When I was quite young I used to travel frequently to the different provinces. While visiting Dire Dawa, I heard the name “Bolodia” being called. As I myself come from Mizan area in the then Kaffa Province and as I know the name Bolodia to be quite a common name in my home village I immediately talked to Ato Bolidia, who was very pleased to meet someone from his old neighborhood. When on another occasion I went to Harar I looked up the son of Bolodia and then started our life time friendship, which continued during my public health training in Gondar, medicine in Addis Abba and later on when I was practicing surgery. Although I miss my dear friend very much, I get some consolation due to the fact that he is continually remembered through the establishment of a foundation in his name, in which I gladly serve as its Board Member.

The Indefatigable Tewabech

         I was born in Dire Dawa same town where Getachew Bolodia was also born and raised up. We both went to Kezira Primary School. He was in higher grade than I was. I quit school after finishing grade 4, got married and lived in Dire Dawa all my life till last year (2006) when I moved to Addis. His mother, Tewabech, was a very industrious and indefatigable person and had pretty, flamboyant and very active sister Etenesh. Tewabech baked Injera late into the night and the next day early in the morning little Getachew would carry it to the boarding school run by the catholic sisters.I knew very well his father, too . He was a well known gardener in town,skillful in pruning vine, which was found in most big compounds in Dire Dawa .Bolodia liked to spend his spare time in “Wolte Hana Tej Bet”.Infact ,many years later when Dr.Getachew was coming to Dire Dawa for a visit,

He would take his Ferenji friends and colleagues from the University to Wolte Hana to introduce his guests proudly to his father. The people in the neighbourhood used to admire Dr Getachew for accepting his father as he was. Tewabech was a well built tall person who spoke rapidly. Etenesh got married to a French guy and went to France. Few years later she came back to Dire Dawa and bought a nice house for her Mom in the area known as Number One, where she lived comfortably till her death.
Editor:Pro.Ermias Dagne:
W/O Tiruwork Desta narrated the above story on March 30, 2007.
Tiruwork’s mother, W/O Mamite Tesfa was my favorite aunt}

         I am one of the childhood fellows of GB in Dire Dawa town. I knew his mother and father very well. While I was enrolled in the Alliance Française, Dr.Getachew Bolodia was attending the government elementary school that was then headed by “Ababa Deresa”, who by the way is the father of Berhanu Deresa, the current Care Taker Mayor of the City of Addis Ababa. Dr.Getachew's mother among other things, to ease the burden of life, has given lunch and dinner service for few teachers all year long, while Dr.Getachew himself was busy selling “Kollo” in Tej Bets and coffee shops and whenever he had the opportunity he took part in football game. Dr.Getachew Bolodia performed quite remarkably both at the elementary and secondary levels. It was customary then, for Senate members of the University College to welcome at the Addis Ababa Lagare Station, the group of students coming by train from Harar Medhane Alem Secondary School.

         Upon arrival at the station,the students disembark from the train one by one in order of their rank, as determined by their performance on the School Leaving Examination. Getachew was the first to disembark, and even years later, he used to tease his class mates by reminding them the order of their appearance from the train.When I was in France studying medicine I learned Getachew's promotion to the position of the first ever Dean of the Medical Faculty of AAU. Those of us from Dire Dawa then studying in France got together and opened the “Champagne” for our champion and “enfant prodigue”.

      By Dr Tamerate Retta,
      President Ethiopian Heart Association,
      Life Member of the GBF,
      PO Box 3794, Addis Ababa.
      Tel 251 911 175684, 0115 153794.
      E-mail: tam-almi@ethionet.et

---

     Home         About Us       Fellows        News        Selection       Donate        Contact Us       Feed Back