Update: Kidist Foods - Some Background on Implementation

Presentation at the United Nations
NGO Committee on the Status of Women Conference 61, New York, 2017
Kidist Foods Cookbook Presentation for
Economic Self-Sufficiency of Young Ethiopian Women

I presented a paper at the 2017 UN Commission on the Status of Women workshop: "Empowering African Women to Lead with Renewable Energy: Training for Homes and Community-Based Enterprises."

My topic was under the general heading: "Key Terms in the Human Effects of Changing Environments: Fostering Greater Economic Empowerment for Women and Girls." and a sub-theme - "Women's Economic Empowerment in the Changing World of Work."

My presentation centered around Ethiopian urban women. I discussed the potential of these urban, poor, women to engage in cooking enterprises. And I also discussed a small Ethiopian cookbook as part of a means to fund these enterprises.

This all eventually became the Kidist Foods project, which includes the book and other proceed-generating items (an apron, for example).

My presentation simply recounted a "story" of a poor, Ethiopian woman from Addis Ababa, and how through her skills, she could start to become economically self-sufficient for herself and her family. I also presented my ideas on the cookbook project.

As a side note, the workshop was almost cancelled because of an unexpected snow storm, which left many "international" travelers stranded, and the workshop room empty. The audience that grouped together was from the rounds the programmer made to the various rooms, and those waiting for their event to start. We had Afghani and Indian women in our "African" event.

I braved the elements, and didn't cancel my trip from Toronto.

It was interesting that a few young women (one Indian, another if I remember correctly, from Kenya) came up to me after the workshop to ask me some questions.

The room was receptive to my presentation.

"Abichu The King"

Guarding: PM Abiy (right) with traditional Ethiopian shields
At the Adama Industrial Park

From PM Abiy's Facebook page, with over 160 comments, and two in particular:

- Broke Kiya Abichu the King. [KPA: Of course, this could be part in jest. But "Abichu" is a term of endearment]
- Yoseph Abera Our real leader, our brave Man, Dr Abiy !

"We Will Make Addis Ababa a Flower that Flourishes, Like Her Name"

In my previous post, I posted the Facebook dancing fountains of PM Abiy's Addis Ababa Riverside Project.

The "translation" on this Abiy's Facebook page Amharic note:

አዲስ አበባን እንደ ስሟ የምታፈራ አበባ እናደርጋታለን::

is...

We will make Addis Ababa a flower that fears Addis Ababa like its name.

This is slightly wrong!

The actual translation is:

We will make Addis Ababa a flower that flourishes, like her name.

I suppose in some ways it is good to fear Addis Ababa, to prevent enemies and ill-wishers from getting on her streets.

And, Abiy's philosophy of peace, for which he won the Nobel Prize for Peace, and his persistent strategies to ward off war with malcontent ethnic groups, makes his wish ring true:

We will make Addis Ababa a flower that flourishes, like her name.

The Addis Ababa Riverside Project: Clean the City!

The bold PM Abiy has let the fountains pour out their water. The COVID is also somewhere in Addis Ababa. Instead of hiding behind masks and gloves and a covert-COVID, Abiy is promoting his Addis Ababa Riverside Project, and cleaning the streets and the air

...to enhance the well-being of city dwellers by mitigating river flooding and through the creation of public spaces and parks, bicycle paths and walkways along the riversides.

This project will run along two of the largest rivers of the city, stretching a total of 51 kilometres, all the way from the mountains of Entoto through to Akaki River.

It also aims to improve the well-being of inhabitants and realise the country’s aspiration of building a green economy through the expansion of green spaces...

Ezekiel 36: 25-38

25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.

30 And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.

31 Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.

32 Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.

33 Thus saith the Lord God; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded.

34 And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.

35 And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.

36 Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it.

37 Thus saith the Lord God; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock.

38 As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the Lord.

Bougainvilleas and Rhododendrons

Rhododendrons (left) and Bougainvilleas (right): What's the difference?

The Port Credit lake side rhododendrons give a tropical ambiance, especially with the heat wave now going on.

They reminded me of bougainvilleas. I got the image on the right from "bougainvillea in Addis" google search. The left is my photo.

Technically, Addis Ababa is not a tropical city. It is a high altitude city, with temperate temperatures. So, there are some similarities, after all, between the two scenes.