The nocturnal riders ‘Quatiras’ & the diplomats of Addis Ababa

• January6/2014
• 
  Written by newbusinessethiopia

BY ABEBAYEHU GEBEYAW / agebeyaw@gmail.com
New year is coming soon with new spirit, new life.  And the summer is about to set out. But there is something this country has never gained as new year and always lacks though long awaited---prosperity.

It is everyone's wish, but how? Since poverty is deep-rooted. The latter has given the nation a hard time and Ethiopia has never been able to divorce from it. No matter how serious the hatred against poverty in amongst the people and even the soil, nothing has changed and remains intact.

With no doubt the summer (or winter in Ethiopia) is too severe, especially for some segments of the society. And it is hard to think of safety in the summer for those who always sing “Street is my home, the chill is my mom” as there are no option for them other than knitting plastics at the vicinity of boulevards, walkways and streets.

Pain

The situation they have been through and still go through portrays the magnitude of the daunting problem prevailing in the nation. They are living proof of the social crisis, developmental hurdles and bottlenecks of growth the country has been experiencing for years.

Feeling the pain, I once came out, not only to observe the day to day living situation of these street dwellers and the impact of poverty – the arch enemy of the nation – but also to understand and explore the way they live in the summer season wishing a poverty-free life.

This is what we are always looking forward to seeing. And we always wish to have a poverty-free nation – as the saying goes “Dream well and have good-will for further happiness.”

A study conducted in 2004 stated that there are over a hundred thousand street children solely in Addis Ababa. This number is on the rise following the ever increasing rural-urban migration.

The street life does not only embrace children and youth, but it also includes the elderly and both sexes. As is well known, they all live in plastic huts at the periphery of streets – particularly that of the highways and the ring road. They pass the day time under trees and the night under ring roads and bridges. They’re life is mysterious and begs curiosity.

It seems this harsh street life has now been well recognized. Though all citizens are multifarious in terms of age, social background, sex and the like – factors that pushed the majority of them to join the street life are alike.

Life

The major factors attributing to these people becoming victims to street life are, among others, family feuds and separation, poverty, rape (especially by close kinship) etc. People who leave home or depart from family members in such ways are too numerous to count..

To add new wounds to scars, some of these street dwellers unfortunately are people who have acquired education from prominent higher learning institutions. These have been highly exposed to a range of addictions.

It's quite unfortunate. Amazingly, I came across street dwellers that have lived in the streets for well over seventeen or so years, indulging themselves in that dire condition.

Needless to cite, a considerable number of street children are found in Addis Ababa. Providing them with food waste, alms and other things with sympathy, a handful of society and pass-buyers including students do not recognize them.

The majorities of people merely glance at street dwellers everyday and do not give them much attention or heed.

Everything they do – day and night – what they dream, hope and aspire for does not coincide with what the rest does. What a pity! What a shame! What regret! Are they living and enjoying life?

To be sure, it is a unique and amazing way of life. It is a life on another planet, another existence – totally disconnected from the understanding of many and distant from academic discussion and though. It is an extraordinary means of leading a life.

To the surprise of everyone, these so called street dwellers and parts of our society do have their own peculiar means and a communal life. They have enjoyed in their own unique and particular ways weddings; mourning for the deceased; and other related social observances.

They even have a parliament to discuss and debate on timely matters and critical issues. They even have embassies.

In a broader sense, it is a self-governing society parallel to the mainstream – as they have established a wider; and independent communal being, with a unique language and communication means.

I spent three days and nights observing the overall living situation of these street children and exploring other conditions found in various sub-cities of Addis Ababa and its environs. I also approached some members of this community for comments and talked to them about some points.

'Quatiras'.....Night Riders
The saying states: “Ken leserawit, lellit learawit,” Literary, 'Day for humans, night for wildlife,' This saying does not work for the street children of Addis Ababa. The night is just another day for street dwellers.

They technically call this state of spending the whole night wandering many places “Quatira”. Literary, the meaning is the ‘night to day’, which reflects their intention to dramatically convert the role of day into that of night.

This trend has two features: stable and mobile. And they assign people acting in tune with the two features.

Night riders, both the stable and mobile ones are expected to enjoy breakfast at 9 pm. Their major duty is spending the night wandering here and there around the city or outside.

“Long ago, I had never been tired of traveling here and there; but at present signposts with a view to depicting kilometers at every step have made me idle and exhausted easily,” says Tesfaye, a member of the mobile night riders. Street dwellers categorized under this section are duty-bound to work throughout whole night leaving and receiving messages till dawn. They take rest in at dawn when the night is completely over.

At 9 pm the work begins with a dose of Khat (a stimuli which is prevalent in the Horn of Africa) They begin undertaking various activities thereafter. Of the two categories of “Quatiras,” the day ones never are asleep at day time.

They have given names and assigned duties and responsibilities – as ‘drivers’ and or ‘poster admirers’. They also travel to Debre Zeit from Addis Ababa, on foot early in the morning.

Complimentary Video: Ethiopia's street children 

Lunch is served at Dukem and they keep on going to Debre Zeit. Right after spending the day there, it is customary to return to Addis Ababa employing the natural mode of transportation – do not forget the journey is accompanied by chewing Khat.

Coming back to Addis, this day Quatiras take lunch at a hotel in Dukem. They call the food secured from the hotel 'Fews' which literary means remedy. They beg for the 'fews' from the hotel. Of those street children, some are regarded as drivers as their starting and terminating point is not well defined.

They usually travel from Addis Ababa to Nazareth (Adama), Harar, Dire Dawa, Bahir Dar, Jimma, Wollega etc.…...

They also visit various places in the town they stay some time, searching for a better street life. The rationale behind to call some poster admirers is they most of the time travel admiring posters pasted on poles or streets with a view to promoting different organizations.

Assume we are now in Addis Ababa. Do you know that street children in Addis do not converge at certain streets or boulevards?  A newcomer who would like to join the street life should first get a ‘green card’ enabling him/her to live in the community. To do this, he/she is expected to go to the respective embassies.

Street embassies
Street dwellers in Addis do have various embassies in different places of the city.  These embassies are called Wollo Embassy, Bahir Dar, Harar, Dire Dawa, Wollega, Mekele, Jimma etc.. For example, a street child from Harar is expected to go to Harar embassy, ensure his/her acceptance and affirm his/her nationality to make sure he/she belongs to that group.

Simply, new comers have to go to embassies they belong to and get accepted. But the embassies in turn impose an important question on them.

They are requested to call street persons from where they come from by names. Fortunately, if they can call the name of a man or woman among the existing street dwellers, they will automatically get licensed and fully accepted.

And they will also be given a chance to settle around or nearby the embassy. Besides that, they are also invited to be members of parliament within the shortest time possible.

Street parliament
The street parliament does have its own speaker of the house. In the parliament it is compulsory to hold discussions, consultation and debates, which are in line with its system, rules and regulations.

The parliament in Addis Ababa is quartered in Megenagna ring road and bridge. The parliament carries out its day-to-day activities and discharges responsibilities between 1 and 7 am.

The stable night riders or 'Quatiras' always reach there on time. The street Parliament is not similar to that of a formal government. It knows no recession. It also relentlessly works everyday including weekends. When the parliament is in session, fire is set and at the center. In order to prevent the fire from blowing out, it is fed with thin plastic sheets and tires.

The senate employs Khat to foster activities and every member holds a bunch of it while discussing topics on agenda. Cigarettes are also consumed. The agenda presented to the parliament might be national or local. Issues revolving around the lives of the respective members could be top on agenda too.

Issues such as how can we notify others about our capacity and skill to come out of this harsh life? Where a new hotel has opened? How can we tie the owner with 23?  (Tie with 23 means, in their slang, in what way can we lobby the owner to receive the food waste - the ‘fews’; the 'remedy'. The Parliament also undertakes reconciliation.

It discusses deeds of bodies considered guilty. If one does not follow the ruling of the parliament, they will be fired----or banned from being a member. However, if they surrender and ask the parliament’s excuse pardon will be granted after analyzing the situation?

The other day, I attend a session of the parliament at 1 am. The agenda set for that specific session included:
►How can we present an art exhibition to showcase our untapped capacity and skill?
► how do we display street children’s creativity?
► who can sponsor and promote our works?
► Can we establish charity organization in favor of street children?

Meticulously discussing these and other related issues, the parliament passed a decision. After a while, labor divisions among the members of the parliament was handed out and parliamentarians took their assumed responsibilities.

I cited some points about the election held in 2005 in the country. Based on my talks, one of the youth told me what he had done in 2005. he was registered and held election campaigns to take part in the national elections representing street dwellers to be a member of parliament.

He said, “I was registered at national electoral board of Ethiopia representing street children. I had petitioned 3,000 children to elect me then. But after some time I got exhaustively tired as my electorates' were scattered and conditions became disordered.

“However, I had finalized preparations and worked hard for the 2010 national elections. Family supported my idea and helped me well.” ---- He refers to a cross section of street dwellers when he says family.

Dama and selamie (game and peace)
A number of factors have pushed children to lead a street life. Joining the street life has gradually been accompanied by activities that have a direct bearing to crime.

Simply, as some members of the youth have made abundantly clear “Life is haphazardly led in the streets. The way people treat us has pushed us all to commit crime”.

All nations and nationalities are well represented in the street life. In clear terms, one can find Ethiopia at in the streets. But on one does not have relatives at the time of crisis. “If we are sick for example, no one will treat us.

We have no family to share our problems and feel our pain,” some of them say.
Luckily, some of the youth I approached for comments about street life were very humorous, hilarious and sociable.

Paradoxically, I came across some street children who were desperate, fed up with conditions and tired of leading a street life.

For example, one of them said, “We are given a hard time to express our love for people; most of us have developed sense of hopelessness. It is due to these conditions that we have four males or so, making love with a single girl or woman.

Surprisingly, they say, almost everyone entertains 'dama'---action like a game. “And we are doing this driven by addiction and whenever we get drunk.”

Staying with 'Quatiras' for some time, it is customary for someone to hear them asking one another: Have you met 'selamie'?. Literary the meaning is my piece. This is to say heroin or other narcotics – not a girl or a woman whom they know the name of Selam.

Hidden talent
It is quite obvious and stated time and again that night riders 'Quatiras' are addicted to Khat and other some possibly to other things. They are also labeled as criminals. Surprisingly, however, of these street children are gifted as well.

For instance, among the street children we can find a poll of talent through artists, painters, dancers, poets, script writers etc. They sing “Street is my home, the chill is my mom,” and hide various talents. They are the street children of Addis Ababa with with a gifted mind.

I came across a night rider-who bore the talents of adancer. At night the street dance starts in front of Harar Bar located around a place commonly known as 'Chichinya'.

His day-to-day activity is dancing as he has developed the love for dance. Thus, he has spent countless nights performing local and foreign dance after 12 am – with the melody of the music from the bar. Chewing Khat and smoking cigarettes are part and parcel of his dancing expression.

He mimics rappers in both his movements and fashion. He attracts attention by coating one of his milky white teetch with glittering nail polish.

'Quatiras' have established their own communal living system. For example, in the way they seek medical treatment. Their medical doctor is found around Black Lion Hospital and he is a street dweller too. What a coincidence! “Birds of the same feather flock together,”.

Doctor Ja---provides them with medicine that heals them from disease. He has acquired certain skills to treat his compatriots. He treats his patience, who mainly arrive with symptoms of flew employing an interesting method..

At the vicinity of the area where he lives, there is a supermarket. Gathering the bones which are thrown away their Doctor Ja gets it cooked really well. He then prescribes a stew or soup to people who visit him seeking treatment. The treatment seems to work as the patients’ health improves.

Most of the street dwellers state, that the illness from which they suffer emanate from the chill and cold at night.

'Fews' 
Street children call the food they secure from various sources 'Fews.' It is of top on agenda in the parliament. The fews or the food waste from existing or new hotels and restaurants is well surveyed. And the time in which the ‘fews’ is available is recognized by the parliament.

“Dspite all this, we face an emerging challenge regarding 'fews'. Most hotels now have begun selling the food waste which they used to provide to us for free.  And there are 'fews' recipient organizations” they said.

This has disappointed many street children.. For example, the 'fews' from Sheraon Hotel is snatched away six times until reaches “Quoshe,” they said.  Quoashe' is the place around Reppi garbage...

They further stated that the first round of snatching is done from Sheraton to Mexico. Next from Mexico to Sar Bet. Then and finally, it is totally discarded at Quoshe.

Street children have given the 'fews', secured from various sources, different names. For example, they call what is gained from a wedding ceremony 'Sergo'. The name derives from the Amharic word for  wedding called ‘Serg’ ‘Fews’ from a mournful house is called 'eyeye'—which is a word showing sorrow and melancholy.

They call the food waste taken from a well known hotel or rich family 'Kiltitie' ---- fatty one.

In street life it is not customary or tradition to take food alone---a well integrated communal life is exercised. Plastic bags, cartons and newspapers are used as dishes to hold food in. Food is not the only thing that is share but money as well. One who has money usually shares it.

Whenever shortage of money or 'fews' occurs, one suffering from hunger is provided with a map-----showing where wedding festivities and or parties are being organized. The map also has guidelines showing what to do.

The guideline for instance gives these instructions: “If you come across a person like this as soon as you reach there, do not talk to him, but if you encounter such a person, greet him/her warmly as he will give you what you need.

Wedding and mourning
As stated earlier, street life is a mosaic of society and represents both sexes. But girls and women face peculiar challenges.

Rape is a primary problem. Getting married is a route used to escape from rape and imposition. There are street marriages though it is not accompanied by wedding festivity and legibility.

Females set criteria's for the ideal husband. Though having a Vila house and a car are not put as criteria's males who have plastic shelter and are capable of generating 'fews' are more preferable.

If a man fulfils these criteria, he is well fit for marriage.  A man can marry a girl with wedding festivity organized from 'fews' that comes out of hotels or restaurants. And the wedding is usually attended by 3 to 5 persons.

If the husband overlooks the issue of plastic hut and 'fews' the wife will leave him unprecedentedly. There is also a unique mourning culture among the street children.  The funeral is either carried out by two or three people or the municipality.

Those who want to make bereavement to the families of the deceased can go to the respective embassy. There is also a culture of baptizing new births.  Local beer or 'tella' is bought accordingly and people go to church. At this time, ‘fews’ taken from hotel is served.

House and plots of land
No street child possesses a home. However, in the streets houses are sold and rented. Plastic knitting we see nearby shops or around fences is huts to be sold and rented.

They can also be transferred to others in the form of heir. Plastic huts do not allow people to stand straight. So, street dwellers are forced to do things in the hut knelt down and creeping.

Cartons are used as a mattress. They also have pieces of cloths to put on at night.
If people want to return to their place of origin, they hand over the plastic hut to close friends in the form of heir or sell it for 50---60 birr. The majority of huts are owned by males.

Street children do not pay cash for rent but through remnants of chewed Khat followed by sugar and groundnuts. “No need of crossing Khat there. What is at hand could all be chewed,” street children say. But those who do not have plastic huts usually go to DC.

DC
DC is a name of a village around Merkato. In a very narrow house, three or four beds are stretched and piled up against the ceiling. The mattress is usually out of cotton or cartoon. Bed sheets are banners of hotels, banks and other organizations which were used advertisement.

“A person is charged seven birr per day for a bed. If they are two, the price rises up to 8 birr. But it used to cost 5 to 6 birr but has now increased due to the high cost of living.”

Street dwellers in the DC pass the night with a humor and kinship.  It is also customary to enjoy coffee – as is customary in Ethiopia.

Addis Ababa dwellers might know 'Minalesh Tera' in Merkato which literary means: “what do have, hill?” It is a market place which boasts all sorts of products people want and need. Street dwellers have a similar place known by this name. But the meaning is diametrically different from what we know and understand in mainstream Merkato.

'Minalesh Tera' in DC is a place where sex workers are found in abundance. Women and girls secure 30 to 40 birr per night. If they go to Merkato DC they can save seven or eight birr. These female street dwellers spend the day chewing Khat.

A young street dweller said, “If a person comes to 'Minalesh Tera' and makes love with girls forcefully or is not willing to pay, we are always by their side to support the women and girls.”

Incredibly, even foreigners go there to buy sex from the street girls. Street children call these foreigners 'citizens'.

Male night riders---'Quatiras' usually make money by selling a one birr condom for 20 or so birr. They also take care of cars when owners join bars or pubs.  Surprisingly sex workers have their own security.

The men who are chosen also live together with the ones whom they protect. And when commercial sex workers go out for business at night, the males accompany them.