By Mesrak Gessesse

October is “Breast Cancer Awareness Month” in the United States. I am writing this “letter” in hopes of raising greater awareness about the disease among Ethiopian women and encouraging them to fight the disease effectively with early detection and treatment. With the types of treatments available today, breast cancer is a disease that can be treated effectively if caught early.

The word “cancer” is enough to scare anybody, but it is a woman’s worst nightmare to be told that she has breast cancer. I went through an emotional roller coaster — shock, denial, anger, and “why me” self-pity — when my doctor told me I had breast cancer. Thank God the cancer was caught in its earliest phase known as “stage 0”. If I had skipped my annual checkup and mammogram, the result could have been much different.

One of the things I have observed over the years is that many of us Ethiopian women in the U.S. tend to be lax about doing our annual checkups or having our regular mammograms. For some of us, it is a simple problem of not being able to afford any health care. Without insurance, getting health care in the U.S. could be very difficult. But I have also found out that many Ethiopian women who have the means to get regular checkups and mammograms often do not get it.

I have heard many reasons for this potentially dangerous situation not just from strangers but also friends and family members. I believe one of the major reasons for this situation has to do with not being well-informed about breast cancer. Many of us are so scared of the disease that we don’t want to think about it, let alone actively learn information that could save our lives. I have heard so many Ethiopian women say they will not go to see the doctor unless they are “very sick”. With breast cancer, waiting until one is “very sick” means one is just too late to get help to save one’s life.

This attitude is understandable, even though very risky, given the fact that many immigrant Ethiopian women are overburdened with family and work responsibilities and find it almost impossible to pay attention to their basic health care needs. Being in the health care field, I have talked to some Ethiopian women who have told me of their belief that if they go to see the doctor, they may find out they have a “bad disease such as cancer”. Strange as it may seem to them, that is exactly what they need to find out with breast cancer, and as early as possible.

Breast cancer is one disease that no woman can hide from or afford to ignore. Ignoring breast cancer is like ignoring a small brushfire in the forest. Left alone, the brush fire will eventually destroy the forest. Breast cancer, if not detected early or ignored after one catches its tell-tale signs, could spread to various organs in the body and kill its victim. It is not uncommon for some women to feel lumps in their breasts, ignore it and not have it checked out because it “does not hurt.” That is a big mistake. Any kind of lump or hard tissue in the breast should be taken very seriously and checked out by a doctor.

There are also myths that many Ethiopian women believe about breast cancer tests and treatments. For example, some women avoid getting their annual mammograms because they believe they can get cancer from it. Mammogram does not cause breast cancer. It is a simple and painless procedure just like taking X-rays. There is very little risk of getting cancer from doing a mammogram.

Some Ethiopian women believe cancer is something to be ashamed of. They don’t want their friends and relatives to know they have it and keep it a secret to themselves until it is too late or they are in the hospital. There is nothing shameful about breast cancer. It is a terrible disease that does not discriminate between women who are poor or rich, black or white or in whatever part of the world a woman may live in.

What I want to stress here more than anything else is the fact that Ethiopian women need to do regular medical checkups and get mammograms to catch any symptoms or signs of breast cancer. Breast cancer is not like the flu, it does not go away with a few days of bed rest. If left untreated, it gets worse by the day until it reaches a point where nothing can be done medically. Early detection of breast cancer is the key to survival.

The really sad part of breast cancer is the needless deaths that are caused because Ethiopian women simply avoid doing the basic things that could help catch the disease at its early stage. Perhaps like many who may read this “letter”, over the years I have lost friends, acquaintances, co-workers and family members to this terrible disease. I have to say many lost their lives because they did not have timely breast cancer screening and diagnosis, or ignored their symptoms until after it was too late.

I know for many Ethiopian women in the U.S. there are cultural, language and financial issues that make it difficult to get regular checkups and screenings for breast cancer. I believe Ethiopian women helping each other could help greatly in dealing with these issues. That is why I ask all of my Ethiopian sisters to openly talk about breast cancer with each other at home, in places of worship and social events and gatherings and share information about early breast cancer detection and treatment. As we freely talk about our high blood pressure or diabetes, we should do the same with breast cancer so that we can get help in a timely fashion.

I believe Ethiopian health professionals can play a key role in educating and getting early diagnosis and treatment for women at risk for breast cancer. Ethiopian women doctors especially, and men too, could play an important role in educating women about the disease, doing screenings and suggesting possibilities for those who may not be able to afford health care. There are many local clinics and hospitals in the U.S. that offer free breast cancer screenings for women who cannot afford it.

It would be great if Ethiopian women could start breast cancer patient support groups in their local communities throughout the U.S. that can provide information and one-to-one support for those diagnosed with breast cancer or going through treatment. Those in the religious community can play an important role by inviting knowledgeable health professionals in breast cancer to their community halls to educate Ethiopian women on how to access free or low cost health care to get checkups and mammograms. In many major cities, there are radio stations serving the Ethiopian community. They could help save many lives if they devoted some air time to breast cancer awareness and treatment. The same can be said of the various Ethiopian websites. I am hopeful that by next year this time, we will be able to have our first annual “Ethiopian Women Breast Cancer Awareness Month” to coincide with the national program.

I discovered my breast cancer during a routine annual mammogram screening test. The test showed traces of “micro calcification”, which are cells that could turn fully cancerous if left untreated. My doctor did a biopsy by taking a tiny amount of tissue from the breast area where the cancer cells were seen. I had surgery which removed just the affected tissue area. I did radiation therapy to make sure no cancer cells remained and got medication to prevent any possibility of recurrence. I was back to my regular schedule within a few short weeks.

Today I am cancer free, healthy and able to share my story with everyone, thanks to God. Regular checkups and mammogram tests saved my life. Let us all work together to create breast cancer awareness in our communities and help each other find ways of early detection and treatment.

(The writer works in health care administration in Southern California and is actively involved in efforts to promote early cancer detection and treatment and education. She may be reached at [email protected])

The Ethiopian Sports Federation in North America (ESFNA) is engulfed in a controversy after its Woyanne-infested 9-member executive committee has tried to reverse the 27-member board’s decision to invite Birtukan Mideksa as a guest of honor.

As reported earlier (see here), majority of the ESFNA board voted by a wide margin to invite Birtukan, which was violently opposed by Al Amoudi stooges Sebsebe Assefa, Ayaya Arega, and Endale Turfa. At one point, Sebsebe and Ayaya threatened to physically attack delegates from the Los Angeles Abebe Bikila and the Maryland St. Mikael teams who presented the proposal. When the chair, intimidated by Al Amoudi thugs, hesitated to allow a vote, five of the 27 teams walked out. At which point, the chair gave in and allowed a vote to take place. The result was 12 to 8 in favor of Birtukan. If the five teams who walked out in protest are counted, the total number of teams who are in favor of Birtukan are 17 out of the 27.

The next day after the vote, Al Amoudi servants (ashkeroch) regrouped and forced the executive committee to reverse the board’s decision.

Flush with money looted from Ethiopia by Al Amoudi, the executive committee is preparing to file a law suit against Ethiopian Review and also to launch a public relations campaign to sell its frivolous argument that ESFNA cannot get involved in politics by inviting a politician. What they conveniently forget is that on more than one occasion ESFNA had invited a political figure as a guest of honor. The involvement of Al Amoudi and Woyanne agents in the ESFNA itself is highly political. On top of that, some of the executive committee members, such as Endale Turfa, are Woyanne activists who organize events on behalf of the Meles junta.

Some members of the teams whose delegates voted NO to Birtukan’s invitation told Ethiopian Review today that they are terribly disappointed at the decision of their representatives.  Most members of the ESFNA teams are patriotic Ethiopians who oppose the executive committee’s relations with the Woyanne junta and Al Amoudi. The ESFNA Executive Committee is actually a toothless body that is bossed around by Al Amoudi’s top aid Abnet GebreMeskel and his gang of thugs led by Ayaya, Arawit, and Sebsebe.

Here is how the ESFNA teams stand on the Birtukan invitation:

Teams Who Voted for Birtukan
Abay Ethio – New York
Abebe Bikila – Los Angeles
Blue Nile – Chicago
Dashen – Seattle
Ethio SC – Atlanta
Ethio SC – Boston
Las Vegas – NV
Liberty Walya – PA
Nyala – MN
San Jose Anbessa – San Jose
Seattle Barro –
St Mikeal – MD
Tana – Denver
Toronto Ethiostars – Toronto
Unity – DC
Virginia Lions – VA
Walya – San Francisco

Teams Who Voted Against Birtukan
Abyssinia – Portland
Addis – Dallas
DC Ethiopian Stars
Ethio-Maryland
Ethio SA – Dallas
LA Ethio Stars – Los Angeles
St George – Ohio
Tewodros SC – San Diego

Abstained
Dallol – Culver City
Houston Ethiopian SA

6:30 PM — Hundreds of Ethiopians in the Washington DC Area are holding candle light vigil for Ali Mohammed on 9th and U Street. The vigil started at 6 PM. [Read about Ali here]

[Photos by Abebe Belew and Fitsum Girma]

Vigil for Ali outside DC9 at 9th and U Street

Ali’s sister at the vigil


DC Councilman Jim Graham

Tamagn Beyene

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Letter Ronald C. Machen Jr. US attorney’s office for the District of Columbia

Ronald C. Machen Jr.
US attorney’s office for the District of Columbia
555 4th street NW Washington, DC 20530.

Dear District Attorney Machen Jr.,

We are contacting you on behalf of the Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia (SMNE), an international social justice organization; committed to defending the rights of Ethiopians both in the Diaspora and within Ethiopia. We want to alert you to our serious concerns regarding the recent violent assault and subsequent death of a 27-year-old Ethiopian man, Ali Ahmed Mohammed, in Washington D.C. on October 15, 2010 at the hands of the owner and four employees from the nightclub, DC 9.

We do not defend Mr. Mohammed’s own actions that caused property damage to the DC 9 nightclub, but believe those reportedly involved in his brutal and horrific murder should be held accountable under the law of the United States of America. Instead of calling the police and letting the courts decide on the outcome, reports indicate that the owner and four of his employees from the DC 9 nightclub chased Mr. Mohammed down the street, threw him to the ground and then beat him and brutally stomped on his head and body. He died only 45 minutes later. What began as property damage to a window by Mr. Mohammed, led to a savage five-man gang assault against this one unarmed man.

We in the Ethiopian community are not only saddened by the loss of this man, we are also deeply disturbed by your office’s decision to amend the charges from Second Degree Murder to Aggravated Assault, despite the police reports and eyewitnesses that closely connect this brutal assault to Mr. Mohammed’s death. We would first ask why these charges were reduced; hoping that those original charges will soon be reinstated; however, if they are not, we would ask for an explanation.

We believe that transparency and rigorous adherence to the law can quell any suspicions; including concerns among Ethiopian Americans that somehow, his death will be attributed to other causes. Yet, as one can see from the picture above, the evidence that the attack was violent and vicious has left its bloody trail on the pavement.

There were also multiple eye-witnesses; both Ethiopian and non-Ethiopian, who will be able to testify to the heavy blows on his head and body that would have easily caused his death less than an hour later.

Ethiopians throughout the world, many of whom are very connected to each other through new technologies, are closely watching this case. They are shocked by the amended charges, but still maintain hope in the integrity of the American justice system. In Washington DC alone, we have over 300,000 Ethiopian Americans who are good citizens, hard-working people and law-abiding. Most have come to this great American land after running away from the rampant injustice, lack of political rights and corruption within Ethiopia; a country where political alliances and cronyism regularly pervert justice.

We ask you to show us an irrefutable example of American justice being served; even if it requires independent medical examiners, forensic experts, independent investigators, a change of court venue or other actions that may become necessary to create greater trust in the system and its fair, non-biased outcome.

We in the SMNE, are standing together with other Ethiopians and justice-loving people to make sure that the rule of law is followed because this young man who died was not just an unknown Ethiopian immigrant or a young man with a Muslim name or someone who committed a wrongful property crime, but he is our American family member, one of us and above all, a human being created by God who did not deserve to die this way. We believe in humanity before anything else and that until justice is served to all; the justice of all is threatened.

As an organization representing the Ethiopian people, we in the SMNE have already contacted a major law firm in Washington DC about some of the facts of this case. They have agreed to work with the SMNE, the Ethiopian community and the family as questions, difficulties or issues arise surrounding this case. We are also willing to assist your office as able.

We look forward to hearing from you. For more information on the SMNE, you may view our website at: solidaritymovement.org.

Sincerely yours,

Obang Metho;
Executive Director of the SMNE
PO Box 50561
Arlington, VA 22205
Phone: (202) 725-1616
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.solidaritymovement.org