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Dimtu means "the red one" in Oromifa. I have seen
nothing red in Dimtu to link it to its name. It is a
small village surrounded by greenery. The
undergrowth, the bushes and shrubs, the coffee
plants, the hedges… all are green. As if to quench
our passion for beauty, there is a trace of an old
garden lined with pebbles giving the site a European
touch. It must have been Mr. John Jacquous Bolanz's
dream to add man-made beauty to the otherwise
natural setting. In the middle of the old garden
stands a bronze bust of a bearded, middle-aged man.
This is Mr. John Jacquous Bolanz.
His love for the community and his passion for
abandoned children and famine-stricken destitutes,
helped to save many lives. The remains of his body
were brought back to Dimtu and he was enshrined in a
tomb, in a rural center some 53 kilometers north of
Jimma. The Dimtu community, Bolanz' children and
their spouses, the Woreda officials, colleagues, FCE
board members, friends and beneficiaries, were all
present at the burial ceremony to pay their last
respects.
Some Fortune members of staff made the journey all
the way from Addis to the burial site. On Friday
morning, the driver picked me up from my house at
exactly half past six in the morning and we drove
down to the Genet Hotel to pick up the other staff
members. We had a bite to eat at NOC Filling station
and embarked on the long journey.
The new tarmac road turned into a bumpy by, gravel
dirt road when it reached the mighty Gibe River
Bridge. I could see an immense body of water
silently flowing downstream. The road took a twist
in direction and there was a sharp increase in
gradient. Once you passed the Esibe gorge, you felt
bound to the land of coffee as you are surrounded by
a beautiful, green landscape.
We had a short coffee-break at a little asgori
where they offer ambasha bread and coffee for
normal prices. We met other Addis-bound travelers
coming from Gambella. They looked hungry and tired.
There was not much to buy on the road side in terms
of fruits and vegetables.
The absence of cattle crossing the road was
conspicuous. We had a comfortable journey and
arrived at Jimma by noon.
We were booked at the Argaw Hotel where we spent 2
nights before our return to Addis. I was happy to
see the owner of the hotel who I had met on the day
the hotel was launched some two decades ago. After
lunch, we took a brief sight-seeing tour in and
around Jimma.
I had known Jimma since the late 60s when it was
thriving from the coffee trade. The Jimma
Agricultural Institute and Miazia 27 High School
were at the centre stage in the history of Jimma,
once considered to be a major town of Ethiopia,
third behind just Addis and Asmara.
The Jimma football team was once amongst the best in
the country. Even the basketball team of the Jimma
Agricultural Institute had good matches in the
Annual National School tournaments.
My classmate, Mohammed Aba Biya Aba Jafar, used to
tell me that Aba Jifar traces his ancestry to the
rich history of an Oromo Kingdom that had a vast
area of land under its domain. Jimma is also
well-known for its coffee.
I was thinking all about Jimma when we were touring
the area. I must admit that the focus on prominence
seems to have shifted elsewhere or gotten blurred,
judging by the dilapidated urban roads and the
labyrinth of the city. The roads leave much to be
desired in comparison to the other towns in Oromya.
We met at around 7:30 pm for dinner. The shiro was
delicious and the hotel has a reputation for good
kitfo and roasted beef. We had some coffee and
some refreshments before we went to bed.
The next morning we drove to the funeral ceremony.
Dimtu is the project site off the main highway some
53 kilometers north of Jimma.
When we arrived, the organizing team had almost
completed their preparations. A tent was set up and
benches were lined for the guests. There were
children carrying flower wreaths to place on the
tomb of Bolanz, who was sometimes known just as 'JJ'.
When all the guests took their respective seats the
master- of -ceremonies from FCE used his megaphone
to announce the program. Messages of condolences and
final tributes were delivered in English, Oromifa
and Amharic. The survivors of the deceased, two
daughters and a son, had come all the way from
Switzerland with his remains. They spoke in French
and this urged me to try the little knowledge that I
had of the language. I did just fine.
The funeral ceremony was touching. Many of JJ's
colleagues burst into tears when the body was taken
out of the box and vaulted into the cavity which had
been prepared by members of his family. Everybody
cried out loudly and beat the ground as if the
occurrence was momentary. The foreigners present
were overwhelmed by the way the Ethiopians were
expressing their deep sorrow.
A student then read a saga, written in English,
dedicated to the soul of J.J Bolanz. I couldn't
believe my ears. I am not a literary person and it
is not easy for me to discern prose from poetry but
the way the student presented it impressed me
greatly. He folded the piece of paper from which he
read, put it into his shirt pocket and just left the
ceremony. My eyes followed him until he disappeared
into the horizon.
Nifro
(cooked cereals) were served as a prelude to lunch.
The table was laid with rich variety. There was
something for those who love to eat meat and for
those who were vegetarian. A separate table of food
was also set for Muslims.
On our way back to Jimma, I tried to re-think the
social activities that had been initiated by Bolanz.
This took me back to the famous altruistic Swiss
institution, known worldwide by the name of 'Pestolozzi'.
This is an international society which bears the
name of its founder, a philanthropist who left a
fortune of his inheritance as a legacy to be used by
war-trodden, Second World War veterans. We ought to
note that the Swiss people have often helped
Ethiopia. It was also a Swiss engineer who was the
special adviser to Emperor Menelik.
J.J. Bolanz came to Addis Abeba and established a
kindergarten. He then started working in City Hall
representing 'Pestolozzi'. Over the years, he
attached increasing importance to looking after the
children in his own country. He then established
Facilitator for Change Ethiopia (FCE). Today, this
indigenous NGO is among one of the most successful
in the world. It has brought changes into the lives
of over 35 thousand households.
What stood out about J.J .Bolanz was his commitment
to helping the needy work for self-reliance. He also
sat among community leaders in discussions about
problems within the community, helping them to find
common solutions. When he first came to Dimtu,
families were fleeing for dear life and running away
to no particular destination. Some died and some
abandoned their children. Bolanz worked hard to
reunite the many families that had come apart and
give them hope for the future. Right up to the time
of his death. He also nurtured his organization so
that it received consistent funds from donors.
The organization has successfully worked on the
concept of 'human resources' and it has allowed
fundamental societal changes to be made whilst still
upholding important traditions and cultures. The
empowerment of women, market-oriented production
techniques, the education of children, the
introduction of new seeds and protein-rich cereals
are just some of the socio-economic changes that
have been brought about. The Dimtu Project now
incorporates an irrigation scheme that caters for
32-hectares of land.
Some of the children that Bolanz took it upon
himself to help have now become teachers; some have
become members of the Civil Service. All play a
significant role in their respective areas. May J.J
Bolanz's soul rest in eternal peace.
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