokes that Angelo might have grown up in Ethiopia. But for all those high expectations, it’s Tiffany who wins the quickfire along with some immunity. She didn’t even know what to call her dish, she joked, which was a result of mixing up a big goulash with a dash of hope and prayer. Read more
Above:The government signs a truce with one Ogaden group
but the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) is not in. BBC
BBC
29 July, 2010
The Ethiopian government is to sign a peace deal with the United Western Somali Liberation Front (UWSLF), a rebel group active in the Ogaden region for the last 20 years.
The UWSLF agreed to lay down their arms in April and the formal signing of the deal later today will end the group’s armed struggle.
BBC Network Africa’s Uduak Amimo reports from Addis Ababa.
Above: Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba took gold in 5000m race
at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Moncton, Canada.
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Friday, July 23, 2010
New York (Tadias) – 19-year-old Ethiopian distance runner Genzebe Dibaba has won the women’s 5000m final race at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Moncton, Canada.
She finished the race at 15:08.06 – breaking a record set by fellow Ethiopian Meselech Melkamu in 2004.
Genzebe, a member of an Ethiopian running dynasty that includes her sisters the reigning world record holder double Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba and Olympic silver medallist Ejegayehu Dibaba as well as her cousin former Olympic champion Derartu Tulu, was fiercely contested by runner-up Mercy Cherono of Kenya.
“I knew I could pass her with 100m left,” Dibaba told IAAF referring to her Kenyan competition. “I have better speed than her over the last 100m, so I stayed back deliberately.”
“Two years ago, I wasn’t able to succeed, but this year, I’ve worked hard and improved and obtained the gold,” she said.
—
Cover Photo: Getty Images
Lelisa Desisa sets new Boilermaker 15k course record in New York
The results of the 2010 Boilermaker 15k in Utica, New York on Sunday, July 11 proved to be record-breaking, as both the men’s and women’s course records were conquered by top finishers. The fastest Boilermaker 15k in history was won by Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia in 42:46, while Edna Kiplagat of Kenya made her fast feet known with a win and new 47:57 course record result. Read more.
Video: Boilermaker 15k Road Race First Runners Cross the 10k Line 2010 – Utica, New York
Above: Ethiopian man has been charged with possession and
an intent to sell Khat, a controlled substance in the U.S. The
stimulant is widely used as a recreational drug in East Africa.
My Fox Memphis
by Tealy Devereaux
Updated: Monday, 05 Jul 2010
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – One Mid-South man is behind bars after police caught him with a large amount of Khat at Memphis Smart Mart.
Smart Mart at South Highland and Southern was closed for business around 11 a.m. Monday morning. The store was back open to customers by that afternoon.
Police said the temporary shutdown came after the only employee on duty was arrested for the possession of a unique drug to Memphis called Khat.
“We don’t see it a lot. But we understand that people are addicted, are using it. They can chew it, chew the leaves, smoke the leaves, they can also brew it in tea,” said Lieutenant, Mike Shearin.
Above: Yonatan Tessema is a driver for ABC Express. He was
at Centennial Medical Center waiting on a client when police
mistook him for someone else. —- (Credit: News Channel 5)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Friday, June 25, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Police officers in Nashville were staking out a building for a man with dreadlocks who had a run in with the law earlier this week when they spotted cabbie Yonatan Tessema – an immigrant from Ethiopia who also wears dreadlocks – and mistakenly took him down. “It took a broken car window, along with some bumps and bruises before police realized they had the wrong man,” News Channel 5 reports.
Tessema was at Centennial Medical Center waiting on a client who was at a doctor’s appointment at around 2 p.m. Tuesday when he received a call alerting him that his customer was ready to go home. “I was running from the hospital to my car because I didn’t want to keep my client waiting outside,” Tessema said. “That’s when they started flashing their lights, saying get the “F” out of the car, cursing.”
“Out the corner of my eye I could see a policeman running and he just knocked out my window,” Tessema said. “And then they pulled the door open. Somebody grabbed me from the side. Somebody grabbed my legs and they just pushed me down to the ground.”
Tessema said officers apologized profusely to him after learning they had the wrong person. “They just kept apologizing and the police officer who busted my window said get an estimate, get your window tinted and call me tomorrow and give me the estimate,” he explained.
Police said there will be an internal review to make sure the officers involved followed department policy during this incident. “Everyone was acting in good faith. The officers were trying to take a bad guy off the streets. A really bad guy,” according to Metro Police spokesman Don Aaron.
Watch: Innocent Man Mistakenly Taken Down By Nashville Police
Above:The taxi driver who was attacked by a mob of Lakers
fans following the NBA championship received a $10k check.
KABC
LOS ANGELES
By Robert Holguin
The 41-year-old immigrant from Ethiopia has been driving a cab in L.A. for seven years, but on Thursday, the occupational hazards got wildly out of hand.
“I was thinking they can kill me, that’s what I was thinking. I was scared. They burned the car, they shake the car, they turned over me,” described Teferi.
Teferi was caught in the mayhem that erupted shortly after the Lakers won the NBA Championship. A mob attacked his cab, then pulled him from the driver’s seat. After a few minutes, the cab was set on fire, and Teferi watched as it burned. His livelihood was destroyed.
Monday, the CEO of Staples Center’s owner Tim Leiweke presented Teferi with a $10,000 check.
Above:Abebech Gobena, who has been called ‘Africa’s Mother
Teresa’, is the founder of Ethiopia’s oldest orphanage. She is
the subject of CNN’s African Voices. – - (Cover Image: CNN)
CNN African Voices
June 22, 2010
Every week CNN‘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 the show profiles Abebech Gobena who has saved the lives of hundreds of orphans and is known as “Africa’s Mother Teresa.”
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Abebech Gobena is the founder of Ethiopia’s first orphanage
Her humanitarian work started when she saved the life of a baby girl suckling on the breast of her dead mother
Now Gobena’s orphanage cares for over 700 children
Above:Mourners at Friday’s public memorial service react at
an emotional visual tribute to the Seattle fire victims Friday.
(PHOTO CREDIT: STEVE RINGMAN / SEATTLE TIMES)
Updated: Saturday, June 19, 2010
By Marc Ramirez Seattle Times staff reporter
One by one, the lives lost to last weekend’s fire in Fremont were celebrated on screen, a series of snapshots taken in happier times. The boy who dreamed of playing point guard for the Boston Celtics. The siblings who adored their older brother. The girl who liked to jump rope. And the young woman who could win any argument she set her mind to.
The emotional slide show capped Friday’s public memorial to those five family members at Seattle Center’s KeyArena. The multicultural crowd, estimated at 3,500, largely reflected an East African population united in grief over the loss of so many young lives. “Your sorrow is our sorrow,” said Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn. “Your grief is Seattle’s grief. We walk with you in your grief because we are — and will be — one community.” Killed last Saturday morning in the swift-moving fire at Helen Gebregiorgis’ Fremont apartment were three of her children — Joseph Gebregiorgis, 13, Nisreen Shamam, 6, and Yaseen Shamam, 5; her sister, Eyerusalem Gebregiorgis, 22; and a niece, 7-year-old Nyella Smith, daughter of a third sister, Yordanos Gebregiorgis.
Watch Video: Memorial service for Seattle fire victims
Nisreen Shamam (left), Yaseen Shamam (C) and Joseph Gebregiorgis.
PHOTO BY JOHN LOK / THE SEATTLE TIMES
How You Can Help?
Donations to help family members affected by last Saturday’s blaze can be sent to the Seattle Children’s Fire Fund at any Bank of America branch. Donations also are being accepted at the Red Door tavern in Fremont. There will be a booth at this weekend’s Fremont Fair at North 35th Street and Evanston Avenue North to accept cash donations or gift cards from grocery or department stores. There also will be paper and envelopes available to write condolence notes to the family.
Watch Video: Ethiopian community mourns 5 dead in Seattle fire
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Seattle (Tadias) – As investigators continue to look into the cause of this pasts weekend’s apartment fire in Seattle that killed an Ethiopian family, including four children, the city’s fire chief described the frantic seconds after the blaze erupted Saturday morning in Helen Gebregiorgis’ two-story home in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood.
Seattle Fire Chief Gregory Dean told the media Sunday that the city’s deadliest fire in decades started in the living quarters of Helen Gebregiorgis’ three-bedroom, two-story apartment and spread to the second floor. He said the mother had gone upstairs to tell the others about the fire, grabbed her 5-year-old niece, Samarah Smith, and left the building, thinking the others were behind her. “She believed that the rest were following her and when she got outside they were not,” Dean said during a news conference at Fire Department headquarters in Pioneer Square. “We did find the four children and the aunt in the second floor bathroom, huddled together.”
Gebregiorgis, 31, lost her sons, 13-year-old Joseph Gebregiorgis and 5-year-old Yaseen Shamam, and her 6-year-old daughter, Nisreen Shamam, in the fire in the city’s Fremont neighborhood, the children’s grieving uncle, Daniel Gebregiorgis, told The Seattle Times. Also killed were Helen’s 22-year-old sister, Eyerusalem Gebregiorgis, and 7-year-old niece, Nyella Smith.
Video: Seattle Fire Chief Gregory Dean reacts to an apartment fire that killed an Ethiopian family
The fire was reported just after 10 a.m. Saturday morning.
According to Seattle’s King5 News, the first emergency vehicle to arrive at the burning apartment building had a problem with a pump that prevented it from spraying water on the fire, but a second unit arrived two minutes later and was able to fight the fire.
“They needed to be able to control what was in front of them before they could go up the stairs,” the Chief said. “There was definitely a delay in firefighters being able to get there. I think in looking at the pictures and what we saw and listening to comments, there was a tremendous amount of fire and smoke prior to the fire department’s arrival, which, again, makes it pretty hard to sustain life in that type of heated environment,” he said.
Dean said the truck with the mechanical problem arrived at 10:09 a.m., and a second truck about two minutes later, and a third at 10:12 a.m.
According to the fire chief, the department prepares for problems because they happen on a regular basis and this weekend’s particular problem would be investigated.
“We do what we call redundancy back-up to make sure that if something happens, we’re prepared for that type of thing,” he said. “In this case something did happen. The second unit came in, they did what they were supposed to do and we continued to fight the fire.”
“Our firefighters are beating themselves up, you know ‘could I have done more,’” the chief said. “Our hearts go out to the ones that lost their loved ones and we recognize there’s an impact on the community, recognize there’s an impact on our firefighters. We will be doing a follow-up with the community.”
—
Above:Model Maya Gate Haile is represented by the world’s
top modeling agencies including IMG, Elite and Ford. (Tadias)
Tadias Magazine
By Tseday Alehegn
Published: Thursday, June 17, 2010
New York (Tadias) – This week Tadias TV highlights international model Maya Gate Haile. The Ethiopian-born model grew up in Holland before relocating to New York where her fashion modeling career has flourished. She is represented by the world’s top modeling agencies including IMG, Elite and Ford.
The choice to become a model as a teenager was a tough, personal decision for Maya. Her parents, who migrated to the Netherlands when Maya was 13, pushed their daughter to focus on learning a new language, excelling in school, and perhaps consider becoming a doctor or a nurse.
“For a long time I had [modeling] on my mind, but I could not bring it home,” Maya says. And those who saw the tall, somewhat shy, and elegant girl with an infectious smile would often remark “Are you a model?” At 20 Maya finally decided to tell her decision to her family.
Maya recalls “My brother was really shocked: ‘You’re going to be a model? Are you kidding me?’” But Maya took the opportunities before her and delved into the world of fashion. As much as she loves her work, Maya points out that modeling for her is not “a final destination.”
“I love modeling because from modeling you can become something else,” she says with enthusiasm. She points out that one can grow from the networking opportunities modeling affords and get involved in other entrepreneurial or humanitarian ventures. “You could take advantage of modeling and you could be activists, film-makers, photographers. It is not only about modeling,” she emphasizes.
Which leads us to ask her what other projects she has been working on.
“I have several projects in mind but one that I am currently working on is to provide opportunities for girls in Ethiopia to get access to my world. I would like to give those who aspire to become models an opportunity to come to Europe and to get a taste of what fashion and modeling career is all about. I want to provide access and mentoring, so that they can see that it’s possible to be successful and to go after their dreams. I want to share what I have learned.”
Maya also works closely with UNICEF’s New Generation program. Her husband, Chef Entrepreneur and Author Marcus Samuelsson, introduced her to UNICEF and currently serves as Ambassador for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. Both Maya and her husband are particularly committed to supporting the organization’s immunization programs and its efforts to deliver clean and accessible water to millions of children around the world. Maya also focuses on providing entrepreneurial opportunities for youth aged 18-34 who are residing in developing countries.
Asked how her work with UNICEF has enriched her personal life, the model says it helps her to put her own life in perspective. “I could be one of the kids in Ethiopia,” she says. “I compare it to myself and my husband Marcus. Everyday we think about those kids in Ethiopia.”
On a lighter note, we asked Maya about her hobbies including basketball. “Who wins when the two of you play?” “I always win,” Maya says with a smile, “but you have to ask [Marcus]. He should tell you about it.” In the couples interview last summer Marcus confirmed her side of the story. “She kicks my ass in basketball!” Marcus told Glamour magazine. “Also, Maya translates so much for me—not just words, but culturally. When my sisters call with a problem, she takes the phone. I can’t give advice—unless it’s about cooking. Before Maya, my primary relationship was with food. Luckily, she loves to eat!”
Below is part of Tigist Selam’s conversation with Model Maya Haile at home in Harlem.
Watch: Tadias’ Interview With Model Maya Haile
Tigist Selam interviewed Maya Haile at home in Harlem on Tuesday
June 15, 2010. (Video by Kidane Films)
— About the Author:
Tseday Alehegn is the Editor-in-Chief of Tadias Magazine.
Watch Related Tadias Video: Video – Tadias’ Interview with Meklit Hadero
NBC’s Tom Brokaw Highlights White House Fellow Mehret Mandefro
Above: NBC recently featured Ethiopian-American physician
Mehret Mandefro, one of this year’s White House Fellows, on
a segment aired on Nightly News. (Photo: Parlour Magazine)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Thursday, June 17, 2010
New York (Tadias) – NBC’s Tom Brokaw recently highlighted the work of Ethiopian American Physician, Mehret Mandefro, a White House Fellow in 2009-2010.
Brokaw hosted a segment on Nightly News featuring White House Fellows, a prestigious program designed to give promising leaders “first hand, high-level experience with the workings of the Federal government, and to increase their sense of participation in national affairs.”
Mandefro was one of a diverse pool of Fellows hailing from various disciplines including medicine, business, media, education, non-profit and state government, as well as two branches of the U.S. military.
The White House Fellows Program was created in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson and during its short existence it has fostered leaders in many fields including Admiral Dennis Blair, Director of National Intelligence, former Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, U.S. Senator Sam Brownback, U.S. Representative Joe Barton, writer Doris Kearns Goodwin, former Travelocity CEO Michelle Peluso, former CNN Chairman and CEO Tom Johnson, former Univision President Luis Nogales, and U.S. Court of Appeals Judges M. Margaret McKeown and Deanell Tacha.
Above: Fonte Coffee Roaster in Seattle sells the drink made
from Ethiopian Nekisse beans for $2.69 a cup. The same cup
drink goes for $12 a cup at the Chelsea spot of Cafe Grumpy.
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Sunday, June 6, 2010
New York (Tadias) – You may remember the recent amusing news story about $12 cup of Ethiopian coffee at Café Grumpy, a local coffee shop chain here in New York.
In her recent article, Melissa Allison, who “tracks Seattle’s — and the world’s — caffeine addiction” for The Seattle Times, writes the same cup of joe costs much less in America’s coffee capital.
“Trabant Coffee & Chai will soon carry one of the hottest tickets in coffee, a Nekisse micro-lot selection from Ethiopia, which recently sold for $12 a cup in New York and has appeared for considerably less — $2.69 a cup — at Seattle’s Fonte Coffee Roaster,” Allison points out. “Trabant’s roaster, 49th Parallel Coffee in Vancouver, is giving all the proceeds from its Nekisse sales to a non-profit called imagine1day to build classrooms in Ethiopia, said 49th Parallel owner Vince Piccolo.”
But New Yorkers have mixed opinions about Café Grumpy’s price. “There are flavors you would expect in a really nice glass of wine — it’s a cacophony of nuances,” Steve Holt, vice president of Ninety Plus Coffee, the company distributing the beans, told The NY Post. “You detect flavors of apricot, pineapple, bergamot, kiwi and lime. The deeper tones are levels of chocolate, and the finish is super clean.”
And why is it so pricey?
“It is a higher-end coffee, and you have to take a lot of time developing and processing it,” said Holt. “Once the coffee is harvested, it is dried on a raised African drying bed — the actual coffee cherries never sit on the ground.”
“People have had bad reactions to the prices,” Colleen Duhamel, a coffee buyer and barista at the cafe, toldThe New York Post. “They will think, ‘This place isn’t for me,’ and storm out.” “I’ve spent $12 on a cocktail, but I’d be reticent to pay that much for a cup of coffee,” said Whitney Reuling, 25, after tasting samples provided by the newspaper. “It’s good — but I can’t taste the difference. My palate is not at an advanced level for coffee — a $2.50 cup is fine.”
Above: Tadias spoke with Meklit Hadero last week following
her recent performance at Le Poisson Rouge in New York.
Tadias Magazine
By Kidane Mariam and Tigist Selam
Updated: Sunday, June 6, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Tadias TV caught up with Meklit Hadero during her recent concert at Le Poisson Rouge in New York on June 1st.
The Manhattan appearance was a homecoming of sorts for Hadero, who spent part of her childhood in Brooklyn. She graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in Political Science before settling in San Francisco where she launched her music career in 2004.
The Ethiopian native, who left Addis Ababa as a toddler, tells Tadias she plans to return to Addis later this year to perform at an Afro-Roots concert. Her debut album On A Day Like This has garnered national attention with repeated highlights on NPR. Reviewers have compared her sound to that of Music legends Nina Simone and Joni Mitchell.
Above:Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, co-founder of SoleRebels,
eco-friendly footwear company from Ethiopia, is highlighted
in this week’s CNN’s African Voices. (Photo. Screen shot)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Wednesday, June 2, 2010
New York (Tadias) – This week CNN’s African Voices features Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, Co-Founder and Managing Director of SoleRebels, Ethiopia’s first fair trade footwear company.
Introducing her eco-fashion products, Tilahun described her work to Tadias Magazine last year as “a story of fair trade, eco-sensibility, and great innovative footwear products.”
“One of the truly unique and exciting things about soleRebels is that we are green by heritage, and not because some marketing folks told us to be,” she said. “We maximize both recycled inputs and craft our materials in the traditional manner — the way they have always been made in Ethiopia – by hand.”
She summarizes SoleRebels’ ethos in three words: “Roots, Culture, Tires.” The shoes are created using indigenous practices such as hand-spun organic cotton and artisan hand-loomed fabric. Tires are also recycled and used for soles. The end result is environmental friendly, vegan footwear. “Historically that is the way things have been done,” Tilahun says, and it not only makes great sense to continue the tradition, it also has generated income for local artisans.
African Voices, which explores the lives and passions of Africa’s most engaging personalities, airs weekly on CNN International: Saturdays at 11.30 & 18.30 GMT and on Sundays at 17.00 GMT.
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