Mereja.Forum

[Zmeselo]

[Zmeselo]

Silver medalist, cyclist, Biniam Girmay's newly built custom- made shoes







Biniam Girmay: The Silver Medal is for Eritrea and for Africa

https://shabait.com/2021/10/06/biniam-g ... or-africa/

ARTS & SPORTS

Oct 6, 2021



Eritrean makes History with Country’s First Worlds Medal.

Editor’s Note: (It is to be recalled that Eritrean young cyclist, Biniam Girmay, made history in the U23 men’s road race at the UCI Road World Championships winning the silver medal. Here is an Article by Patrick Fletcher, from Cycling News)

Biniam Girmay hailed a landmark moment for Eritrea and all of Africa after winning the silver medal in the U23 men’s road race, at the UCI Road World Championships. The rising starburst is clear of a reduced bunch to place second in Leuven, just a couple of seconds after solo winner Filippo Baroncini. In doing so, he made history, becoming the first Eritrean and the first black African to win a medal at the Road World Championships.

For me, for my nation, also for Africa, this means a lot,

Girmay said as his section of the post-race press conference outlasted that of the world champion to his left.

I’m really happy. I’m really proud of my nation, so I say congrats to all Eritreans and also to all Africans.

Girmay nodded his head sharply as he crossed the line, which at first looked like a show of frustration. He had been the fastest in the reduced bunch, only thwarted by a solo attacker, but it soon became clear that there wasn’t a hint of disappointment.

He sank to the tarmac and was mobbed by his teammates and staff, and could no doubt hear – if not see – the flag-laden Eritrean fans in Leuven.

Yesterday I called my family, and they told me to remember when I was a kid,

he revealed.

My father said to me ‘hopefully you will become one of the biggest riders in all the world, you will be world champion’. So I was on the phone with my father and my whole family, and they said ‘for sure you can do it and take a medal.

Silver medalist Biniam Girmay of Eritrea during the medal ceremony after the 94th UCI Road World Championships 2021 Men U23 Road Race

I say thank you, for all my family. They supported me. They give me really good motivation, every single day. When I was starting my sprint, I was a bit nervous but I was also thinking just to get one of the medals. Not to win – just to finish top three and I did it. I am happy with my place.

Girmay has been touted as a big talent, but his journey to the top of the sport is far from straightforward. Cycling is popular in Eritrea but in terms of pathways to the professional ranks, it lags far behind cycling’s European heartlands.

I’m from the capital city, Asmara. That’s the cycling zone in Eritrea,

Girmay said, explaining his roots.

Every Sunday there’s a race, and all the people who like cycling give you a lot of advice. I started when I was 12 years old, at school. I rode mountain bike but then I also started road racing when I was 15.

Girmay’s big break was an invite to the UCI’s World Cycling Centre, to which he says he owes a big debt of gratitude. The WCC is an initiative of the sport’s governing body to develop riders from backgrounds that may ordinarily prevent them from reaching the pro ranks, housing them in Switzerland and offering structured training and access to races.

I raced a lot of races with them and gained a lot of good experience. When you’re young, you come to Europe and you see the peloton – big peloton – and a lot of tactics. Mentally and physically, I grew at the World Cycling Centre.

After I won the African Continental Championships – in the Time Trial and the road race – the UCI invited me, so I joined them in 2018 and stayed until the end of 2019. It was really important – one of the most important things,

Girmay said.

It means a lot to me because I went to Europe in 2018 and every year, with every step, every new experience, I learn a lot. It has worked today.

Girmay then signed his first professional contract with the French Delko team for 2020, and he immediately made his mark, winning two stages of the Tropicale Amissa Bongo in Gabon. He went on to finish runner-up behind Giulio Ciccone at Trofeo Laigueglia, then to Loic Vliegen at Tour du Doubs, as well as picking up four podiums at the Tour du Rwanda and fourth at the Giro della Toscana.

Interest rocketed, World Tour teams started circling, and, as Delko found themselves in financial and administrative trouble this year, a mid-season transfer to World Tour outfit Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux was organized for the start of August. He quickly set about winning the GP Besançon Doubs – his first professional victory on European soil.

When I joined this team, I was super happy. I think it’s a good team. It’s not only a team but a family,

he said.

I also say thank you to them for giving me the opportunity and supporting me, the past few months. I joined halfway through the season, but they gave me the chance immediately to sprint for the win.

Fans with Eritrean Flags Celebrating Biniam’s victory

Girmay signed a long-term deal with the Belgian team and recently relocated to Lucca, Italy, where there’s a sizeable contingent of Eritrean riders. He signed through 2024 – a sign of how highly rated he is – in which time he hopes to hone his skills as a versatile sprinter and start winning bigger and bigger races.

For now, I’m really looking at the Classics, also some hilly races with a sprint,

he said.

This is my best capacity, so I’m working for this to be faster in the bunch sprints and on the small uphills. I also want to show the next few years, that I can be one of the big riders.

When I was little, I liked sprinters. I wouldn’t say he’s my hero, but I like Peter Sagan, not only for his cycling but also outside of cycling. He’s really funny and easy-going.

The future appears very bright indeed for Girmay but he is also aware of the potential impact of his silver medal not just in the next few years, or even the rest of his career, but for decades and generations to come.

In Eritrea, our future is bright,

he said.

We have, really, good potential. It’s not just from the last years, it’s longer.

We will get more experience and progress every day, mentally and physically. There is a really good future, I think.

_______________________






Eritrean Olympian Athlete Yemane Hailesilasie finished 2nd in the 1 Mile Long Total Energies Milla Internacional de Madrid, with the time 4:16. Henok Tesfay finished 6th in Kosice Peace Marathon (96th) Slovakia, with 2:10:38



_________________





Naigzy Gebremedhin and the Eritrean Flag on Mount Kenya

By Guest Writer: Alemseged Tesfai

https://www.kemey.net/post/2018/08/28/N ... ount-Kenya

Aug 29, 2018

Naigzy Gebremedhin is known in Eritrea as a former Director of the FAO, a former Dean of the Building College in Addis Ababa, the author of the first environmental protection plan for Eritrea, the architect, and the Director of the Cultural Assets Rehabilitation Program (CARP) in Asmara. CARP was the precursor to the current Eritrea World Heritage Committee, which succeeded in registering Asmara as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

These are credentials that anyone would be justified to boast about, for a lifetime. But Naigzy has always had more to offer, although, in his humble nature, one has to nudge and push him to talk about them. In my association with him at CARP, I used to notice how he would clench his fists whenever he tensed up for some reason. I asked him why.

I was a boxer at Wingate School,

he told me,

It’s probably a habit from those days.

He went on to show me a few punching tricks.

In the early 2000’s, when he was around seventy years old, I remember him telling me that he had just come back from a visit to the monastery at DebreBizen. “By helicopter?” I asked him. "On foot,” he replied,

I am climbing back again within the week. Do you want to come along?

I declined.

He called me the day after his second visit to Bizen and we celebrated the feat, with a couple of beers at Sunshine Hotel.

My real surprise came in 2009 or 2010, when I received a message that he had distributed to friends informing us that he had celebrated his seventy-fifth birthday on top of Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. More surprising to me was that, it was not his first climb up that formidable elevation. He had done it at 25 when Kenya was still a British colony in 1959; and again at 50, every quarter century. On his plans for a third attempt, an amused admirer had told him that conquering Kilimanjaro twice in a lifetime was heroic, going for a third was madness. He was “mad” enough to try it and succeed.

I suspect that you may do it once more for your 80th,

I wrote to him, little doubting that, by that age, anything of that sort would be beyond his abilities. I was in for another surprise. He celebrated his 80th birthday on top of Kilimanjaro.




Mr. Naizghi on Mt. Kilimanjaro at the age of 25 in 1959

A few weeks ago, on August 6, I met him in Nairobi looking not a day older than when I had seen him last some thirteen years before. He handed me an envelope with a folded paper inside it, which I pocketed for later reading. He too did not volunteer to tell me, what its contents were. We spent almost three hours together talking, reminiscing, driving around and shopping.

The following day, while waiting for my flight back home at Nairobi Airport, I remembered the envelope and opened its content. It was a clipping from the Kenyan newspaper, The Nation, announcing that, at 84, Naigzy Gebremedhin was climbing Mount Kenya, the second highest mountain in Africa. He was honouring the memory of his friend, the prominent Kenyan politician and fellow mountain climber, Kenneth Matiba, who passed away last year. At 82, Naigzy had set the age record two years ago, when he prayed at Lenana Peak for the health of his ailing friend.This time, he was going back to honour his memory by praying at the same spot. Matiba had done it 18 times over the years; Naigzy was going for his 13th.

I literally gasped with amazement and apprehension. While admiring his tenacity and grit, I could not help wondering if he was not testing his stamina a bit too much. But then, I thought, he would not take the risk if he did not believe in himself. I had met him on Monday, he was to make the trek the following Friday…and he had not uttered a word about it throughout our meeting.I felt confident that his humbleness and faith would see him through his latest exploit.

Still, it was no simple matter, considering his age. Lenana Peak stands at 4,985 metres above sea level. Eritrea’s highest mountain, EmbaSoira, is almost 2,000 metres lower at 3,018 metres. Naigzy and his fellow climbers had to trek for 27 hours through what The Nation called, “treacherous terrain and biting cold” with pauses for rest, to reach Lenana Peak from the base. Once there, he led the prayers for his deceased friend.

It was tough,

he told The Nation at the peak,

Tougher than the last time obviously, because I am older. I am happy that I completed this mission honouring my friend and a patriot in this country.

When asked to express his feelings about breaking his previous record of being the oldest man to climb Mount Kenya, he answered with characteristic humility,

To be honest, records do not really matter to me. But if I did break the record, then I will gladly accept it.

To crown his achievement and to honour his Homeland, he planted the Eritrean flag on top of the Lenana Peak of Mount Kenya.


"Eritrean flag keeps fluttering on Mount Kenya"

Our indomitable compatriot has set a standard for all of us, young and old, to emulate and surpass, if we can. I know Naigzy well enough to believe, that he would love to see someone older than himself break the new record that he has set. But one never knows with people like Naigzy. That possibility may provoke him to go for it once again at 90, or even Kilimanjaro, at 100!

As we thank him for his inspiration, the Eritrean flag keeps fluttering on Mount Kenya.



Dr. Naizghi, Congratulations, indeed! You make us all, proud!

[Abe Abraham]

ፕረዚደንት ኢሳያስ ኣፈ-ወርቂ ኣብራሃም ናይ ኣባሓጎኡ እንተ ዘይወሲዱ ናይ መን ደኣ ክወስድ ። ኣቦይ ኣብራሃም ንደቂ ዓዶም ፍልጠት ንከቕስሙ ብኣጋኡ ኣብ ዓደቦኦም ቤት-ትምህርቲ ከፊቶም ።

-----

በዓል ዶክተር ናይዝጊ ገብረ-መድህን ካብ እቲ ኣዝዮ ትምህርቲ ዝፈቱ ኤርትራዊ ወለዶ እዮም ። ንኹሉ ኣብነት ዝኾኑ ማለት እዩ ።

ኣለም-ሰገድ ተስፋይ ንገዛእ ርእሱ ኣብ ሓደ ኣጋጣሚ ብዛዕባ መማህርቱ ክዛረብ እንከሎ - ገሊኦም ካብ ከባቢ ኣስመራ ተጓዒዞም ትምህርቶም ዝካታተሉ ዝነበሩ - ኩሎም ዕዉታት ከም ዝኾኑ ገሊጹ ።

[Zmeselo]

Eritrea's statement delivered during the General Debate of the Second Committee 76th Session of the UN General Assembly.






Highlights:

• World is leaving millions behind. In Africa, 90% yet to receive 1st dose.

When words & actions don't match up, crises widen & deepen.

• No one can be safe, until we are all safe. Thus, priority should be securing safety of all.

• We acknowledge support of those who are making efforts + resources to fight this pandemic, for the good of all.

• Countries contributing least greenhouse gas emissions are/will bear the brunt, of climate change impact. We must all act now, vs climate change.

• Fighting climate change in developed world cannot come, @ the expense of developing countries. Various restrictive measures/blanket bans aren't reasonable, by any means.

• Finding sustainable solutions that will not cripple developing countries is a cause, worth cooperating for.

• Countries should refrain from coercion and restrictive financial/political measures, incl. sanctions, which impede development efforts.

• We should advocate for global economic order, that strives for equality & improves lives of those @ the bottom of the ladder. Need to demonstrate solidarity, to ensure all move forward.

• Eritrea is strongly committed to building a strong foundation for a harmonious nation, that fulfills the aspirations of all its people.

[Zmeselo]

Today, Ambassador ADECHOUBOU of Benin and myself paid a curtesy visit to bid farewell to Ambassador BENCHERIF of Algeria. It was an honor to express & applaud H.E.’s & Algeria’s leading role, in Africa’s constructive diplomacy with Japan. #TICAD8 #Eritrea #AU エリトリア エチオピア
Ambassador Estifanos: @AmbassadorEstif







Thanked the Slovak Ambassador, H.E Mrs. Katarína Žuffa Leligdonová for her visit & for our lengthy exchange of ideas on issues: Bilateral relations, Unep & Un-Habitat & regional diplomatic matters. Wished her success during her diplomatic tenure, here in Nairobi.
AMB. Beyene Russom: @BeyeneRussom

[Zmeselo]

Biden in office.
Asnake Anteneh: @anteneh_asnake






________________________


Eritrean “Girls Trip”

By: Milka Teklom

https://shabait.com/2021/10/06/eritrean-girls-trip/

GENERAL

Oct 6, 2021



When I first watched the Hollywood-produced movie, ‘Girls’ Trip’, I and many friends of mine were convinced that if we ever get to organize a trip, the only way to do it was the same as it was portrayed in the movie. Recently though, I had the chance to take part in a trip organized by the National Union of Eritrean Women (NUEW); which ultimately made me believe that the Eritrean way of girls’ trip is more meaningful and memorable.

Eritrea is a nation, known for its hard-earned independence and its policy of self-reliance. For many years, its path to development has been halted by different circumstances and its policy of self-reliance was always debatable, yet it never failed to showcase the result of its fortitude and that trip was the reflection of that policy and the final answer to the debate.

The trip began from the NUEW headquarters in Asmara with 30 members who are part of a program called: equality of gender. The first destination of the trip was, the Halhale Agricultural Dairy Farm. Mr. Tekle Legese, production manager of dairy and dairy products gave us a tour of the farm and introduced us to the pilot project in a detailed manner. The project was initiated targeting various objectives that are aimed at introducing advanced dairy processing systems to the country, supplying quality and cost-effective products in addition to exporting dairy and dairy products to foreign markets.


Lidya Amanuel

What has been achieved so far is commendable which can be seen from the modern milking machines that have a capacity of milking 60 cows at a time, which in turn is expected to ease challenges of milking and creating comfort and bringing about much productivity. The milking machine is very advanced and is managed with chips and transponders which helps in uniquely identifying cows that are in heat, that are sick and thus under veterinary treatment as well as in testing viscidity of the milk and above all unregistered cows, would not be milked by the machine.

The milk is tested for its quality and goes to the processing machine. While the infrastructural capacity has been expanded to accommodate more and more dairy cows, the center has also been empowered with human resources and is now ready to be expanded to other areas of the country. Besides, more graduates have gained the required technical know-how that enables them to run similar projects independently. The manure of the dairy cows is daily collected and used as compost to give additional fertility to the animal feed farms in Halhale and Adi-halo, as well as Adi-Guadad.

The next destination was to Mslam Dam, located in the village of Gergera. The area around the dam is known for its beautiful scenery and marble statues depicting the story of the revolutionary struggle of Eritrea, which makes you realize the importance of our armed struggle and how far we have come and accomplished.

After Gergera, we headed to Mendefera sub-zone, where we enjoyed a warm welcome by the NUEW branch there and according to the program they planned we were directed to head to the sanitary pad factory. When we reached the factory, we were briefed by Mr. Daniel Habte, an electrical engineer and machine operator at the factory. He began his briefing, by explaining how the pad factory was formed and its development till now.

The first Eritrean sanitary pad factory was formed in the early 1970s at a place called Fah by the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) during the armed struggle with special help from Eritrean women in Italy, with a special purpose of supplying the female fighters. After independence, the machine was brought to Mendefera and has been functioning till recent years and with the help of the Eritrean women living in Italy, the factory was later equipped with new and upgraded machines. Also, the quality of the product has been standardized with the international market thanks to the introduction of the new machines.



The final destination was a tour to the beautiful building headquarters of the NUEW branch in the region and by the end of the day, the members of the equality of gender program shared their experience with the members of Mendefera NUEW.

In the words of the equality of gender program members: Lidya Amanuel, the political science graduate, currently working at the ministry of foreign affairs stated that she has been a member of that program since 2019, and added,

The main goal of the program is to empower women, conduct research on the main problems of women and enlighten the younger generation on the life of different working women in different ministries. However, this trip was organized to broaden our knowledge on the development of our nation.

The trip was refreshing and to actually witness what I always watched on the media was fascinating, especially the fact that the park was designed and constructed by local experts made me proud. The new sanitary pad factory gave me hope, for a cheaper product. Overall, the trip gave me a glimpse of our country’s path for development. Hence, I advise organizations, groups, and even friends to head on this eye-opening trip.

[Zmeselo]