Personal Projects
MY GRANDFATHER THE PHOTOGRAPHER
What makes our passing on this Earth a memorable one is the things we do between the time from birth to death. My grandfather, Sefiew Tebeje, had an extraordinary existence. His choosing a path in photography ignited something within the generations that followed; my mother, Aunties, uncles and I became photographers too.
Ato Sefiw Tebeje, through his determination to leave his small town and establish a studio, has been a great influence in helping me find my purpose through photography; a medium I am constantly learning about.
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Foto Ayitegeb
Foto Ayitegeb is located in the capital city of Northern Wollo. It was the first licensed photo studio at Woldiya, opened by her grandfather Sefiw Tebeje In 1976. Foto Ayitegeb the name by itself means “can’t get enough of photos.” Her grandpa took lots of pictures there since the family can’t get enough of photos his studio has been passing from generation to generation. Currently his son Mulugeta Sefiw is managing this historical studio. Images are Developed from my Grandfathers negatives films, 1976.
boxing girl
Ethiopia has a strong history female athletics, specifically in long distance running. and currently another history is made when Sahle-Work Zewde becomes Ethiopia’s east African country’s first
female president. As a country, which is not known for its gender equality. Many Ethiopian women are thriving to make a change on gender inequality. Aster Melese is Ethiopia’s female Armature boxer, an anomaly in a country known for its
superstar distance runners. Her opponents are the last in a long line of problems standing between her and boxing, including a lack of equipment, few professionals to train beside and a disapproving society. “I choose boxing because it is challenging and I am a type of girl who loves challenge,” said the 16-year-old, who spends most of her hours after school training.
Grief through Empty Coffin
In March 2019, one of the devastating incidents happened when one of the 737 MAX 8 operating Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed shortly after take-off from Addis Ababa airport, killing all 157 on board. Empty coffins representing the Ethiopian victims had been buried at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in the capital, Addis Ababa.
None of the bodies were formally identified so some bereaved families had taken bags of earth from the crash site as a memory of their loved ones. In many cultures it has been seen as a necessary step for loved ones to bury the body to give them closure. Which makes relatives of Flight 302 crash victim grieve very hard, burying empty coffins
