A Song from Malawi ~ by Gidess Chalamanda

  

A Song from Malawi 

~ by Giddes Chalamanda ~ 

 

Discussing Abiy's "Big Vision" ~ by TPO

 

Discussing Abiy's "Big Vision" 

~ by TPO ~

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G A ===> Selam Hénock!  I, like you, was always proud of growing up in ስድስት  ኪሎ area;  there has been no place in Addis with greater prominence for the past century.  Going down from ሽሮ ሜዳ to መስቀል  አደባባይ  makes my point. The Abiy video you posted will reinforce our neighborhood's first class status.  Cheers.

Hénock ===> Wonderful !!!  ...
Big and ambitious.  However I don't care for some of the "westernization" ideas like golf courses, etc.  When you still have homeless and others wasting away elsewhere, Abiy seems to be catering to the affluent and to foreign tourists.  
- Abiy does not talk in depth about changing the culture and habits of the people, e.g. in the areas of health and hygiene!  Contrast that with the situation in Asmara (in Eritrea) ... how Eritreans are obsessed with keeping their city clean and beautiful!  
- What is the point of building boulevards if you don't have anti-littering laws?  Where are sidewalks on streets?  Where are traffic laws and signs?
- So many pre-fab skyscrapers by/from China but very scant water for public utility !  And electric power is in poor supply and not equitably distributed as far as usage goes.  Imagine how much electricity is deployed leaving the common man with little or no service.  
- Abiy seems to be enamored with shiny and superficial face-lifts, but priorities and a down-to-earth, reality-based value system needs to be the foundation of all development projects.  Above all, focus should be aimed at all the citizens and how their lives could be affected.  
- The municipalities of the many precincts of Addis still have to learn and enforce "zoning principles".  For instance,  Residences and Businesses should not be side by side.  

G A ===> Your concern is well-taken.  I was in Asmara two years ago, impressed by the neatness and orderly lifestyle.  One other thing that vexes me is the Amharic signs on businesses [in Addis] are being replaced in English.  Tourists looking at that may wonder if we were colonized by the British.

Hénock ===> Not to sound too political, but the reactionary Oromos may have something to do with that.  They have simmering resentments despite the fact that they don't have an alternative language script of their own.  So instead they prefer a "ferenji" script.