Trusted sources from Ethiopia disclosed to
ESAT that opposition political party leaders currently awaiting a
verdict on their trial under the controversial anti-terrorism
proclamation have started a hunger strike. Andualem Arage- Vice Chair
and Head of Public Relations of UDJ party, Natnael Mekonnen- senior
leadership in UDJ, Kinfemichael Bereded (aka Abebe Kesto), Mitiku Damte
and other prisoners are said to have initiated the strike. According to
our source, they haven’t eaten anything for the previous three days.
The strike is slated to be running for a week.
The
political prisoners are asking the Ethiopian government to improve the
prison condition and their treatment while they are in custody. They are
also asking the government to allow a visit by the Red Cross. In
addition to the ongoing harassment inside of the prison, Andualem has
endured a severe beating inside of his prison cell and was subsequently
denied medical treatment even if he complained of splitting headache
symptomatic of a possible head injury. Olbana Lelisa of OPC party was
also bashed inside his cell only two weeks ago.
According
to our source that has seen the prisoners in person only yesterday,
they appear physically weakened. However their spirit is as strong as
ever.
No official reply is given to their demand
from the government or the prison administrators. Instead, the prison
officials are doing everything within their means to put a lid on the
news of the strike. Except for immediate family members, their party
comrades and friends are denied visits.
The accused
are expecting a verdict within a few weeks. They have repeatedly
expressed their lack of trust in the legal process and the judiciary.
In
related news, the senior Vermont senator Patrick Leahy has this week
released a statement expressing his disappointment on the growing
repression of the media in Ethiopia. In his statement, the senator
requested for the immediate release of Eskender Nega and other
journalists currently in prison. Senator Leahy is the third congressman
to denounce the growing media repression and harassment of journalists
in Ethiopia.
The book I
am reading is called In Ethiopia with
Mule by Dervla Murphy and was written way back in 1968. Next to me is an African
brother whom I don’t know, reading a newspaper and on the other side of the table
far from his chair are two Spanish speaking couple.
They obviously have caught
everyone’s attention as they spoke loudly and laughed at times. But this
African bro sitting next to me was seemingly much disturbed than those sitting closest to them...thus he waved his hand and said “excuse me can you put down your voice?”...they
acted as if they did not understand him. An old European man who looked to have
been waiting for this moment increased his voice and barked in their ears “Shut
up! Shut Up! Shut up! Everyone here is disturbed by your voice!!Shut up now!”.
He had a nervous look in him. The couple frightened as hell jumped from their
seat and run away saying “excusma sir, excusma sir”.
I tried to recollect my attention and read the book once again. I am taking notes of sentences and paragraphs
from her book that caught my attention. The name Habesha that most Ethiopians and Eritreans are labelled with has so
many conflicting meanings; some say it means black and is an Arabic word while
others say it is Jewish for refugees to represent Ethiopian Jews (Falsha Mura)
who came to Ethiopia millennia ago. Dervla says this about the word,
Probably between
1000 and 500B.C., tribes of Yemeni Arabs began to cross the Red Sea to settle
in the fertile Northern Highlands where the ruins of large cities indicate that
their civilisation thrived during the centuries immediately before and after
the birth of Christ. One of these tribes is called, Habashat and from this
drives “Habesh” by which name Ethiopia is known in Muslim countries.
I kept on reading. Couldn’t find anything that caught my eyes. She talks
about her landing in the port town of Metsewa and how prostitution was rampant
and the prostitutes’ children had jeered her and so on. I found another quote that grabbed my eyes and
speaks volumes for Ethiopians of today,
...This millennium
of isolation inspired Gibbon’s frequently quoted –‘Encompassed on all sides by
the enemies of their religion, the Ethiopians slept near a thousand years
forgetful of the world by whom they were forgotten’ but in fact the Ethiopians were
much more awake then than they are now. During those centuries they produced
their finest paintings and illuminated manuscripts, many extraordinarily beautiful
rock churches of which Lalibela’s eleven examples are the most famous.
Dervla indeed has a point there. I often compare some of the disillusionment of my people and how incongruent are most of our social,
economic and political behaviors to/with the rest of the world and say “What happened
to us? How can we be enlightened?” and always got puzzled wondered and pained
about the mess of our nation people. I am partly finding the answer...Dervla is
aware of it...our enlightenment and illumination must have been achieved, reached
its climax, recessed and now it’s on its deep plummeting stage. It is crazy how everything seems to have gone astray... the nation lives on donation, aid,
lending with negative deficit that the fore coming generation could not bear. I start discussion with some friends here that
I consider are somewhat open-minded and aware of their environments over a
beer table. Annoyingly enough, they don’t want to discuss about any issue about Ethiopia
and if they do and I boggle them with self-inquisitive and evaluative
questions, they respond “please don’t take it personal”. As if when you are
meeting a ferenji and says to you “oh
are you from Ethiopia? How is the famine” is not a personal one and only refereeing
to the poor farmer in Chilga.
The man next to me has now started enjoying his pocketful of biscuits
and cola. On the Library board a big sign is written “Strictly, No Eating or Drinking
in the Library!” Let me go and grab
another book until he finishes chewing. Got Michael Seifu’s 2009 book titled Credible
Commitment and Economic Growth in Africa.
The book contains many unreported discoveries regarding many African countries
and Ethiopia. At one section it discusses about the extent of involvement by the executive arm of government in the banking
and other sectors. It takes Ethiopia as a case.
For
instance, all the board members of the National Bank of Ethiopia are high-level
politicians, and the governor is accountable to the board. Additionally,
monetary policy is, legally, set to be the prerogative of the Finance Ministry.
At the other extreme are the Central Banks of Botswana and Mauritius. In both
countries, the Banking Acts contain robust provisions which dictate the
involvement of the chief executive in the governor’s selection and decision
making.
That doesn't stop with that, it has a lot more to add on the above point and I will cover that in detail in another issue. Michael critically analyses the Ethiopian judicial
system. He says “tenure termination of judges” is essential for judicial independence
in Africa and has been marked in the constitution of many African countries. Michael
says,
In
Ethiopia, a judge cannot be removed before reaching retirement age unless there
are compelling health reasons and/or upon a majority parliament vote. Anecdotal
evidences, however, suggest that there has been a very high rate of attrition
of judges in the Ethiopian legal environment. Hardly any of those cases were
apolitical.
He goes on to example this case of the interference of the executive
on the judiciary by citing the case of Bertukan Mideksa’s expulsion for
presiding over the high profile case of Siye Abraha. In addition to her case,
there have been judges in local and regional circuits that were gnawed away for
refusing to compromise their conscience for politics.
The boy has gotten his banana out now...I better go... I have these books yet read/un-reviewed though, Viva La Revolution The Story of People Power in 30 revolutions by Derry Nairn (2012) and From Dictatorship to Democracy: A Conceptual Framework for Liberation by Gene Sharp (2012)....
(Reuters) - Sudan, after avoiding the "Arab Spring" protests which swept through the Middle East, is about to face its first real test of popular discontent as it prepares to remove fuel subsidies.
With Sudan already suffering from a severe economic crisis since losing much of its oil production - the lifeline of the economy - when South Sudan became independent in July, ordinary people say that they can't cope with further price rises.
"We only buy what we need to, nothing else because of inflation," said Zakaniya, a woman in her 60s who was afraid to give her full name. "I just can't imagine prices going up again."
"How are we supposed to live if fuel prices rise? I think that people will go to the streets to object to such prices we cannot pay," said Mashair, a female government employee.
Small protests in the past have always been quickly dispersed by security agents. But even supporters of the government say removing fuel subsidies could stoke unrest.
Eltayeb Mustafa, a relative of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and head of al-Intibaha newspaper, wrote last week in an editorial that the decision was to "play with fire".
The central bank introduced a plan to end the subsidies in December but ran into resistance in parliament - a surprise given that the assembly is controlled by Bashir's National Congress Party (NCP).
But faced with a budget deficit of $2.4 billion, Bashir's government says it has no alternative but to end fuel subsidies which a government official said will save $2 billion annually.
With inflation already hitting 30 percent in May, the removal of subsidies - which Sudanese newspapers say will push up fuel prices by at least 30 to 40 percent - will feed into transport costs. That in turn will raise the price of food.
"Lifting fuel subsidies is a catastrophe," said Mashair, the government employee.
"I think senior officials don't know about the life of ordinary people," said 43-year old high school teacher Mohamed el-Obeid. "They drive around in government cars and get everything paid by the government."
OPPOSITION SENSES A CHANCE
The opposition has so far failed to capitalize on the economic crisis but now senses a chance. In 1985, protests against hyper-inflation toppled President Jaafar Nimeiri in just 10 days.
"The plan (to lift fuel subsidies) is a declaration of war against citizens," said Farouk Abu Issa, head of the opposition umbrella National Consensus Forces. "Our plan is regime change," he said on Tuesday.
The government says the opposition, which is run by ex-rulers in their 70s, are unable to stage large protests.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) urged Sudan two weeks ago to launch an emergency program to overcome the "daunting challenges" facing its economy.
"I think the statement was quite diplomatic given the huge problems Sudan is facing," a Western diplomat in Khartoum said. "The fact that they tackle the fuel subsidies despite the risks shows how bad the situation is."
Sudan has not published a detailed budget for 2012 but diplomats say the cabinet has very little room for man oeuvre.
The central bank effectively devalued its currency last month to attract more remittances from Sudanese living abroad, but bankers say the measure will take time.
Much of the budget is estimated to go into the security services and army, which is stretched fighting insurgencies in three regions and border skirmishes with South Sudan.
Sudan is counting on gold exports to replace oil. It said on Monday it had made $603 million in gold exports this year but diplomats are skeptical as output is hard to verify.
Even then it would be small compared to $5 billion in oil revenues in 2010. And for ordinary people, it provides no comfort in meeting their immediate needs.
"Fuel prices increases are a big problem," said food trader Seif el-Din, 28, standing in his small shop. "It will be more expensive to run the shop. Transport costs will go up. We don't know what we will do."
If there is a glass ceiling for women in the U.S., then there is a glass mansion for women in Ethiopia, and the education system is built on its foundation. In the U.S., students work hard to get that elusive A, spending hours studying, reading and researching. When finished, they receive congratulations for their efforts, occasionally accompanied by a few good-humored jabs from fellow students.
In Ethiopia, their female counterparts also understand that drive, but when they get that A, they do not receive praise from their peers - they receive censure. Mostly male, their fellow students explain away their higher grades by claiming the female students have relations with the teacher.
This is one example of the way the challenges facing students in developing countries are compounded for women. They must fight every step of the way to remain in the education system, and grow a tough skin in order to excel.
Emebet Gebeyehu and Konjit Acha are third-year engineering students at Adama University, located about 50 miles from the capital of Addis Ababa. A government university, it is one of the most difficult schools to enter and offers the most strenuous science and technological programs. Emebet's focus is concentrated in electrical engineering. Konjit is studying to become a civil engineer, with a focus in structural engineering. In a school of 14,000 students, the two women have defied the odds and become leaders in their concentrations.
Sitting outside a juice bar on the main strip of Adama, sipping a mixed berry, banana and avocado concoction, the two women teased one another about the importance of their respective studies.
"They say we just splice wires," said Emebet, pointing at her friend, "but we make the phones and computers they use!"
"But we build all the structures you are in," retorted a laughing Konjit. With the red and white stripes of a tarp in the background, and the calls of boys selling gum and lottery tickets on the side, the two women began to tell their story.
Konjit (left) and Emebet (right) are both engineering students at Adama University in Ethiopia. News Journal photo/Audrey Ingram
Both are proud to be the first members of their families to attend university. Emebet has one brother who did not attend high school, a sister studying construction management through a vocational program, and a six-year old sister for whom she hopes to set an example. Konjit is the youngest of eight siblings. Her mother had been a wood carrier in her village, and her father makes traditional clothes.
"He doesn't understand grades, but he has a place where he marks off the years because he wants to make sure he is at my graduation," Konjit said, a smile spreading across her face.
The women's struggle for their education began as early as grades 1 and 2. Across the continent, girls are expected to give work at home their first priority; studying can be done later, if there is time. Emebet said that parents often don't understand that their children will be better for learning. As a result, girls enter motherhood as early as grades 7 or 8, never even attending high school.
"Families prefer the girls at home rather than going to school," Konjit confirmed. "Even if I had an exam the next day, I had to work first, or I would be punished."
National exams determine students' acceptance into schools and universities. Scores also determine if individuals will have a choice in their studies, or if the government will assign them a field. Both Emebet and Konjit chose engineering.
Even when women overcome these initial obstacles, school culture still works to discourage them. Male students aren't willing to work in the same group with female students, and teachers accuse the women of plagiarizing their designs. Dating is seen as a way for men to distract women from giving their studies appropriate attention.
With two different styles and personalities, Emebet, outgoing in a white T-shirt, jeans and tennis shoes and Konjit, shy in a traditional-patterned blouse, sweater and long skirt, both women emphasized the need to build female confidence.
"One day, people will know who I am and other females will follow me," said Emebet. "Most women depend on their husbands for support, but the only way to be strong in the economy is to learn."
Emebet is a tutor for younger female students, a job that gives her the opportunity to be a role model, she said. Konjit advises incoming students, preparing and encouraging them as exams approach. From the Addis Ababa neighborhood of Sh'romeda, Emebet and Konjit have been attending school together for 17 years. They both received support early in their education from the Ambassador's Girls' Scholarship Program, a worldwide initiative funded by USAID through an international NGO called AED, which sponsored students through secondary and preparatory school. This program supported 215 girls in Ethiopia from 2006 to 2009. On average, each year of high school results in higher life-time earnings, delayed marriage and child-birth and lower rates of HIV infection for the women, as well as higher esteem and leadership skills. Each of the 215 girls from the Ambassador's program completed high school and university entrance exams.
Though the program ended, Ato Assefa, the former director, still volunteers his time to find the students individual sponsors as they enter university. He keeps in close contact with 50 of the students. He has recruited sponsors for 15, including Emebet and Konjit. Assefa said that he focuses on finding sponsors for medical and engineering students first, as their programs are more demanding, and they have less time available for a job. Though government scholarships cover the cost of tuition and housing, the 300 Birr the students receive each month from their sponsors enables them to purchase sanitary materials, photocopies of the necessary textbooks and materials, transportation costs and sometimes additional computer access or courses. When converted into USD, the cost to sponsor a student is only $25 a month, for 10 months out of the year. Emebet and Konjit are both sponsored by Lucy and Bernd Steinitz. An international development worker and Wilmington College graduate, Lucy will be working in Ethiopia for two more years. She said that she would be happy to act as a conduit for anyone interested in sponsoring a student.
"The integrity, commitment and drive of these smart young women just blows me away," Lucy said. "Whenever I feel a bit discouraged about something, I think of what they are doing and it motivates me to keep trying harder, too. These sponsorships make all the difference in the world to these students, and has an impact that will last for generations." Emebet and Konjit, who both plan to pursue masters degrees, said that they are very thankful for the support they have received. "Without these people and programs, we might not be where we are," said Konjit. For more information, or to get involved, contact lucy@steinitz.net.
--- Audrey Ingram is a Wilmington News Journal staff writer and Wilmington College student who currently is in Ethiopia, volunteering for a non-profit organization called Developing Families Together. To read more about her trip, visit her blog at www.audreyingram.wordpress.com.
To read this TRUE short story/lettering please first play the instrumental below with a lower tone/volume and then start reading.
Merci.
Fiker Yashenefal (Love Wins!!!!)
He is attentive. Focusing
on the works that he should do to get her to hug him, kiss him and exhale in his mouth her perfectly magnanimous goodness at least for one single day. Just 1 day babe. That is all. He has a list: Seducing her, magically forgetting her , writing an
honest letter, or forcing her.
He chose the third.
T. works in the most crowded
and busiest section of the University in Europe, the Library. Every now and
then, students, lecturers and Admin. Staffers come seeking a loan or to return
a book. The books taught him one special wisdom, writing. “Say what you wanna
say in writing”, have always been the latent messages that he gotten from the
books. "Yes I should write her and tell
her that she is playing on my soul" he murmured to himself. Oh no, he said again, I should write her an
honest letter of appreciation. That would explain that it is not flattering.
That
is a truism. T. had received various love letters and affection from
girls that he didn't even recognize in his years at his homeland. But
now he is the one who is being forced to do that in another man's land
falling in love with a married woman. "And that's the way it is" sang Celine Dion.
It is true, I don't see those that lust for me while those I do love don't even see me in that angle. François de la Rochefoucauld (French author 1613-1680) is popularly remembered for this saying “We are nearer loving those who hate us than those who love us more than we wish.”
A short blonde haired, weird
looking student approached T. and said “can I have “A General Theory of Love” please?” Who is the author asks
T.
“Thomas Lewis,
Fari Amini and Richard Lannon” responds the student.
T. goes to the
store room to look for extra copies but to no avail. He goes to each room,
shelf and all places that he could look in to.
Here sir, points the student, “yes where?” panics T.
‘It is right there in the table besides you’
the student says.
T’s colleague,
Claire was reading it for a while now. The student was happy that this prized
book is gonna be his property for the next two weeks.
After checking the book out, T.
once again drove back to where he was. “Yes I should write and honestly tell her”
he says. Those are the choices on the plate, to be or not to be. He takes out a
piece of rough paper from the printer next to his desk and a pen from his
pocket and then he begins.
My dearest X,
thank you so much for being my best friend so far. You are really wonderful and
am so glad that I have had you as a friend so far. You taught me what being an
honest, caring, generous and color blind person means. It is you who helped me
pass those freezing winter times when I was unable to get my legs into the
duvets and sleep the nights. It was you who barricaded me from several enemies
and troubles. And BTW, do you know you don’t have any special beauty or appearance from the
other ladies in the city?
“Sorry
sir.” The earlier voice interrupts him again. “Sorry, would you extend the deadline, please?” the student asks.
“We
can’t extend or renew books unless the due date of return is on or you have a
Club membership ID in our Library” says T in a tone that tacitly sounded "Fuc* off now".
“Oh
I have a club membership” says the student fantasizing that the book is gonna be with him for a
total of 20 days now.
“Thank
you sir. I am so much excited. This book
is worth reading for those that love and are loved. It studies the phenomenon of love and human connection from a scientific and
cultural perspective. Can’t get enough of it” says the student. So mammoth
is student that he farts as he walks hahahahah.
“Well I will have a
look at it when you return it” responds T. and quickly runs to the epistle he
started lettering.
Yes my dear, you are
tall and slim but not that strikingly beautiful. There are many ladies out
there in the streets, clubs, and campus that leave me with their styled hair,
short skirts that are intentionally made to show their ice cream legs, equally
eatable huge boobs, juicy lips and heart breaking enormous eyes, decorated faces and body, in full awe. You have none or have some of these appearances. But you
have something that they don’t have. You are magnanimous. Your magnanimity- essence reminds of one great saying by Winiston Churchil. Churchill labelled the
"moral of the work" of his six volume book titled The Second World War as follows:
"In War: Resolution, In Defeat: Defiance, In Victory: Magnanimity, In
Peace: Goodwill". That is the moral of you for me too. It was your magnanimity
that had me fall in love. You are of a different skin color, family, wealth, age and
tradition than me and I am from country that is poor of “material wealth” but
reach of anything and everything that nature and God can give, age, culture and all things dissimilar. Our strongest difference
is also that you are a married woman and I am a lonely fella. Yes it is big for you
but simple for someone like me who is blinded with your clam, honest and super magnanimity.
I don't regret it cuz true love if from God. Many were the weekends that I fantasized you fly to my room mysteriously stay with me in same bed for one day and kiss my lips to reinvigorate me with your unflinchingly magnanimous self-abnegation. Be reminded here that I have not still talked about going under the sheets cause that is not love that is lust. ohhh...shall i call you savage for ignoring my longing for your love? I wondered
should I make her hug me and kiss me just at least for one day by the use of mysterious expertise or lock
the door as she comes and force her to do or openly tell her my feelings
for her? The last choice won. Candidly dear, I have nothing to give to you
for your magnanimity. The only person that wins my respect, love and trust in this world is a
magnanimous individual. As I was suffering from the love of your magnanimous
self, I decided, just sending you this short letter may transport my love toxic to you and
relives me. I would love to tell you that I would be leaving this city for due
and we may not see each other for ages or forever but your love will be written
on the walls of my heart. Yours sincerely, T.
T. felt he wrote a good letter and started to proof read
it. It sounded coherent, congruent and appealing. He should now fold
it, put it in an envelope and post it to her or hand it to her so that her hubby
wouldn’t stumble up on it. It is now 10:30 in the morning; the fire alarm is on
abnormally. “Please everyone exit the building now…now” bark the Library
speakers. T. had no time to waste…he rushed out of the building. It was after
the alarm was off and his workmate, Claire had left for home with a cluster of
books and papers from her desk that he reminisced he left his treasurable
letter on the table.
Editor's Note : This article was written in 2004 by T, Staffer of De Birhan Media. It is taken out from our files. Lots must have changed since then, our partner in Addis Abeba, Derese Tariku would enlighten us with the 2012 day-parties in Addis Abeba soon.
--
By T, Staffer of De Birhan Media
September 2004, Addis Abeba
She bounces.
Bounces and re-bounces again.
Shakes it, wines and shakes it again.
And she is only a teenager; the boy is a teen too. He is almost to unzip his locker- her temptation was so high on his nerves. In the dimming room of a bunch of teenagers and few adolescents, people dance like no one is in the room except themselves and them. The mixture of the colognes, sweats and hard drinks and drugs at times turns you upside down and shows you everything kaleidoscopic.
Seemingly very petty misdemeanors but with awfully lots of negative consequences on the generation are being manifested in the so called day parties thatcurrently seem to have taken the teenage world by storm.
Partying has been with us since time immemorial but day parties of the sorts in clubs by teenage students are a foreign introduction. If we recollect back to the 1930s and have a glance at how prostitution began in Ethiopia for instance, there are references which indicate that during the five years of Italian invasion of Ethiopia, Ethiopian women were required for sex by Italian soldiers and presented with money. Through this progression, prostitution also brought about nightclubs, brothels, bars and strip dance clubs to attain today’s intensity.
Professor Bahru Zewde in his book “A History of Modern Ethiopia 1855-1974” writes on page 164 “The ban on marriage of Italians with Ethiopian women (nicknamed Madamismo by Italian officialdom) remained a legal fiction. Given the enormous numerical imbalance between Italian males and females, this was inevitable; further, there was the fact that those of open-minded Latino temperament were largely impervious to the racist policy. The sizeable mixed population bequeathed to Ethiopia was a result of these marriages. On an informal plane, initially sponsored by the officials through the importation of European practitioners of the trade, prostitution assumed a wide spread character. It has often been cited as one of the legacies of Italian rule in Ethiopia.”
The above excerpt paves the picture into how the introduction of “modern prostitution” by the Italian occupiers led to the brothels and clubs of today that played their own part in the transmission of HIV/AIDS.
Nowadays we are forced to encounter in our day to day life behaviours that are either unhealthy or alien. Of these, day parties are becoming the day to day lifestyle of the youth and teenagers in Addis. Once or twice a week, it is easy to find at least one party in a bar or hotel by high school teenagers who rent bars hold their day parties. It is good to have fun, but what is bad is what really goes down there and the novelty comes in the ‘who’ are the part takers of those clubs.
They are entirely teenagers, teenagers between the ages of 13-19.
These teens begin the business by selecting a DJ; it can be anyone with a good number of CDs, then they prepare fliers which will be distributed in different high schools in the city with information on the entrance fee (frequently 10 or 20 birr per individual) and encourage the participation of couples saying “Discount for couples; only 12 birr”, the rest of the tips will be on who the DJ is and where it’s going to be and the like. And of course, the group leaders have to pay for the rent of the dance hall. The two most hotels used are Cottage in Ghion Hotel and Ibex Hotel in Bole. The best place to get the flyer and posters is either in schools or cafes in Piassa mainly around Hermon Cafe. That is where the plain folks of Addis hangout unlike Wube Bereha and Eri Bekentu in the days of our parents.
They leave no stone unturned to make this event successful at any cost; they usually succeed in having over attendance and profit.
Some three years ago party cultures were not as rampant as they are today (2005). Radically, things got tainted and the city has now become crowded with teenagers that are much “Americanized”.
Without a doubt, these teenagers are influenced by African American songs, styles, cultures and what and what not. FM Radio DJs must have played a part too. The new grounds being broken by the young people would surely make the public see how passionately they are affected by foreign culture. This age group which may be put as early youth time is the best age group to mould ideologically or routine. Children within this age if skilled, cultivated and treated with ethics, end up in being a wise and hopeful generation tomorrow.
What in the end would be the fate of these dance infatuated children?
Let’s once again tag on our view of those dance halls. These teens cut (forfe) their classes to join the parties with their uniforms hidden in bags and wearing real cool dresses.
For instance, boys wear hats, bandanas, earnings, t-shirts that have numbers and pictures of eminent rappers, necklaces with big letters, and wild trousers. Girl dancers on their side wear bandana, attach plasters on their faces, smear their body with perfumes and cosmetics, and wear sweat shirts, tops, hip hugging pants and miniskirts.
The dance floors blaze with ear-splitting songs. Everybody in the room then dances with pleasure. Music from all around the world: Reggae, raga, dance hall, samba, salsa, slow love songs, African music, hot rap, R&B and etc are the kinds of songs featured in the house.
All acts performed from dancing, stroking, kissing and what have you. But the scene that catches one’s eye especially are couples deeply kissing on the sofa, deliberately made for that purpose, smoking drugs, drinking alcohols (all these the timeless things that never fail to excite teens). Rape cases have been reported in various occasions. Beginning from around 2pm in the afternoon, they get down until 5pm. Hotels don’t mind renting their halls for underage, selling drinks to them and so on. Finally, when the closing time of the party approaches, they head to the bathroom, wash up and go home, but not before changing back into their uniforms as if they were sticking with the black and whites. As it can be assumed these teens are lured by the perky and nihilistic impression of these boogie floor indisputably, and their outcomes are easy to prophesize.
“I feel elegant when I dance. I mostly appear in parties that cost a lot and competent dancers are present. For instance, I have frequently won rap dance competition. I have a high regard for rappers like 50 cent, Eminem, Usher and the like,” says a 16 year old regular dancer who talked to this writer on an anonymous basis.
Coughing due to over smoking, this teen who aspires to be a famous dancer in the future, says his addiction to cigarettes started while going to day parties. “I do not think that dancing and partying cast a bad spell on us, they are excellent pass times,” said the young fellow.
During my short visit of the day parties, I came across very exasperating gestures which are far from Ethiopian culture and norm, like same sex relations ships; oh dudes, what’s goin on? Ask yourself!
Alemu Abeba, a social psychologist, and researcher believes that human personalities are shaped by social, environmental, current situational factors, peer pressure, genetic and imitational factors. So the teen’s behaviour is affected by all of the above and especially peer pressure and current situation which can be a reflection of the information-age.
They imitate their peers as they extremely want to fulfill their psychological, physical needs, such as the gang character. External aggravating factors such as drinks, bare dressings during the dance, can clearly be seen from a psychoanalytic view, it forces them to unwanted sex.
“The consequences are like social, economic and health. Socially, they inject such behaviours in to the community and stand distinctively from the accepted social norms. Economically, as they get scarce of money to enter the party, they will begin thieving and hooliganism. In the context of health problem, due to the tributes of the above stated atmosphere in the dance room, uncontrolled sex leads them to STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases), unwanted pregnancy, abortion and other health problems and most of all HIV/AIDS.” the psychologist added.
He presents the following as a solution: One, the hotel owners should stop running such parties for the sake of grabbing money and rather find an end to it. The mass media have a great role to play in changing their attitude, the hotels and teenagers. But, the best means is Focus Group Discussion (FGD), in which these teenagers are brought into groups and made to discuss on the matter.
