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Easter is one of the main religious holidays in Ethiopia; And with it comes a unique tradition of preparing festive feasts for the Easter Vigil. Ethiopians are among the few people in the world who prefer to slaughter their own animals, at home, to prepare a festive meal. Apparently, live animal markets around the holidays are part of this celebration; Usually, it is the head of the family who goes out to buy live animals and involves a lot of contact with the animals and the vendors, completely contrary to the recent realities of COVID-19 and the rules of social distancing. In the photo above, holiday shoppers make deals to buy live chicken from a vendor in an almost deserted location. Shola Market on Thursday. Despite the obvious slowdown in holiday markets, and if not controlled, live animal markets in Ethiopia could be hotspots for the spread of the virus in Ethiopia.
A few days before Easter, Shola’s open market is often full of shoppers looking for last-minute bargains. This week, it was different. The area seemed empty, abandoned at best. There were few clients; Most sellers were looking for a break-even point and a profit seemed like a crazy dream. Many seemed defeated by their new reality.
“I still haven’t sold any chicken today and I brought only a few to start this year expecting lukewarm sales,” said Tadesse Alemu, as he organized what he brought from Bishoftu trying to get the attention of a few dozen buyers who barely arrived. his path.
“This is perhaps the first year that I will return home with the products I brought, which I have never done in the two decades that I have been doing this business and I will have the saddest vacation season ever,” he said. The reporter, giving an idea of the reality that many companies feel in Ethiopia and the world.
This is because shoppers chose to stay home as they face a virus that seemed so far away a few months ago, but is now beginning to affect too many people in Ethiopia.
For Tadesse and others whose livelihoods depend on a sale, in the midst of a livelihood that is “hand-to-mouth” as he said, the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has pushed them to have a sobering vacation, instead of holidays that wait year after year with little savings to help them face the financial challenges of the moment.
“While I understand why people stay home, rather than go shopping, my concern is not just my health, but what I will eat in a few months if I don’t make money here. I’ve prepared all year for this moment and it’s heartbreaking that I can’t get the benefit I need to support myself for the next few weeks and months, ”added Tadesse.
In the other part of Shola, a man was covered in a face mask, without gloves playing with a live chicken as a way to negotiate his price. From 450 Birr, he traded it to 350 Birr, a reduction of 100 Birr. He seemed to be the sole buyer, and his own personal sense of security seemed to be undermined by taking advantage of the offer many offered, touching countless chickens, touching many hands and banknotes, nullifying his need to wear a mask.
I had little choice.
Across Shola, there were plenty of soap-free water dispensers available to anyone to follow the guidelines of government health officials to curb the spread of the virus that has so far affected more than 90 people in Ethiopia and killed three . The few people who were there simply splashed water since there was no soap, to give them few options to protect them.
The idea here is to make money, security seemed like a luxury.
“Around this time, I would have sold all my eggs and packed my belongings in the early afternoon to prepare for the next day. Restaurant owners would have come; customers would have lined up to buy my organic products, but not this year. I have barely sold enough to pay the transportation fee I paid in the morning. There may not be a reason to come back tomorrow for me. This year is a lost year, “said Almaz The reporter, since he refused to use his last name.
Around him, in a section where eggs are known to be sold, seemed empty and there were few spectators, but young men were sitting, waiting for customers who need their products to be physically transported to their vehicles.
Many of these young people came from the suburbs of Addis Ababa, hoping to earn some money, from customers who are known to be generous during the holiday season and spend something on themselves and their families. It is not for many.
In the new area of the Adey Ababa stadium, where live sheep are sold, he looked a little lively with customers who choose to buy sheep, not cows and share with others, in a tradition known as “Kertcha”. It seemed like a business as usual, as many negotiated with facial cases and nervous shoppers if they would also have warm businesses like their contemporaries.
“My most desired sheep sells for 6,000 Birr and the smallest one sells for around 2,500 Birr,” said a sheep herder, telling everyone who came that their superiors are superior since they are from Debre Berhan.
A stone’s throw away, near Edna Mall, a Syrian restaurant in Shawarma called – Number 1 Shawarma – which is known to sell affordable, empty and customer-free shaved chicken, like a Syrian out of a cooked chicken barbecue.
Adna Mohammed, its owner, said The reporter, the business had a good business, but it has slowed down since the start of the pandemic and is debating whether it is still open.
In front of him, another Shawarma restaurant closed for fear of the spread of the virus and gave the once-lively area a sobering look, overshadowed by hotels like Best Western Plus not far away, which also closed last week.
Across the city, in fact, nationwide and worldwide, the corona virus has affected many and livelihoods have changed forever. Many of those who had come to Addis Ababa to earn money were involved in what would otherwise be a dead-end position to be used as a transition.
In Beer Garden, the restaurant had few tables, as many of those who frequented the place for home, because their craft beer seemed to have stayed at home. In fact, the restaurant decided to close half of the restaurant, take advantage of the moment to renovate its cultural bar next door, which generally housed foreigners, while giving paid rest to a large part of its staff and the night that The Reporter I visited it, there were only two servers for a table of about 4 that were being occupied.
“We generally respond with advice and enjoy what we do, but we have suffered and, compared to others, we remain open and have some business,” said one waiter who declined to give his name, in a comforting tone that has become the norm. from many companies.
