𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐸𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒

What is Abay (Nile) for you? What does it mean to you? I’m very sure you’ll say “Abay for me is a river of water that originated from my country and it takes a lot of Ethiopian soil with it.” You are right no mistake. But let me ask you another question what is Ethiopia? I heard a great guy say “you are an Ethiopian while you live and Ethiopia when you die.” He is right too. But there is something I would like to change from his saying. I’d say “you’re Ethiopia either you’re dead or alive.” “How?” That’s a good question. Haven’t you ever been hit by rain? Haven’t you ever cut your hand with a knife and lost blood? Haven’t you ever sweat? Haven’t your hair ever fell out? Haven’t your skin ever been dry? I’m pretty sure you have experienced at least one of those things listed above. Where did all those things go? Isn’t it to the ground? Ethiopian ground? So aren’t you being Ethiopia every single second of your life? Abay is not just a river. Abay is you. If you think of it deeply it’s not the ground is washed away you’re the one who’s being washed away. You are Abay.

Abay is a bridge between two dimensions, Heaven and earth. It’s the water that feeds your body while you’re on earth and the wine that feeds your soul while in heaven. It’s one of the 4 major rivers. How can anyone forget that for even one second? How can you let wine initiating from your country go that easily and buy it with an overrated price?

Have you ever heard that our ancestors used to wash the legs of European explorers at that time whom intention was to steal treasures, both money, and knowledge (no hard feelings it was in the past) before they leave Ethiopia? The doings of our ancestors weren’t out of ignorance or backwardness. It was out of deep patriotism. Our ancestors knew, accepted, and protected the fact that they were Ethiopians while they live and Ethiopia when they die. Our ancestors didn’t want the so-called explorers to take a tiny grain of Ethiopian soil or in the right language a tiny grain of them, out of their sight. So they kneel to wash the legs of thieves.

The youth; Now, at this time, with all this money, technology, drive, knowledge what held you from carrying our ancestors’ sacred legacy? How can you let Abay wash you away? For how long are going to let it rob you while you’re sleeping intentionally or oblivious? I heard another great guy say “there is nothing like poverty that takes your morals away” and losing one’s moral is the greatest loss. Trust me it’s the one thing you don’t ever want to lose. It’s the only line protecting us from going millions of years back in evolution. So remember when you become careless about Abay you’re giving your ticket out of poverty away. So stand up and say “where do you think you’re going?” to Abay. A rational humane person knows very well that you can use yourself. Even the rocks know that. Stand up and ask the world to make a fair decision.

The government; our past kings and queens were smart so they didn’t sign any treaties that could harm the coming generations. We know that there are rulers and leaders as smart as the past leaders at this time and we have no doubt that they will do everything in their power to protect the benefit of the Ethiopian people.

For the divided people and their rulers, Even if our country becomes divided as you wish, which we pray for it never to happen, and you become the rulers of your district with that comes specific obligations. So to provide electric power, water, or irrigation for your people, Abay plays a crucial role. Like our ancestors used to say “joint spider webs can tie a lion” we should all stand together and play our roles for the completion of the GERD.

𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑

The construction of GERD is not just a matter of development for the Ethiopian people it is a matter of life and death. We want an unbiased usage of the Nile River. This dam won’t even have a 0.00000001 negative impact on the people of Egypt.

I don’t think I have to tell you what you presented Ethiopia as on your dictionaries. Isn’t or wasn’t this country your example for famine? I’m not blaming you for using Ethiopia as an example of that because it was true; it’s a past that we haven’t completely recovered from yet. What comes first to your mind when you think of a trip to Ethiopia? Isn’t it filling your camping bags with food and vitamins? I wasn’t born at the time of the famine but I can still feel the pain of an infant child feeding from his dead mother’s breast. This is just a tiny fraction of all the painful stories. If I tell all the stories that I’ve heard even Sahara desert would cry. But that’s the past. We won’t change anything by just sitting and remembering. Learning history won’t be important if we don’t use it to create a better future. So all I’m asking from you is to protect the right of this country to make a better future for herself.

Imagine living in a house, it’s not even a house it’s more like a room with a kitchen (more like a fireplace to cook on), kids’ place, a living room, a dining room, a bedroom, and a barn for the animals inside of it. So crowded ha! And now imagine it pitch black. [It would be a perfect place for Hollywood to make a 12th-century movie] All you have is a lamp. And the lamp has smoke that burns your eyes; it’s powered by natural gas which your parents buy for a very high price. And imagine being a student preparing for a national exam. Is it too much? I’m not finished yet. Imagine your parents telling you to blow the lamp off not because they want you to do bad at your grades but because they cannot afford the gas. And imagine being forced to go outside of the house on a cold night and read under the light of the moon. This is more times than not, the life of an Ethiopian rural student. 65,000,000 Ethiopians still live in that situation. I think history will worship the generation who put an end to this kind of life. I mean we’re in the 21st century. I’ll say it again all I’m asking from you is to make a decision that history will always remember as fair. I know that a rational human being wants to put an end to this. I hope we get the all help we need to finish our dam and I hope you’re one of them.

Thͪaͣnk yoͦuͧ!

By 𝒯𝓈𝒾ℴ𝓃 𝒮𝒽ℯ𝓌𝒶𝓃𝒹𝒶ℊ𝓃 (Grade 11 Student)