While members of the ruling Woyanne junta and their families plunder the country and buy properties in Western capitals, over one million people in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa are left homeless and many of them depend on restaurant leftovers to survive. Addis Fortune reports the following:
(ADDIS FORTUNE) — Fekadu Petros, 24, moved to Addis Abeba from his native Wolayta, 390km south of the capital following the death of his father, who was survived by seven children and his wife. The short and skinny young man has worked in the city for the past four years, sending whatever money he can save to his mother and siblings.
He is attached to a scrap metal store in Menallesh Terra, Merkato, which pays him 250 Br a month. But, he also carries stuff for a lot of people visiting Merkato to do their shopping. On good days he can make as much as 60 Br from these people, he says.
The money may seem significant, but living on a day-to-day basis, people like Fekadu hardly think of their incomes on a monthly basis. They pay 10 Br just for a sleeping space on a mat. For 300 Br a month, they could get a better place, but they do not have enough money at any given time to pay for it upfront. They live on a daily basis.
A proper meal costs about 15 Br in that part of Merkato. Many of these people, including day labourers, shoeshine boys, snack vendors, and beggars, eat gursha, handfuls of restaurant leftovers served from plastic bags.
Gursha, under normal circumstances, is a small roll of enjera and stew that one person puts into the mouth of another as an act of intimacy or hospitality, a tradition in Ethiopia.
However, in Merkato, daily labourers buy their meals in gurshas, and these gurshas are so big that one cannot help but be amazed at seeing that much food finding enough space in one person’s mouth.
Gursha has become a business for people with access to restaurant leftovers, serving people who cannot afford a proper meal. A veteran gursha vendor, a middle-aged woman who declined to give her name, as well as her friends first came up with the idea of selling gursha in 1989 in Teklehaimnot area, she said. They later moved into Menallesh Terra in 1992. Another group of young people started such a business near Ras Theatre in Merkato, and they called the place where they settled Fews Terra, translated remedy area.
The unemployment rate in Addis Abeba is 19pc, but that has not deterred the 55,000 additional people who migrate from other regions each year in search of job and better life, the Central Statistical Agency (CSA) reports. Fekadu had to drop out of high school to join this flood of poorly educated people who mostly end up as day labourers.
Now, twice a day, he lines up at Fews Terra for a trio of giant gurshas, which costs three Birr in all and fills his stomach, leaving him happy and satisfied. Although they used to pay only 50 cents for the same amount just a few years back, they do not complain. He often tries to get to Fews Terra early, when the line is short, in order to get the better food. Besides, as the hands of the sellers get tired, the size of their gurshas get smaller.
One of these culinary businessmen is Mehreteab Tewelde, a young man from the Abenet area in his early 20s, who quit school after eighth grade. He has been selling gursha for about a year now. He buys four large plastic bags full of leftover food, known as bulle, left over in the local vernacular, from restaurant employees for 30 Br each. When all of his customers have had their gurshas, his profit might be 70 Br to 90 Br per day. His mother only knows that he is a plumber. If she discovered his real job, she would be embarrassed, he says, even though he gives her all the money he makes from it.
Another such person works as a cleaner at a restaurant, which gives him bags of food to give away for free. But he sells it at Fews Terra, instead.
These gurshas do not only save money but also time for people who need to rush back to look for more work.
‘‘The only thing that matters is to save some money from what I earn, no matter what I eat or where I sleep,’’ Fekadu said, echoing the opinions of many of the people in the line.
In the competitive business of supplying gursha, having water for hand washing and drinking is an advantage. The Fews Terra sellers benefit from the local Total gas station, whose owner, Bereka Delil, has given free access to water for the beggars, shoe shiners, day labourers, and anyone else who needs a drink or wash.
This business has recently spread to many areas of Addis Abeba. Merkato has at least three places. There are others in Piazza and Sidist Kilo areas. The Sidist Kilo sellers get their leftovers from Addis Abeba University’s campus for free. ‘‘I am so happy that I get to eat and sleep everyday,’’ Tariku Kebede, 30, one of the sellers there says.
This is the sentiment shared by almost all of the vendors and customers of the gursha markets. These youngsters only think about how to get through their daily hustle and bustle.
Officials of Addis Ketema District, of which Merkato is a part, has followed neither the market nor the health risks involved in eating leftover food, according to Hussien Kelifa, expert at the Wereda 18 Health Office, which monitors Menallesh Terra.
The way the food is carried, served, and eaten looks very unhygienic, says Abenet Tekle, a researcher in food science and nutrition at the Pasteur Institute.
“I have never fallen ill because of a meal I have eaten from bulle,” Fekadu says.
His family, he says, are happy with the money he regularly sends to them, thinking that he is working in a good place and eating good food.
21 thoughts on “Some of the poor in Addis Ababa survive on restaurant leftovers”
This is the result of the woyanne’s 12% economy growth.
Does power turn people into tyrants or do tyrants get power ? What ever the case human nature is amazing. While the poor suffers, Ethiopian leaders, past and present, have been known to ignoring the plight of the poor. I would like to point one thing though, as much as this story is sad, this kids seem to be happier than those of us here in the west. Most of us live similar life, though we don’t eat dirty food and live in a dirty place, we live for the day. Yes few may have excelled but the majority live to cover daily expenses and that is it. When I was a kid, I use to see pictures TIME and NEWS WEEK magazines of Mexican kids eating of off garbage in Mexico city. Also I used to read about Indians renting a sleeping spot on the streets of Calcutta and other big cites. Never imagined I would read this kind of story about my own country. The trend is that I will also read a more terrible story about my own country, stuff that I read about other countries right now. How do we the route our country is heading ? This is a question for the genius.
Elias, please do not exaggerate. I live in Ethiopia and I know what is going on. The gursha system exists mainly because people want to save time . This is especially true for street vendors, day labourers, woyalas…etc who can’t afford to go to a sit down restaurant and eat lunch. The money saved is incidental.
Read what I cut and pasted below. It is from the same article. You just forgot to highlight it.
These gurshas do not only save money but also time for people who need to rush back to look for more work.
Anonymous replies:
December 27th, 2011 at 7:45 PM
stupid arrogant leba weayne. the gursha system as you noted doesn’t exist because people want to save time.. it is exists because people are in desperate need to fill their hungry belly. maybe you grew up with it (and it is okay for you begger) before you looted our money and became the overnight rich leba.
Desta replies:
December 27th, 2011 at 8:21 PM
Solomon ,
Have you ever asked yourself why don’t these street vendors, day labourers, woyalas…etc afford to spend appropriate time on eating? How come the drivers of the taxi has the time to spend time on sit down restaurants and the woyalas don’t? Is the woyala going to work by himself while the driver is eating at a restaurant? I don’t think anyWoyala is short of time to get some decent food. The main reasons why the woyalas and others go to the gursha places to eat is because they want to save money not time as you said it up there. Hopefully you start tiping Woyalas better from nowon.
Hungry replies:
December 28th, 2011 at 9:32 AM
Solomon
Did you say you live in Ethiopia? Do you go to one on of these places for a quick bite when you are pressed for time? After all if it is good for the day laborers and woyallas, shouldn’t it be good enough for busy executives like you sir? Please dine at one of these places and share your experience with us confused Diasporas who exaggerate everything. Short of this,you will be a hypocrite.
Put up or shut up
EyOB replies:
December 28th, 2011 at 10:11 AM
Solomon,
You are one of those heartless woyane thugs who live outside of Ethiopia that is hired to speak in behalf of one of the most coldblooded dictator Ethiopians have ever seen. It takes a good heart, kindness, compassion to understand the sufferings of others. You careless what happens to the rest of Ethiopians as long as you eat and drink till you vomit and fill your pockets with stolen money. You have no shame! You have no conscience! Not only you people are an embarrassment to your ethnic group, but also to human race! The likes of you are all a disgrace to humanity! You disgust people to the core!
A rough ride on the life of our children,uh!
We can only clamim a meaningful life for out present and future children,if and only if, we,Ethiopians are in control of our destiny.The children of mafias have been sent to china to be the future communists and dictators,the rest are sent to western top universities to secure the jewel places and rule the business world ,the rest are sent to a varities of militatry academies looking forward to be high ranking generals and go out and guard the multibillion dollar business empire built and kept for them.clearly,our children are not in the graden smelling the aroma of the roses;they are feeding on thrown out garbages,fighting with dogs,cats,rats,and bugs.Too many hungry children,too many homelesses,and too many deathes.
Business is booming for the children of murderers and looters while over a quarter millions of homeless little girls and boys and men and women Ethiopians are absolutely in hopless and meaningless life just don’t know,if stay alive or perish the next day.
Let’s all come together and end the misery of our children by removing the murderers and looters from the surface and the life of our children for once and for all.Yes,we can do it.
Anonymous replies:
December 28th, 2011 at 6:25 AM
While watching N korea’s leader funeral, I was thinking about Meles Junior leading the procession at the pasting of Meles senior.
Anonymous replies:
January 28th, 2012 at 4:51 AM
the way that things are going in ethiopia , i don t think that meles has much time left because there are too many unsatisfied people from top to bottom.
Solomon, I am sure, if I take your own picture with a digital camera and turn it around and show you, from what I understand from your comment, you are the type of dude, who will deny that it is not your picture. Not long time ago, I was in Addis and have witnessed the abject poverty that is going on with the people, who do not have any means of existing except to forge on in the land fill throw away food, if there is anything they can find and of course from where ever they find it.
May be you are one of those lucky one, probably with some connection with the power to be, hence it is that for the kind of you, the gursha system you pointed out sound like that of Queen Maria Antoinette of France, saying “Give them cake”, when the poor were demanding for food. Or you are the kind of dude, like that of the proverbial saying of “Burying your head in the sand like that of Ostrich”, when faced with danger. I guess, you cannot understand, what is happening in front of you.
Gebrehiwot replies:
December 29th, 2011 at 4:14 PM
Well said. I was also in Addis last year. I have gone to the places where the Gurshas are sold. I have seen it by my own two eyes. I have bought few poor people the gursha. Instead of taking a $1.00 giveaway they prefer you to buy them the Gursha. They tell you that $1.00 does’t buy nothing. Mr. Dude. where’re you from ? I have a cousin of mine who complained against the Hotel owners who denied him to sell him the leftovers for his dog. He used to have a contract with the hotel. They refused to sell him the leftover, because the sell it to the Merkato people with a better price for Gursha. I can tell you more son of mercilles son of cold blooded….. what ever.
I know Addis very well when and who was begging on its street. Now the millioners. You are one of the son of the thugs.
Solomon
Do you really believe it is an exaggeration? Are you suggesting that the Gursha establishments are the equivalent of fast food restaurants for the poor? Given the chance, do you really believe, that the daily laborers, woyalla, etc. as you put it, would prefer left over food over a sit down meal at an affordable restaurant? I hope not.
Solomon, the fact is, the present regime that continuously brags about achieving a double digit economic growth year after year can’t even take care of the indigent population. Inflation and unemployment are out of control. It is not uncommon to hear about working parents sending their children to school on empty stomachs simply because they can’t afford to feed them .The rich are getting filthy rich while the poor can’t even afford one decent meal a day. This is the reality!!
You can choose to bury your head in the sand and call it an exaggeration.Sooner or later the hodams who throw their used tooth picks in the left over the poor depend on to survive will face a rude awakening.
Manu
ETHIOPIANS ARE DEAD PEOPLE WHO FEAR DEATH.
Under the reign of Woyane tyranny, Ethiopians have all the more reason to conquer fear and rise up. At this point in our history, Fear is the only thing Ethiopian have to fear.
Ethiopians Rise Up – BEKA GAYE
The most funny part of our personality is that we ask others to rise. Who will rise if we, those who ask others are not willing to do it. I guess that may be the reason why we have many opposition figures are abandoning the struggle against woyane because they end up being sacrificial lambs, rather than others following suit. If we don’t have it lets stay put. If we have it lets do it. Lets not point at others to sacrifice.
There are well accomplished millions of Ethiopians who live around the world who can afford to sponsor some of these young Ethiopians to get some education to help themselves and their families. This is one way to help your country and your people. If those who can afford to help one, two or three young Ethiopians, it will be a great asset to our country. Meles and his thugs are looting every penny of the country, but they will never take away the knowledge from Ethiopians. As they say in America, A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Please help to educate these Ethiopians, or help them to start small businesses.
The only solution to this facist government is the Erttrean government must get involved to oust this gready agame governent. They are very confortable now since the US and other poewrful cantry are watching their back while they are salling every piece of Ethiopia to enrich themselves.
Eritrean replies:
December 29th, 2011 at 3:28 PM
If you are Ethiopian do it for your self do not expect anyone to do it for you.
Heartbreaking! It spoiled my day. I wish I did not read this.
Mekuria,
We must not close our eyes, ears and pretend nothing bad is happening in Ethiopia. Hard to imagine how these young Ethiopians must feel when people like you even hate knowing or reading about the horrible conditions in Ethiopia. It is impossible to find solutions for unknown problems. We must know about these things. Thank God to those Ethiopians who are risking their lives to get the truths out in the open. Woyanes are throwing law-abiding, innocent journalists and opposition leaders in prison and everything under the sun to hide their looting, the tortures and the killings they are committing. And we must not turn our faces from hearing the truth and give Woyanes what they want.
Greetings,
What is up my fellow Ethiopians? I see in your comments that You feel, and care for the poor brothers and sisters. It is good because a kind heart is necessary to understand their sufferings. HOWEVER, that is not the helping part. Share whatever assets(money, idea, energy, time) you have to them. Maybe, the things that looks small to you might be, A BIG HELP FOR THEM. What someone else has to do or not for them isn’t our business. What tomorrow has to bring for our poor sisters and brothers isn’t our business as well. What You(Me) can do or contribute for the people who needs our immediate helping hand today is OUR BUSINESS. Don’t hope for something that you can’t do AND LET YOU STOP FROM WHAT YOU ACTUALLY CAN DO. So, don’t sadden your heart by foolish hope. Do YOUR SHARE, and the rest is done.
For those of you Who feel sad every time read these kinds of heart breaking stories, OPEN YOUR HAND FOR THEM today. Maybe, what is too small or unnecessary for you will be LIFE CHANGING FOR THOSE WHO NEEDS HELP.