Betengna, a radio program in Ethiopia that showcases the diaries of ordinary {www:people} living with HIV, may contribute to reducing HIV-related stigma, according to the results of a research study disseminated September 24, 2008 in Addis Ababa. Results of the research indicate that listeners of Betengna were found to have lower stigma toward people living with HIV and had greater knowledge about HIV transmission, prevention and {www:management}.
The program has aired on Ethiopian radio stations over the past two years, and it boasts an {www:exposure} of 29% in Addis Ababa and SNNPR, according to the study. It is also {www:available} for downloading on the National AIDS Resource Center’s website (www.etharc.org).
The radio diaries narrate the everyday experiences and challenges of living with HIV in Ethiopia and are broadcast weekly on five radio stations in Amharic, Tigrigna, and Oromoiffa languages. Betengna aims to decrease the stigma and discrimination that HIV positive people face in Ethiopia by exposing the human face of living with the disease and providing a platform for creating discussion on these issues among the general public. Over time, diarists cover a broad range of their everyday life experiences such as teen pregnancy, relationships with partners, family, friends and their communities, health issues, emotional and physical stress and living positively.
The {www:research} findings come from a household study conducted in November 2007 in four regions – Amhara, Tigray, Addis Ababa and SNNPR – in order to determine exposure to Betengna and the extent to which changes could be linked with exposure to the broadcast. Data was collected by a local research organization, Addis Continental Institute of Public Health.
Study results indicated that listening to Betengna was associated with increased empathy and affinity for the diarists and a better understanding of the challenges of leading an HIV positive life. Other indicators of decreased stigma were a greater perceived identification with people living with HIV and a stronger belief that HIV positive persons should be treated with respect. Caller feedback from listeners supports that Betengna is increasing empathy and reaching listeners on a more emotional level than just promoting rational thinking.
“Many people go to test after they become very sick. Sirak’s story motivated me to get tested and I found out that I’m HIV+,” indicated a male listener. “I live in South Africa, Cape Town. I always listen to Hiwot Mamo’s program and it really amazes me; she really is a wonderful woman. I just wanna tell her be strong and to always look after her self. Stay blessed,” commented a web listener.
The Radio Diaries are produced by the National AIDS Resource Center (ARC) and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Center or Communication Programs (CCP). The program’s design is based on and builds on similar projects run by CCP in Nigeria and Malawi. Betengna is produced in collaboration with the National HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Office (HAPCO) with technical assistance from Internews Network-Ethiopia. Funding is provided by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
– a href=”http://hlnnews.blogspot.com/2008/10/radio-stories-of-living-with-hiv.html”Health Literacy Network News/a
TUNIS, TUNISIA (AFP) — Ethiopian film “Teza” scooped four main awards at Africa’s Carthage Film Festival Saturday, including the coveted Golden Tanit for its “modesty and genius.”
Tunisian culture minister Abderraouf
Basti and Ethiopian director Haile Gerima
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The film by Haile Gerima bagged the top prize on the last day of the festival in Tunisia, beating the Palestinian film “Leila’s Birthday” and Tunisia’s entry “Khamsa” to second and third place respectively.
“Teza” tells the story of an Ethiopian doctor at the height of the Cold War who comes back to his country from the West under the Marxist regime of Mengistu Haile Mariam in the 1970s.
The film also picked up awards for best scenario, best music and best supporting actor.
Other festival winners included “Yellow House” by Algerian director Amor Hakkar, while the Tanit of Honour went to Burkina Faso actor Sotigui Kouyate.
However, controversy struck the 22nd festival when the Syrian government intervened to ban the entry of a short film, “Zabad”, by director Reem Ali about two of the country’s former political prisoners.
The Carthage Film Festival, which showcases Arab and African films, is held every two years in the Tunisian capital. Tanit is a Phoenician lunar goddess, worshipped as the patron goddess at Carthage.
By Pam Starr, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – The chefs at Tana Ethiopian Cuisine in East Liberty go through more than 200 pounds of onions every week.
Since most of the stews are onion-based, and onions are a big staple in Ethiopian food, it’s easy to see how they can use so much of the pungent vegetable.
Another huge item is berebere, an imported Ethiopian red pepper spice, which is commonly used in just about everything.
“All of our spices come from Ethiopia,” says owner Seifu Haileyesus, who hails from Addis Ababa, the country’s capital. “Berebere gives the dishes their rich color and the spiciness of the food.”
The 92-seat Tana Ethiopian Cuisine opened in January on Baum Boulevard, right down the street from another Ethiopian restaurant. But Haileyesus isn’t worried about the competition.
“Business attracts other businesses,” says Haileyesus, who was a business student at Robert Morris University, then worked as a small business consultant for eight years, then a bank, before opening Tana. “We are creating more jobs. Shoppers have options. I see it as an opportunity.”
It’s a family affair at Tana, with Haileyesus’s older sister, Abebech Haileyesus, working as the head chef. Martha Vasser is his cousin and the restaurant’s manager. She also helps out in the kitchen when needed. There are about 12 employees, and the restaurant serves around 50 to 60 dinners a night on weekends.
“Ethiopian food is eaten with your hands, but we do have forks and knives,” Vasser says. “Our entrees are served on a bed of injera, which is traditional Ethiopian bread. It is made with teff, an indigenous grain, and wheat.”
Injera looks like a large, spongy pancake. It is made by fermenting the teff and water for a few days, then adding wheat flour and mixing until it resembles pancake batter. After sitting a day in the refrigerator, the injera is cooked on a hot skillet for 20 seconds.
“You break off pieces of the injera and scoop up the vegetables with it,” Vasser says. “Most people come here just for the vegetarian meals we have.”
All of Tana’s entrees, including beef, lamb and chicken, are cooked in a hot berebere sauce or a milder turmeric sauce and served on injera or rice. One of the most popular entrees is tikil gomen, which Seifu Haileyesus describes as a “delectable mix of cabbage and carrots, slowly simmered in sauteed onions and fresh garlic.”
Diners also can find collard greens, simmered with minced onions, fresh garlic and ginger.
Tables at Tana are covered in tablecloths with red, green and yellow stripes — the colors of the Ethiopian flag. Authentic Ethiopian artifacts and artwork adorn the bright yellow walls. The hardwood floors gleam from a fresh cleaning.
“I make sure our guests are comfortable,” Haileyesus says. “I feel like you are coming to my home. It’s important to have respect for people.”
He says he doesn’t cook, because, in Ethiopia, only the women learn how to cook from their mothers and grandmothers.
“Outside work is for the men,” he says with a smile. “It’s our culture that every woman knows how to cook. I’m good at washing the dishes and the floor.”
Meal times are very important in Ethiopia, Martha Vasser says, because eating is a communal activity. It’s actually insulting if you’re in someone’s house and you don’t eat what is offered to you.
“Nobody eats alone,” she says. “We have a saying — if you eat alone, you die alone.”
Abebech Haileyesus, who does not speak English, chose to share her famous Misir Wot vegetarian entree with Cooking Class. It is a delicious warm dish made with split lentils, onions, oil, ginger, garlic, water and a whopping 1 cup of berebere, or Ethiopian red pepper.
The dish is very spicy, but is tempered by the injera, which has a more bland taste.
Injera cannot be bought in Pittsburgh, Haileyesus says, but sometimes he sells it from the restaurant to certain customers.
“You can buy injera and berebere in Washington, D.C., but not here,” he says. “But you can order them online.”
Misir Wot
• 2 cups split lentils
• 6 cups water, more for boiling
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable or olive oil
• 1 cup berebere, an Ethiopian red pepper spice blend (see recipe)
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon black cumin (can substitute ground coriander)
•Salt, to taste
ט cups cooked rice
Wash the lentils (see photo 1) and put aside. If preferred, lentils can be boiled for 5 minutes, until tender.
Cook the chopped onions, adding oil (see photo 2) and stirring gently until golden brown (see photo 3), adding a little water as needed to prevent sticking.
Add berbere, ginger, garlic and black cumin and salt to taste (see photo 4). Stir until well-mixed and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add lentils to the pan (see photo 5). Add reserved water, stirring to prevent sauce from sticking to the pan as you let simmer for 20 minutes.
Serve on rice.
Makes 6 servings.
Berebere
Berebere is a chile-and-spice blend used to season many Ethiopian dishes. Because authentic berbere can be hard to find, we developed our own recipe. This recipe comes from Epicurious.com.
Berebere keeps in an airtight container, chilled, for 3 months.
• 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek (available at Penzeys Spices in the Strip District)
• 1/2 cup ground dried New Mexico chiles
• 1/4 cup paprika
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Finely grind fenugreek seeds in an electric coffee or spice grinder. Stir together with remaining ingredients until combined well.
Makes about 1 cup.
MOGADISHU (AFP) — At least five people were killed Saturday in a roadside bomb attack targeting a local official in the Somali town of Baidoa, south of Mogadishu, witnesses and police said.
The blast went off as district commissioner Hasan Moalim Ahmed’s vehicle drove by, wounding the official and killing three members of his security escort as well as two civilians, witnesses said.
“The commissioner’s vehicle was completely destroyed by a roadside bomb. I saw three of his guards and two civilians killed on the spot, seven others including the commissioner were also wounded,” one of the eyewitnesses, Abdisalan Adan Yare, said.
Hasan Yake Doyow, a police officer, confirmed the attack took place.
“The roadside bomb tore the commissioner’s vehicle apart and there are casualties. The commissioner himself was among the wounded but I cannot say how many died,” he said.
One of the official’s aides said the district commissioner’s wounds were not life-threatening.
“He suffered minor injuries but some of his guards died,” he said on condition of anonymity.
Baidoa is the seat of the transitional administration’s parliament but radical insurgents control positions around the city, some 250 kilometres (155 miles) south of the capital.
Islamist insurgents and other groups carry out daily hit-and-run attacks against government targets and Ethiopian Woyanne troops.
Somalia’s civilian population has borne the brunt of the violence in the Horn of Africa country, with some estimates saying at least 8,000 have died since the start of the year alone.
