In recent decades, the size and number of informal settlements have increased on the edge of many urban areas all over Ethiopia. Following this, a large number of informal houses have been demolished in several places across the country. The demolitions have caused considerable uproar and disappointments especially in the capital and the surrounding areas. What makes the case of the capital and its surroundings different is the scale of this phenomenon.
Back in high school, one of the things that I still remember clearly is a saying by a young African American girl which was posted on one of the school’s buildings: “Go to college, continue your knowledge to be a person, smart, brave and true for if they can make penicillin out of moldy cheese, they surely can make something out of you.” Since childhood, families insist that their children have to go to college. It is a key to a successful life. Students will be in the dark without a college degree. So, people are encouraged to study, day in and day out.
An effectively functioning city responsibly carries out its day-to-day activities. Well planned infrastructures provided to accommodate these daily activities, such as movement, and socialization. Addis Ababa is not able to efficiently satisfy the urban status-quo because of the lack of these infrastructures such as hygiene and proper waste management systems, among others.
If one asks what all people of the world want and pursue in their life, there is only one answer. It is success. Enstien once said, “Character is more important than success”. However, this seems to be a bit of a misconception. Yes, character is very important for an individual. A person may earn respect, they may feel happy and content, or be confident and self aware. But all these virtues must mean one thing. They must mean success. Otherwise, it would mean they earned nothing.
