Sat in his office, which is
at the back of a small blue corrugated metal garden shed, on the junction
of the busy Ayer Tena - Addis Ababa road, Adane Semaw works at his computer,
surrounded by three walls of DVD covers, oblivious to the significance
of the computer he is working on.
Adane is disabled
and uses a wheelchair after a freak accident when he was one year old.
He was playing with a three year old friend when the larger boy sat on
Adane's back, breaking it and leaving him wheelchair bound for the rest
of his life.
He shares
the DVD rental business with a friend but admits the business is going
down rather than up. “ People take the films but many don't come back
and it costs us our profits to replace them", admits Adane.
Adane
is from Wollo, a town in the North of Ethiopia, but he left his birth
place after leaving school as a 9th grade student because of the lack
of facilities at his college. He left his parents, four sisters and a
brother, two other brothers died during the war, and moved to Ayer Tena.
However again the situation at his school became a problem for him. "My
friends would have to pick me up and carry me up the stairs to my class”
he explained, "it would cause me so much pain in my heart and embarrass
me and I had to leave”.
In 2007 Adane began thinking about the problems faced by wheelchair users
and he decided to start a project that could help such people in obtaining
an education in Ethiopia. He also wanted to find beneficiaries to give
wheelchairs to for free with an initial target of 200.
“There are so many people on the streets and in shelters", he explained,
"with only a small number receiving education. They don’t have mental
problems and they can learn and if they can get this education they have
a chance of a job. It is a society problem as people think that if we
are disabled we cant work".
One of his friends told him about computers being donated on the web and
so he applied to the ITDA which is a local NGO in Addis Ababa and partner
of Computer Aid.
In October 2007 The Wheelchair Association of Ethiopia was founded. From
childhood Adane wanted to be a General Manager and now he has started
his NGO he feels he can achieve his dream. For the time being, and to
save money, he is basically working alone with the help of his wife, Muluemebet,
20, she is also disabled and busy looking after their 5 month old child
Hermela but she cleans and sets up the computer for him then sits beside
him, keeping him company during the day.
He has had his computer for one month and his knowledge of IT is still
limited, so with the help of a book, Basic Introduction to Computers,
he is teaching himself. His computer sits on a wooden bench with the key
board resting on an open drawer but as his knowledge increases so his
thoughts and project move forward. He is already looking to move into
a larger office if he can get Government help.
“I want to write letters to Government asking them how wheelchair users
can go to school comfortably”, he explains, “ I want to write letters
to donors and sponsors asking for help with wheelchairs and training”
he continued, “ there are no provisions in schools or hospitals, I want
to ask why, but asking these questions is sometimes like clapping with
one hand. I want to change these things”.
ITDA provide Adane with some back up in knowledge and its founder Awet
Tsegazeab, Executive Director of ITDA visits regularly to discuss software
and any technical assistance Adane requires.
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