CLEAR COASTS


CLEAR COASTS

Roads get cleared as a fleet of vehicles carrying diplomats makes its way to the African Union Summit held in Addis Abeba. The capital fills up with attendees from all over the world every year, ushering in a public transportation debacle for most urbanites. Motorcycles were banned from the streets this year, while heavy-duty vehicles were restricted to selected roads. Pleas for sweeping amendments to the global financial architecture were ubiquitous in this year's summit as several African countries grapple with distressful debt situations. Ethiopia recently missed a 33 million dollar coupon payment on its Eurobond, which resulted in several credit agencies downgrading its rating to junk territory.


In-Picture

FAREWELL FASHION

Clothes of various colours and styles greet would-be customers looking for a bargain near Ambassador Cinema at semi-permanent stalls slated for removal. Informal markets and street vendors face growing pressure from Addis Abeba's redevelopment and government policies aimed at formalizing retail spaces. While such changes can improve infrastructure and create organized shopping districts, they often come at a cost to small vendors, whose livelihoods depend on affordable, accessible locations. The...


In-Picture

TRANSIT TANGO

A dedicated public transport hub has sprung up in Megenagna with numerous minibuses and midi-buses parked in rows. The bustling transit area is unpaved with a red dirt covering, in contrast to other terminals that have propped up around Addis Abeba that are paved with asphalt, perhaps indicating the temporariness of the site that was previously slated as the headquarters of Addis Chamber. Such hubs are crucial for daily commuting and local economies, providing jobs and facilitating commerce by c...


In-Picture

BLADE BLAZE

A traditional metal worker and knife forger is sitting in front of a small fire with an Ethio telecom network facility in the background, using a makeshift fan made out of rubber to stoke the flames. The resourceful man exhibits the ingenuity and adaptability of traditional craftsmen, who often repurpose available materials to aid in their work. Traditional knife-making involves heating metal to high temperatures and then shaping it into knives using tools and manual labor...


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