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DIASPORA

THREE STORIES OF RETURN

MARIA DWEGGAH

A writer in the local newspaper, Fortune,
described the Ethiopian Millennium as “the event that seems to be the centre of attention for politicians, businesses, tourists and everyone else that is just a fan of a big old bash that has somehow managed to change itself into the one route to change the image of the country and to somehow put a glowing halo of a once negatively perceived Ethiopia.”

Wherever you go, someone has just returned from Canada, Washington, or Chicago or has a cousin who has recently come back to set up shop. I had always associated Diaspora with the dispersion of the Jews from what is now present day State of Israel, but there is also the African Diaspora, the dispersion of the African people to the four corners of the world. The Ethiopian Government is launching an aggressive campaign to woo Ethiopians back to the homeland to help in its growth and development, offering tax breaks on importing belongings and flexible land ownership laws.

Below are the stories of Tadiwos Belete who left Ethiopia as a young refugee who has recently returned to invest in the development of his country ; Desmond Martin, a Rastafarian who returned to the Motherland following a dream years ago of a back to Africa movement, and Terrefe Ras-Work, an ITU staff member, retired, who went back to Ethiopia to start a business.

Drawn by success
We met Tadiwos Belete on the second day of our visit to Ethiopia. The Washington Post in its 6 March 2005 article spoke of him as one of the “far-flung Ethiopian émigrés, driven away by upheaval, drawn back by success.“ He greeted us at his Club Med type establishment situated in Debre Zeit, 30 minutes southeast of Addis, the Kuriftu Resort and Spa. After a delicious breakfast overlooking the swimmable lake, Tadiwos took us around the property and pointed out some of its unique features that could rival any top resort, with 25 individual lake view cottage style bungalows, conference center, horseback riding, golf, tennis court, swimming pool, movie theater, sauna, massage parlors and hair salon. The handcrafted beds, furniture, bathroom accessories are all made using local material – their style purely “Tadiwos.“ Following the tour, we sat over a few cold beers. We told him why we were in Ethiopia, our interest in the Ethiopian diaspora and in meeting someone who, successful in his adopted country, had taken the decision to return to his native land. Our questions focused on what drew him back, the potential for Ethiopia in increasing tourism and his plan to contribute to changing the image of Ethiopia to one that is more positive and less stereotypical. He told us his story.
In 1980 the teenaged Tadiwos fled Ethiopia as many before him to escape political oppression. His first stop was neighboring Sudan, where he spent his first days in a refugee center. He stayed in Sudan three years, earning his living at a variety of jobs. He remembered his first one where he had to sit in the middle of a farm with a stick keeping the birds away – a sort of human scarecrow. He eventually moved to Khartoum where he worked as a houseboy. His lot improved a bit when he became a waiter at the Araak Hotel. He then was offered a position managing a guesthouse. He recalled earning a pretty good salary including tips which at times exceeded US$100 per night.

Moved to Boston
While in Sudan he applied for resettlement in the United States. In September 1983 he landed in Chicago. After a short stay there, he moved to Boston. He enrolled at a community college and got an Associate Degree in accounting. He first opened up an Ethiopian restaurant in the downtown area of Boston. He left this business and began promoting Ethiopian singers in the US. In 1989 he realized his dream of working in the fashion industry and enrolled in a hairdresser school. To pay for his studies he worked in the evenings as a night parking lot valet. Once graduated, he became an assistant in a top hair salon in an upscale part of Boston starting at US$ 300 per week.

Within six months, he moved up to stylist, top stylist and manager earning up to US$ 3000 per week. He formed a cooperation with seven others who pooled their money and purchased a salon on Newbury Street which was named Konjo Salon of Elegance, employing 22 international staff. He was profiled on the cover of the Boston Business magazine as a successful Black entrepreneur. A second salon near the Ritz Carlton in Boston followed. It was during this period that he met the woman who would change his life, someone who believed in his dream of returning to Ethiopia and who was willing to invest in that dream and went into a partnership with him.

In 2003 Tadiwos returned to Ethiopia and embarked yet on another venture and the Boston Spa was born. The Boston Spa is a successful business enterprise in downtown Addis, boasting exercise rooms, saunas, a full service spa, vibrating massage chairs and a hair-braiding room. This was followed by another success, the Kuriftu Resort and Spa.

Betele does not plan to stop there but has hopes of building similar spas in other regions of Ethiopia. His conviction is that the image of Ethiopia will change with increased facilities and improved infrastructures. Ethiopia has a rich history, lakes, forests, wildlife, good climate. Its people are hospitable and friendly. There is much to do, much to invest in. His message to his fellow Ethiopians abroad is to come back, revisit their roots, construct the bridge, rebuild the country, create a new image of Ethiopia – make Ethiopia a tourist destination.

Arrived hungry
Time was getting late. Reluctantly we left the luxurious surroundings on our way to Shashemene, another three or more hours south, first stopping off at Lake Langano for lunch.

The restaurant at Lake Langano which was highly recommended as serving delicious Italian food had actually been closed for a few years or at least it had that appearance. Now why didn’t someone bother to find out if this place was still open before starting out on the 34 km detour ? A big change from the beautifully paved road we had been driving on. By the time we reached Shashemene it was past 3 in the afternoon, arriving tired, hungry and thirsty.

I put Shashemene on my to-do list, to visit the town famous for the Rastafarians. Our place of rendez-vous was the Lily of the Valley Hotel, which happened to be the first noticeable building as you drive into the town on your right. I had images of Rastas walking around in their long dreadlocks, spliffs hanging from mouths, reggae music blasting, with greetings of “hey mon”. The image was shattered when I saw this large, modern pink building, seemingly out of place and not at all what I had expected. We entered the reception, announced who we were. Someone went to find the person we were supposed to meet, Mr Desmond Martin, the elected “Chef du Village”.

In the meantime, we went to the restaurant on the second floor and we were regaled by some very good food and some much appreciated cold beer. By the time Desmond came, it was getting dark but we were able to have a conversation with him outside the hotel, focusing on the history of the Rasta movement in Jamaica, his own migration to Ethiopia, take a few pictures and to visit his home, meet his wife and even see the room where Bob Marley slept in 1979, as well as the actual bed he slept in.

Unfortunately, we did not have enough time to visit the village, its school, the museum, the shops or other points of interest. Due to night falling, the late hour and the somewhat dangerous road back to Addis, not due to the conditions of the road but danger caused by the crazy Isuzu truckers, our driver suggested we start heading back. He informed us that most accidents are caused by them. Could it be attributed to the fact that 4 out of 5 vehicles on the roads seem to be Isuzu trucks ? We reached Addis a bit after midnight.

The third returnee is a former ITU official who after some thirty years in Geneva has gone back as an investor in his home country Ethiopia. Terrefe Ras-Work rebuilt the former palace of Emperor Menelik in Ankober, the then capital of Ethiopia prior to the founding of Addis Ababa.

The former “fonctionnaire” turned entrepreneur has built the Ankober Palace Lodge which is found some 172 kms northwest of Addis Ababa. Unfortunately our tight schedule did not allow us to spare the three and half hours drive to visit the Palace Lodge.
Under the circumstances, Terrefe invited us to have a cyber trip to see the palace. (www.ankoberlodge.com.et)

Spectacular scenery
This ecotourism enterprise is located on the escarpment of the Ethiopian plateau over looking the Great Rift Valley. It is designed as a rest and recuperation centre where one enjoys spectacular scenery in a calm and quite environment. The area is known for its historical and cultural heritage as in its hey days hosted monasteries of Judeo-Christian, Orthodox Christian and Catholic faiths. In the nearby lowlands followers of Islamic faith have also built ancient mosques which still stand today. Trekking and horse riding are activities enjoyed by visitors accompanied by experienced guides.

International civil servants, diplomats and guests of tour operators frequent the Lodge where they find serenity in a quiet and clean environment at a reasonable price. (The going B&B rate is $50 to 60 per room.)

Ankober was the hub of the old Coffee Caravan Route which brought out coffee from the hinterland through the ancient port Zeila, now Djibouti to the rest of the world via the Red Sea. And as is well known, Ethiopia is the original home of coffee.