All the Kambaatas' troubles are due to Evil Abyssinian Colonialism and Tyranny

By: Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis
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[ Posted On: 2008-07-10 ]

In an article 'Oppressed Kambaatas Envision an Independent Future Outside the 'Ethiopian' Tyranny' (http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/67876), I presented a socio-economic outline of the Kambaatas, another tyrannized, massacred, and dehumanized nation of the African Cemetery of Peoples 'Abyssinia' (fallaciously re-baptized 'Ethiopia').

As the Kambaatas realize that socio-economic progress and national – historical identity preservation are possible only within an independent, free and sovereign state, outside the 'Ethiopian' tyranny, they try to systematize their efforts along with the Shekachos, the Sidamas, the Anuak, the Ogadneis, the Oromos and others who struggle for preservation of their National Identity, Cultural Diversity, Linguistic Distinctiveness, Spiritual Individuality, Political Freedom and Socio-economic Emancipation.

The Kambata Development Network (KDN) deploys a great effort to alleviate the difficulties of the dispossessed and tyrannized Kambaatas, and it is from their informative website that I republished chapters on the 'Current Environmental, Social and Economic Conditions in Kambata', the 'Population-Resource Imbalance and Resource Degradation', and a brief information about KDN itself.

In the present article, I will expand and illuminate the KDN scope of work, republishing from their website texts about their Concerns, Objectives, Strategies, Structure, as well as the Scholarships they offer to impoverished and needy schoolchildren. Through the analysis of the KDN groundbreaking work in the Kambaata Land, one can get another viewpoint on the troubles and the misery that have befallen on the Ancient and Noble Nation of the Kambaatas, as consequence of their occupation by the Abyssinian armies and their annexation to Africa's most obscurantist, tyrannical and inhuman colonial tyranny.

Concerns
http://www.kdneth.org/concerns.html

KDN has seven areas of concern that need to be addressed immediately. First and foremost, it is much concerned that the current demographic conditions in Kambata are signaling that the population-resource equilibrium has been badly affected and the long-term sustainability of agricultural land is questionable as population pressure increases.

Second, youth unemployment is rampant and rural poverty is pervasive in Kambata due to scarcity of farmland. Thousands of destitute young farmers have no farm plot, a basis of livelihood, and could not support their families. Most live on incomes less than $0.50 per day. Some have lost their traditional coping strategies including the well-known seasonal migration to other regions in search of farm jobs.

Third, with increasing poverty and resource degradation, there is a sharp decline in the standard of living of the Kambatas. Recent anthropometric findings suggested that more than half of the region's children and women are undernourished.

Fourth, the measures taken so far to conserve natural resources and promote rural development are uncoordinated, unsustainable, insufficient, and ineffective to avert the increasing trend of resource degradation, unemployment and mass poverty.

Fifth, congested living conditions resulting from high population density have accelerated the spread of communicable diseases such as typhus and tuberculosis.

Sixth, the bulk of population uses dirty and polluted water that causes water-borne diseases. Surface water sources are scarce and are far from the reach of most farm households. As a result, rural women spend much time in search of water especially during dry season.

Seventh, there is hardly any vocational training or program development to promote rural technology and cottage industries that could provide alternative employment to the unemployed youth and landless peasants.

Eighth, in the absence of functional literacy programs, adult illiteracy rate is alarmingly very high and the quality of grades 1-12 education has deteriorated. Consequently, the number of school dropouts has quadrupled, swelling the number of the army of the unemployed youth.

Ninth, to date rural artisans especially potters (locally known as fuga) who play a significant role in the lives of the Kambatas are socially discriminated, denied the right to own land, and are unable to send their children to school.

At last, not least, it appears that there is not an easy fix to the current environmental, social and economic crises unless a multi-faceted rehabilitation and development programs are initiated in the short and long run.

Objectives
http://www.kdneth.org/objectives.html

As an organization, KDN strives to wage a two-pronged struggle in the region: fight poverty and illiteracy and promote a sustainable, self-reliant, cost-effective development based on local resources that is likely to give lasting solutions to Kambata's current problems. KDN's aim is not replacing what the local and regional governments do in Kambata. Its primary objective is to assist people-centered local initiatives that help improving and alleviating resource degradation, youth unemployment, mass poverty, disease, and adult illiteracy that persist in the region.

KDN is a nonprofit public benefit organization, organized under the Nonprofit Public benefit Corporation Law for charitable purposes. It is dedicated to providing services to the benefit of Kambata people and is not organized for the private gain of any person. It is committed to changing the lives of poor people.

The objectives, stated in the bylaws, for which KDN is established is to relieve poverty and advance education by:

• Supporting, facilitating, or implementing activities that promote the economic and social development of the Kambata community.

• Empowering the Kambatas to take charge of development initiatives.

• Promoting sustainable self-help projects that are undertaken by Kambatas and their adjoining communities.

• Fighting against diseases affecting the health of Kambata community.

• Empowering rural women and promoting gender equality and equity among the Kambatas.

• Reducing harmful traditional practices that particularly affect women and children in Kambata society.

• Eliminating adult illiteracy among Kambatas.

• Preserving and promoting linguistic, cultural, and historical heritage of Kambata.

Fostering the practice of cooperation and self-help among Kambatas as well as between Kambatas and other neighboring communities in their efforts to eliminate poverty, illiteracy and diseases.

The Network shall pursue the objects described therein without discrimination with regard to sex, political, religious or other opinions.

Strategies
http://www.kdneth.org/strategies.html

Some people have suggested that introduction of family planning programs would be a viable solution for the development crisis in the Kambata region. While population policy could be one of the remedies in the future, the current social and economic crisis have already reached a catastrophic level. It appears that there is not an easy fix or a single solution to the current environmental, social and economic crises unless a multi-faceted rehabilitation and development programs are initiated in the short and long run.

KDN asserts that investing on the people, its physical infrastructure and environment is a viable strategy to avert the crises, and focusing investments on these important areas would help creating a sustainable development in the region in particular and Ethiopia in general. It aims at providing vocational training to the youth who can create jobs, not seek for jobs. This requires the commitment and cooperation of the local people, government, and non-government agencies. To achieve the goal of a sustainable development, KDN is committed to work in tandem with the local people and in cooperation with the federal, regional and local government. KDN also seeks to collaborate with the non-government agencies that are willing to help the rural poor and those operating legally in Ethiopia.

The Network shall use whatever strategies it deems appropriate to the achievement of its mission and that may be lawfully undertaken. Specific strategies to be pursued in the short-term and long-term include, but are not limited to, the following activities:

• Promotion of reforestation and resource conservation methods.

• Development of cottage industries and employment generation schemes, including training the youth in modern farming techniques, industrial and information technology.

• Recommending viable strategies that help mitigating scarcity of farmland and population pressure.

• Providing micro-credit to rural women and rural artisans such as fugas (potters), tummanos (black smiths), weavers, etc.

• Undertaking field research on development issues and publishing the results in the Network's newsletters and annual reports.

• Raising the public health awareness of fatal, contagious and incurable diseases.

• Supplying teaching material, such as books, videos, magazines, laboratory and computer equipment.

• Providing scholarship and financial assistance to students, educators, and prospective immigrants to USA.

• Organizing educational seminars, workshops, and conferences from time to time.

• Inviting scholars and other informed persons to talk on topics covering the history and culture of Kambata and its people, current affairs and other issues of special interest to members of the Kambata community at home and abroad.

• Assisting local efforts in the construction of bridges, roads, water wells, schools, health posts, and other rural infrastructure.

• Promoting rural technology including improvement of rudimentary enset decorticating devices

Short-term Plan

Within the following 12 months, KDN aims to support schools by providing educational resources that help improving the quality of education in Kambata. The immediate goal is to donate educational materials by the start of the 2002-2003 academic years to selected secondary schools. Depending on the needs of the schools, the materials include:

• Reference materials - encyclopedia, dictionaries, almanacs, atlases, and subject-area reference books, etc. that can be placed in school libraries or resource centers (if they have any) and used by teachers and students.

• Science Lab equipment - materials needed to conduct biology, chemistry and physics experiments.

• Audiovisual equipment (overhead projectors, transparencies, markers)

• Selected educational videos & audio cassettes, and

• Used or low-cost desktop computers and software.

KDN hopes that most of these materials can be obtained free from donors based in North America, Europe, Africa including Ethiopia, and other regions. The educational materials can be directly shipped to the benefiting schools from the US or other sources after each school identifies and prioritizes its needs.

Structure
http://www.kdneth.org/structure.html

KDN has a head office currently based in the State of Maryland, USA. Preparations are underway to establish regional offices in Europe and Ethiopia. Each regional office is established according to the laws of individual countries and can adopt its own bylaws consistent with the current KDN bylaws. Besides, each regional office will have the autonomy to raise and manage funds, finance projects identified by KDN, and remain accountable to its financing sources.

The major role of the head office is to coordinate programs of regional offices, formulating policy framework, and identifying projects to be financed by each regional office. KDN head office is organized into the Board of Directors, executive committee, and advisory committees. The powers, duties and term of office of elected board members, executive officers (president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer) and advisory committee members are clearly stated in the KDN Bylaws. All elected officers serve the Network without compensation. KDN Board and executive officers conduct the day-to-day activity through personal contact, email, and teleconferencing.

KDN Advisory Committees consist of members and, in some occasions, non-members having interests, expertise and/or specialization in topics or projects identified by the Board of Directors. The current Advisory Committees include, but are not limited to:

• Scholarship Committee

• Grant Writing and Fund Raising Committee

• Curriculum Development & Literacy Campaign Committee

• Employment Generation Scheme Committee

• Project Planning and Budget Committee

• Infrastructure Committee

• Health Committee

• Science & Technology Committee

• Research & Publications Committee

• Public Relations, Web-Site Design and Maintenance Committee

KDN Leadership is collective and each registered member shares the credit or blames that may result from implementing the Network's programs.

Scholarships
http://www.kdneth.org/scholarship.html

Providing scholarship to outstanding and needy students has been one of KDN's key objectives since its inception. However, a recent decision to establish a Distinguished Kambata Scholars Memorial Fund (DKSMF), was occasioned by the untimely and sudden deaths of three Kambata scholars - Dr. Tamire Hawando (picture attached), Drs. Desta Shamebo and Milkias Shamebo. The contributions of the late scholars goes beyond the confines of their native place. They were beloved sons of Ethiopia who were accomplished in their field of specialization (Dr. Tamirie in Agriculture, Dr. Desta Shamebo in Community Health, and Dr. Milikias Shamebo in Hematology) and deserve a memorial.

Their expertise and advice on the field of their specialization were the most sought after by the successive Ethiopian governments, and the world scientific community. Indeed, it is astounding to see the scholars who came from a poor family background, attained terminal degrees and obtained international accolades by transcending adverse conditions. The purpose of the memorial fund is to encourage others who come after them to follow their footsteps and emulate their example, with the scholars serving them as their role models.

KDN asserts that recognition of such individuals (deceased and alive) who stand out locally, nationally and internationally is appropriate. The recognition is supposed to encourage those scholars who are Kambatas but do not want to be known as such to come forward and be proud of their Kambata identity. The Scholarship Advisory Committee is entrusted with the task of suggesting detailed ways and means of broadening the scope of the scholarship in the future. Living scholars, civic activists, farmers, development workers, etc. who play exemplary role in the Kambata society ought to be identified and recognized in such occasions.

KDN has started accepting tax-deductible pledges for the scholarship fund, and a separate and independent KDN scholarship account in Ethiopia and abroad is set for this purpose. KDN will administer the Memorial Scholarship Fund according to the provisions listed in its constitution (bylaws) and Articles of Incorporation (Article 5 L).

The scholarship will be awarded on a permanent basis with funds obtained from donors, KDN members, supporters & corporate members. Each year, academically outstanding or promising but economically disadvantaged students attending various high schools (9-12) and/or colleges in Ethiopia will be selected for the Scholarship. The scholarship is not intended to fully cover the financial needs of poor students but it is expected to serve three main purposes: (1) It serves as a token appreciation for students' hard work, (2) It provides a moral support to students from economically and social disadvantaged families to continue their education and not to drop out from school for lack of financial support, and (3) it encourage female participation in elementary, secondary & tertiary education.

Scholarship Award and Conditions

1. Each student selected for the scholarship will receive a stipend of Birr 100 (one hundred) per month, from September-June, when the school is in session. The total maximum award will not exceed Birr 1,000 per academic year.

2. The stipend will be provided to each beneficiary by KDN and be administered or paid monthly by the school the student is enrolled.

3. For the scholarship to continue from month to month or from year to year, the beneficiary must: (i) be attending the school regularly, (ii) maintain the required minimum GPA or percentile, and (iii) prove that he or she continues to face financial hardship. Those who don't meet these conditions will immediately be dropped from the list of beneficiaries.

Eligibility Criteria

Any students who meets all four criteria listed is eligible to apply for the scholarship:

1. Full-time student attending grades 9-12 or colleges in current academic year (Applicants must provide a proof of registration or a letter from the school registrar's office attesting this).

2. A minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or above for college students, and 99th percentile or first place ranking in the previous and current grades for high schools students. If the letter grading system is not applicable the student must be the top in class ranking to be eligible for the scholarship. The ranking process incorporates scores in Eighth and 10th Grade National Examinations. A copy of the latest transcript in progress or grade report must be submitted together with the application form.

3. Provides a personal letter stating that he/she is attending high school education under financial hardship and, hence, can't continue his/her education without external support. Priority will be given to those applicants who adequately prove that their parents or other family members have no resources and can't fully support their needs. The validity of such claims will be verified, directly and indirectly.

4. Priority will be given to female applicants and to those who have volunteered in public programs, especially HIV/AIDS Awareness Education, Adult Literacy Campaign, Environmental Protection/Reforestation campaigns or to those who have contributed significantly to programs that promote the local culture.

Selection Procedure

Eligible candidates will be nominated by local committees set up in each high school from the school administrators and teachers. KDN Executive Committee selects the beneficiaries based on the recommendations of the local committees and the amount of funds available. A detailed selection procedure is provided in the scholarship announcement letter.

Article Source: http://www.afroarticles.com/article-dashboard

About The Author: Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis - is Orientalist, Assyriologist, Egyptologist, Iranologist, Islamologist, Historian and Political Scientist. Dr. Megalommatis, 51, is the author of 12 books, dozens of scholarly articles, hundreds of encyclopedia entries, and thousands of articles. He speaks, reads and writes more than 15, modern and ancient, languages.

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