Postby Somalian_Boqor » Thu Dec 01, 2011 6:39 pm
Report from the city by the same guy in the video. Fathi Abdi
November 25, 2011
Lefo-Issa, A Prosperous City and a Future Capital of Harawo District. Part 1
Ethiopia is a developing country and is slowly waking up and healing itself up from its previous bad reputation and narcissism. The current federalism is working at the moment in favour for the majority of Ethiopians apart the Somali region (which I will write a separate article) and this is only due to the lack of a working region government.
Lefeissa is a no exception in the wider Ethiopia development but within the Somali region (kilil5) it is a city that is on its own course. It is following the Ethiopia progress and the same pace of development.
For a Diaspora like myself, lefeissa provide an excellent gateway alternative. From it is cheap motel (£1.5/ day) to its constant supply of milk whether it is camels, goats, sheeps or cows (50 pence a litre).
The population is a self sufficient one and which has never relied or received any help from exterior intervention whether it is the local government or Diaspora. And it is for these reasons, it will be a hotspot for the Diaspora.
First it is extremely cheap to spend a vacation in a leifessa but it is also offer no hassle to the visitor as the local resident will not pestering you with financial or unnecessary request as it is very common in big city like hargeisa and borama.
The first impression for someone who has never been to harawo district is the greenery and the surrounding farms around the city and as well the lack of trees in the plain of lefeissa.
The local have started planting trees inside the city but it is still not enough when taking account the very fertile land and its lack of big trees. The local government should start planting trees alongside the road (this is well overdue and no one has paid attention).
Electricity and water:
Lefeissa city is the second Somali city after jigjiga who got electricity connection according to the local. Ethiopia electricity is developing in a breakneck speed and increasing the capacity year on year.
Because of the lack of an effective government whether local or regional (Somali zone) the potential of lefeissa electricity and current state of the electricity is very substandard.
Although lefeissa is the second city to get electricity in early 90s, the regional government (kilil5) lead by inefficient, corrupt, unfair and unelected politician have first diverted all federal development towards the east of Somali zone like all permanent electricity infrastructure. Steel pylons have all been diverted to the east where the population density and actual customers are far less than the harawo district.
But as well have not touched lefeissa 90s electric infrastructure which are still provided by small wood pylons. For those reasons the electricity in lefeissa is still inefficient, but it is 100% better compared to any Somalis city outside Ethiopia.
Lefeissa have 7 water wells which 2 are privates and 2 are unconnected to the electric grid. Water pipe connection are available for most of the homes in lefeissa city. Therefore the city is very lucky to be in a good location where water is abundant and electricity is readily available (the two essential are well covered).
Lefeissa and its development
10 years ago lefeissa was a little town where everyday amenities where very few, locals where mainly farmers and animal herders. Today lefeissa citizen are well off and it is not hard to find in every house an agriculture tractor and an open top truck. It is imaginable but a lot of locals have their own tractors bought by themselves and not even one has been supplied by a NGOs, local government, federal government or the Diaspora.
But all and every one of those tractors and trucks in all the houses where all been paid by the lands and its strategically location of the city where business is very good. The local are so self sufficient that instead of waiting the very basic from the local government where the federal body invested so much.
They quickly realised that there is absolutely nothing good that will ever come from any organisation lead by fellow Somalis. The Somali zone in Ethiopia is the only place in the whole duration of my vacation (from Addis abbeba to lefeissa on bus) where you will see corruptions (Absolute corruption ), uneducated official who only got high positions by the barrel of the guns.
Unofficial road block (where bribes are paid ).
It seems that it is only the Somalis who are anti progress, while the rest of Ethiopian are steering in one direction the rest of Somalis ( pulling alongside region like harowo district ) are steering in the other direction. In the direction of false accusation (wanjel: a word only learned in Somali region), corruptions, inefficiency, bribes and the law of the guns.
An example is when lefeissa one of the big cities in the Somali zone, were feed up in waiting the absolute minimum (like schools) while the federal government are paying millions in the somalis zone budget. In a budget where most of it is diverted towards the east of the Somali zone without any tangible and visible result.
Lefeissa citizen have started to dig unto their own pockets and have solely without any help build secondary schools and high schools. The high schools built by lefeissa did bear its fruit and the first lot of graduated have in turned graduated from various Ethiopian universities and are all in full employment.
All in all lefeissa like other big cities in Harawo district such Awbarre, Sheddher, Gogti, dembel, Arabi and Jare is growing cities. Other developments realised by local people and without any help whatsoever are a brand new Bakery factory that serve all harowo cities, jigjiga and all the way to harta sheikha. Next to the bakery factory is an other project realised by local resident of harawo district which is a Flour factory that serve the bakery factory itself.
Beesha degtana waa gob.
