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H.S. Biography, Part II: Review from Hartford
Wonderful Haile Sellassie Website in Sweden
Haile Sellassie in USA -- Ethiopian Studies
There are several projects are listed here, and if you want to participate, let us know. There are for 1999 and many years to follow.
(From 1999 Newsletter)About the banners and affiliated programs:
Whatever money those pages could earn the money are already committed to the causes of Haile Sellassie Foundation. We don't have time for real fundraising, it's a full time job, but we'll continue this campaign which began 15 years ago.
Ethiopia is a poor country. Only Ethiopians can make it rich and only if they are educated. In my books knowledge comes before bread. When we left Addis Ababa in 1995, we left behind people who should have access to education.
Addisu from Addis
Addisu came from the street to work for $1 a day when we were building the greenhouse. He was two years older than my son, no parents, only grandmother and he had to get any work, even for food, no pay, after school. He watched me making canvas, I turned and gave him the brash. He learnt English working with me, I do not speak Amharic. So, I went on cutting wood for frames. He was behind again. I gave him my ruler. Every day he would appear at our gates, school days are short, they don't have enough classrooms and students go in two shifts. They have no textbooks.
Addisu was a good student. I didn't have to see his grades (but I asked), he was ready to learn. Will he make it to Addis Ababa University? Perhaps, but the university itself is smaller than our average community college. The only university in Ethiopia! They tried to squeeze out of me our family computers, because Theatre Department has only one typewriter. US sends $100 ml/year in foreign ad to Ethiopia. I have no control over the wasteland of American state generosity. I have no say in Ethiopian government affairs; they are busy with preparations for a war with Eritrea. Addisu will never see my tax money. Should be there some scholarships for him? He is a bright kid. He is a teenager. Esther didn't tell me that she sent him money. She had to explain his letter and photo with a new jacket on.
Well, she did ask if we can sponsor Yashi (our driver) to come to the States and live with us. I said "no." We needed money to take our kinds out of the wasteland of American Public School system. They are in a Catholic school now. We are on a tight budget. I came to this country with a handbag and a typewriter. Esther came without even typewriter. I said: "Let her (Yashi) take exam, apply to University of Alaska foreign students office and we'll sponsor her." I knew that she won't be able to go through it. I was right. Yashi doesn't write anymore.I don't know that many of them -- half of Ethiopia is underage population. You should see the schoolyard during the break. Will Addisu make it?
What can you do? There are millions of them! Maybe it's too late, three years in a teenager's life is an era. One more life to be lost. For him, his country, for the world. He is no boy anymore. There was another helper I had in Addis. They call this young man "Mamush" (boy), he was around twenty and you have to tell him what to do. He was a man, he was gone....
Well, I remember him and that's why I made Haile Sellassie Family Web. If you are reading it, you are a part of it.
My culculations are simple. One thousand dollar endoument should yelled one hundred bucks. Good to buy textbooks. Ten thousands -- one thousand a year, maybe less. Here is your tuition. At least for a semester at a state college...
Your suggestions, recommendations, contributions. I post some emails, or you can write in our guestbooks. Also, you can check in with the Deja Forum on page News of Our Site or leave your email at the botton of the page for our mailing list. Check out the books on Ethiopia at Barnes&Noble, more on Ethiopian books with Amazon!
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HAILE SELLASSIE MEMORIAL
To place his image in Ethiopia
Artist, Isaac Fikre-Sellassie (credentials will be on Yisehak own page, not ready yet), is his great-grandson, my brother. You can see his photo with his daughter on the family page. The Trinity Cathedral, the burial site (see photo).
The date is 2000, 25 years since H.I.M. death.
The modest monument, head and pedestal will cost a minimum of five thousand dollars; to deliver the statue and build the foundation. We'll post the drafts and inform you on progress of this project. If you like to contribute to this project, please write a check to Haile Sellassie Foundation/Memorial.
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To support the students and studies
HAILE SELLASSIE SCHOLARSHIPS Our overall target number is $10.000. This principle should yield under $1000 for scholarships for students who focus on studies and research in Ethiopian history of the twentieth century. If you think that this project is important, please, contact us, or send your contributions to Haile Sellassie Foundation/Scholarships.
Scholarships, Universities, Courses
Another super-ambitious project:
HAILE SELLASSIE UNIVERSITY
To teach and to learnSince the name of Haile Sellassie was removed from the title of the only university in Ethiopia, he found, we intend to have a university with his name in cyber space. If you would like to contribute your time or money, please contact us. We plan to offer on-line courses in Ethiopian history, art, language.
To celebrate and remember BIRTHDAY CARD
July 23 is H.I.M. birthday. If you would like to like to receive a postcard with his image, please, send $10 to our address. I will write back and sign it. Of course, as all contributions, the money will go into the Haile Sellassie Foundation account.
If you like some of the images on the page PAINTINGS or Magic Scrolls, let me know. I made some of them into postcards for the family. Right now I have Christmas, Ethiopian New Year and Easter cards only. Let me know which one and how many do you need, so I will print more. ETHIOPIAN CARDS
fragment (1997, oil on canvas)
POSTER
Poster and calendars are more expensive and I can't go into a production unless I know that people will buy them. Please, let me know which one would you like to order. We have the T-shirts.
In 1985 I did the fundraising for the victims of famine in Ethiopia with the congressmen Frank Guarrini (see page Projects) and I had all the support that such power could provide. We raised $100.000 in three months in Jersey City alone. Now I do it on my own. You wish to give your time and energy, please, join us. I believe that Haile Sellassie legacy belongs not only to me, my family or Ethiopia, but the history. That's -- to all of us. He was the African leader before the world recognized Africa as an independent continent. He was the man who brought Ethiopia back from obscurity. He was the voice warning the West of the upcoming terrors of the WW II. He did his best. He was a dedicated man. I wish I could make some difference in this world, too. Join me.The commercial advertisement you see on my site is for the same purpose -- everything this web could earn, goes to the fund. The family secret -- we have no money, we never had anything after the revolution. I had to waitress pregnant with my first child. The other members of my family have their stories. Perhaps, it's for the best. I learnt it hard way. Life tests us, it's not the worse way to find out what is important for you. Thank you for visiting!