View From Arada | Dec 02,2023
Jun 1 , 2019
By Tsion Fisseha
Working a nine-to-five job, on top of various volunteer work, has taken a toll. By the time I get home, all I can think about is saying a brief hello to my parents, having some dinner and going to bed.
But since the power outage hit the nation last month, I have had to change my routine. It has been for the best. I go home early and spend time chatting with my family about how their day went and what ia new.
This is one of the few perks of being forced to live with electricity outages. As incompetence, poverty and underdevelopment would have it, households go dark for at least eight hours every day. There was no nature disaster like a drought or tornado, but citizens have the bad luck to make do without power for a portion of every day. This is a far cry from technological developments in power generation and distribution over the centuries.
A quarter of a million years ago, human ancestors gained control of fire. This is a stage in history that is considered significant in human evolution. People used fire to cook and stay warm, much as people without access to electricity in rural and urban areas whose turn it is to have a power shutdown do now. People back then also used it to protect themselves from wild animals.
Over about a century ago, Thomas Edison invented the bulb, which could be used in homes and industries.
In the 21st century, electricity has proved to execute the same function of the pre-historic fire but better. It helps people cook meals no matter how simple or how fancy. It keeps people warm, cozy and comfortable.
Despite being one of the earliest countries in Africa to aquire electricity as early as the late 19th century, Ethiopia has lagged far behind, and the current electricity rationing is just one example.
The populations of countries such as Ethiopia make up the 1.1 billion people across the world that still lack any access to electricity. Of course, this is a number that does not include people in areas that do not get consistent electricity, which is the majority of Ethiopians at the moment.
The power outage, as expected, has caused agitation and frustration among citizens. To say that households and businesses are being inconvenienced would be to understate the loss in time, money and productivity people are experiencing every day.
Sometimes, however, even the most disastrous events can lead to unexpected outcomes. The power shortage, no matter how unappealing it is, has brought the whole nation together through many different jokes and memes shared on various social media platforms.
This incident has shown us that despite the darkness, our willingness to hope for the better and laugh about it until it changes will carry us through the pain that we are forced to face.
Electricity has given the world a better way of living. Together with technological advances in other sectors, people have become more independent and individualistic. These two concepts obviously have their perks but they also have shortcomings.
The recent turn of events has stimulated the social animal in us. Having experienced the power outage, one cannot help but wonder about the metaphor it carries.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that,” Martin Luther King Jr. said.
Perhaps, the best way to deal with the inconvenience of the power outages is to see that the glass is half-full and the barrier to talking with one another has been removed.
PUBLISHED ON
Jun 01,2019 [ VOL
20 , NO
996]
View From Arada | Dec 02,2023
Commentaries | Dec 02,2023
Radar | Aug 08,2020
In-Picture | May 25,2019
News Analysis | Mar 09,2024
Films Review | May 11,2019
Films Review | May 18,2019
Viewpoints | Jun 29,2019
Fortune News | Jan 19,2019
My Opinion | 128418 Views | Aug 14,2021
My Opinion | 124660 Views | Aug 21,2021
My Opinion | 122758 Views | Sep 10,2021
My Opinion | 120585 Views | Aug 07,2021
Dec 22 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Charged with transforming colossal state-owned enterprises into modern and competitiv...
Aug 18 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Although predictable Yonas Zerihun's job in the ride-hailing service is not immune to...
Jul 28 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Unhabitual, perhaps too many, Samuel Gebreyohannes, 38, used to occasionally enjoy a couple of beers at breakfast. However, he recently swit...
Jul 13 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Investors who rely on tractors, trucks, and field vehicles for commuting, transporting commodities, and f...
May 3 , 2025
Pensioners have learned, rather painfully, the gulf between a figure on a passbook an...
Apr 26 , 2025
Benjamin Franklin famously quipped that “nothing is certain but death and taxes....
Apr 20 , 2025
Mufariat Kamil, the minister of Labour & Skills, recently told Parliament that he...
Apr 13 , 2025
The federal government will soon require one year of national service from university...
May 3 , 2025
Oromia International Bank introduced a new digital fuel-payment app, "Milkii," allowi...
May 4 , 2025 . By AKSAH ITALO
Key Takeaways: Banks face new capital rules complying with Basel II/III intern...
May 4 , 2025
Pensioners face harsh economic realities, their retirement payments swiftly eroded by inflation and spiralling living costs. They struggle d...
Key Takeaways Ethiopost's new document drafting services, initiated in partnership with DARS, aspir...
Loading your updates...