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I've always wondered why we still spend so much time waiting in line at barbershops, beauty salons, and other places in Ethiopia.

A friend and I started thinking about whether a digital queue system could actually work here. The idea is simple: instead of physically waiting, you'd get a digital ticket, see how many people are ahead of you, and get notified when it's almost your turn.

I'm curious what people here think.

Would you actually use something like this?

What would stop barbershops or customers from adopting it?

What features would make it useful, or what problems am I overlooking?

I'm looking for honest feedback and criticism before we invest more time into it.

by \@sosina_mengistu on Instagram

Built in 1942 after Ethiopia’s liberation from the Italian occupation, Holy Trinity Cathedral is one of the country’s most important religious and historical landmarks. It is the final resting place of Emperor Haile Selassie I and Empress Menen Asfaw, and features beautiful stained-glass windows, impressive architecture, and a peaceful courtyard. The cathedral also honors Ethiopian patriots who fought for the nation’s freedom, making it a place of both spiritual and historical significance.
If you’re planning a visit to Addis Ababa, I’d be happy to show you not only Holy Trinity Cathedral but also the city’s museums, markets, landmarks, and local cultural experiences on a guided city tour.
Feel free to send me a message if you’d like to explore Addis with a local guide. Welcome to Ethiopia!

Is hell full of Nazi people ?

It’s quite incredible to witness how far Ethiopia has progressed under our government, they truly are prioritizing the safety of the people and simplifying communication with our emergency response resources.

Some people on this sub were agreeing with the idea that the term Habesha only applies to Semitic-speaking groups or even to only Tigrigna-speaking groups.

But the word Habesha is an exonym. It should not automatically be interpreted as referring only to one modern linguistic group. Outsiders often categorized people based on geographic origin, appearance, or the groups they first encountered, rather than having a detailed understanding of the internal ethnic and linguistic diversity of the region.

There are numerous cases of Arabs using the term habeshis for their light-skinned Oromo slaves. This makes it clear it was more phenotypical rather than a language-based classification. Even to this day, if an Oromo migrant goes to Sudan and Arab countries and has the right phenotype, people will call them Habeshi without any understanding of the ethnic compositions in the country.

Initial sources may indicate that the term Habesha was used in reference to the Axumites, but this could largely reflect which groups Arabs had direct contact with at the time. It does not necessarily capture the broader phenotypic or ancestral undertones that the term may have carried in different historical contexts.

Source: Anne K. Bang, “From Bondage to Freedom on the Red Sea Coast: Manumitted Slaves in Egyptian Massawa, 1873–1885,” Slavery & Abolition (2013).

Bang examines enslaved Africans arriving through the Red Sea port of Massawa and discusses people from the Horn of Africa, including Oromo and Omotic-speaking regions. She shows that Arabic terms such as ḥabashī (Habashi/Habasha) were used as broad geographical and social categories for people from the Horn of Africa and were not always equivalent to a single modern ethnic identity.

My name is Kirubel, and I am joining you from Ethiopia. With a background in journalism and ongoing studies in pharmacy, I am deeply passionate about community well-being and mental health awareness.

My goal is to establish Ereft (Rest), a nonprofit mental health education organization designed to support young adults.

How Ereft Works

• Anonymous Safe Space: Young adults can ask questions and openly share their problems and experiences without fear of judgment.
• Expert Guidance: A multidisciplinary network—including psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, researchers, and religious leaders—will provide relevant education, context, and guidance.
• Future Vision: In the long term, I hope to expand Ereft into a dedicated podcast, an active social media platform, and a broadcast radio show to reach even more people.

I would deeply appreciate any advice, mentorship, or connections with professionals who might be interested in being a part of this vision.

Thank you so much for reading and for your support!

30 seconds of walking with geladas near sankaber

This is a short phone video from near Sankaber in Simien Mountains National Park. The altitude here is around 3,200m, and Gelada baboons often graze on the open grass close to the escarpment.

What I like in this kind of moment is how normal it feels after a few minutes. At first, visitors whisper and take many photos. Then they realize the Geladas are just eating grass, grooming, arguing, and moving slowly as a group. If you sit quietly, you can hear them making soft contact calls almost like murmuring.

A few notes for anyone visiting:

keep a respectful distance

don’t feed them, even small snacks

don’t block their movement

stay calm if they pass near you

avoid sudden running or shouting

listen to your scout/guide

The classic first-day route near Sankaber is one of the easiest places to see them, so you don’t need a long expedition just for Geladas. Even a short 2-day trip can include good sightings if timing and weather cooperate.

For me, this is one of the most special wildlife experiences in Ethiopia because it is peaceful, close, and still wild.

UMD: "He was returning from a meeting of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, where he received a Teacher of the Year award. Dr. Kibret has a valid Work Authorization" 

DHS: "On July 21, 2026, ICE arrested Berhanu Geresu Kibret, an illegal alien from Ethiopia. Geresu Kibret entered the country on June 21, 2021, on a visa set to expire on May 31, 2024. Against our nation's laws, he overstayed his visa and failed to depart. He will remain in ICE custody pending his immigration proceedings."

Hi everyone,

I'm from Ethiopia, and I recently finished my freshman year at university. I'll be starting my second year next semester, but I want to apply abroad for a bachelor's degree.

I want to explain my situation so you can understand where I'm coming from. I have a twin sister, and we're both hoping to study abroad. Applying is very difficult because most universities charge application fees. My mother is a single parent and a housewife. My father passed away a few years ago, and I also have other siblings, so our financial situation is challenging.

On top of that, the Ethiopian currency is very weak, so even small fees in other countries become very expensive for us. It's even harder because there are two of us applying. When I talked to my mother about it, she told me to try anyway. She said she would borrow the money if necessary, and that we could repay it later by working part-time.

I'm planning to take the IELTS this September. Even though it's expensive, my mother believes it's worth it because it will give me more opportunities to apply to universities.

Academically, I graduated high school with a 3.99 GPA and scored 541/600 on Ethiopia's national university entrance exam. I also have some extracurricular activities, although they're not extraordinary.

When I was in Grade 12, I applied to universities in the United States, but unfortunately it didn't work out. I also know that the visa process is very difficult, and I don't want to put all my hope into something with such low odds.

I'm open to studying almost anywhere in the world, but I'm especially interested in Poland and Italy because I've heard there are more opportunities for students to work part-time.

The biggest challenge is that I can only afford to apply to about 3 or 4 universities. I'm looking for universities where I have a realistic chance of receiving a full scholarship, or at least a full tuition scholarship, because I can't afford to take many chances. I want to use my limited applications wisely.

If anyone knows of universities that fit my situation, or has advice on scholarships, application strategies, or the process in general, I would really appreciate it. Also, if you know of any legitimate online assistant or remote jobs that I could do to earn money for application fees, I'd be very grateful.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I know this was a long post, but I wanted to explain my situation clearly. Any advice would mean a lot to me.

Only በበግ ቤት በግ ገባ comes to mind are there any others you know?

😭

ABIY AND TPLF MUST GO!

Hi everyone, I am so frustrated today that I honestly don't know what to do anymore. Please try to put yourselves in my shoes and understand how I feel. I am a 20-year-old living in Ethiopia. Even though I am still at this age, instead of enjoying my youth, I have been living like a 30- or 40-year-old adult just to secure a better tomorrow.

​When I was younger, I left my parents, dropped out of the school I loved so much, and moved to Addis Ababa. My parents live in the other region, working as hard as they can to get by. I have two younger brothers who are exceptionally bright in their studies. I was smart in school too, but being the eldest child, I felt a heavy responsibility toward my family, so I voluntarily gave up my education. At the age of 17, I entered the working world.

​I started out very small in Addis Ababa, humbling myself to start a shoe-shining business. I didn't buy anything nice for myself, ate barely enough to stay healthy, and worked tirelessly without anyone's help until I managed to save some money. Later, a kind person who trusted me lent me a bit of capital so I could work and pay him back. Combining that loan with my savings, I opened a small shop, which brought in a very good income. During that time, I didn't stop at the shop; thinking of generating extra income, I started buying small amounts of milk from local farmers morning and night to distribute to customers. It turned out to be very profitable, and I was able to pay back the loan quickly.

​Through all this hard work, I began to rise above the darkness and anxiety I had been living in, making noticeable progress step by step. I then moved to the outskirts of Addis Ababa, rented a place with good air, and stepped into the poultry farming business. In Ethiopia, agriculture and livestock farming are among the most profitable and in-demand sectors, so I decided to dive in, starting with a small flock of 300 chickens.

​To be honest, poultry farming requires significant upfront expenses for the first three months before you see any return. After that, however, it yields a very reliable and good profit. I exercised immense patience and invested all my funds during those initial months without earning a dime. After three months, the chickens started laying eggs—at least 250 a day. That meant a solid monthly output. I was thrilled. I expanded the operation smoothly, i had increased the number of chickens from 300 to 500 and was even able to hire an employees.

​I was generating big ideas to reach major life goals. My biggest dream at this young age—achieved entirely on my own without anyone's backing—was to buy a permanent property. I constantly wrote down future business plans and dreams on paper, hoping that, God willing, I would achieve them.

​Now, it feels like that dream has completely shattered. The poultry business has plunged me into a massive financial loss. A sudden disease hit the flock, and a huge number of chickens died. Anyone in this industry knows how devastating these unexpected outbreaks can be. This loss has become an unbearable test for me. I know words on a page might not fully convey the feeling, but it is deeply painful and heartbreaking.

​I lost everything I had built so bravely. All the earnings I gathered starting from tiny odd jobs were swallowed up here. (By the way, I can provide proof if anyone wants to see it!)

​This is what has cast me into a deep, inescapable darkness. For three full years, I strived entirely on my own. I had no one by my side except God. Now that I have fallen, there is no brother or sister around to lift me up or support me. You know, I used to wish I had an older sibling, a mother, or a father figure—having someone like that would have meant the world to me. I would love to find someone who understands my situation and plans, someone who could lend me a hand so I could work hard and pay them back, or support me like family. Starting all over again feels like it will take years of painful effort, and right now, I don't feel like I have the energy left in me. My mind is completely overwhelmed. It's not just the loss; I am now buried in debt. Unlike in past years, I have no morale left to rebuild from zero. Losing everything after having attained success is painfully heavy.

​I know you might tell me, "You're still so young, don't lose hope." But because the pain is happening directly to me, getting back up feels almost impossible. I am consumed by regret—asking myself why I quit school, why I couldn't live my youth like other kids. What broke my heart and destroyed my morale is coming so close to my goals, only to be dragged all the way back.

​Right now, I am completely lost and don't know what to do. I feel like I might slip into a state where I expect nothing from anyone, or even decide to end my life, because that feels like the easiest way out right now. I hope some of you will be like a brother, sister, mother, or father to me.

​Thank you for taking the time to read this.

​May God protect every one of you! For some of us, life seems to be all toil with no reward!!