Discovering Hidden Gems Deep South - Ethiopia

Since I was young, I’ve heard and read stories about the lush southern part of Ethiopia. Due to being busy with school and living abroad, I wasn’t ready to explore it. So, I bought a travel book written by foreigners to plan this once-in-a-lifetime experience in my 20s, a dream I vowed to fulfill one day. It took multiple trips south by plane, overland driving, boat, bus, wildlife society tours, motorcycle, and trekking to cover most of the south. Southern Ethiopia is a land of natural wonders, untouched landscapes, and diverse indigenous peoples, bordering Somalia, Sudan, & Kenya.

A trip to the south isn’t a one-time exploration but a series of carefully planned journeys. Traveling in these untouched southern regions, bordering various countries, is not for the faint-hearted. I incorporated this into my business plan for Deldeyoch, to find projects that would allow me to travel, work, explore, break bread, research, and seek potential markets. I envisioned discovering the hidden gems of Southern Ethiopia with friends, strangers, tourists, travelers, colleagues, partners, and family, despite all the challenges. From my 17th-floor office in Seattle, working as a commercial lender in one of the wealthiest nations, I dreamt of a new vision for myself. I felt like an explorer, free and in awe of Ethiopia's untapped potential.

As I concluded a phase of my life, I learned lessons, accepted challenges, and lived a focused and disciplined life to fulfill my 16-year-old dream of having a financially stable career, buying a house, staying healthy, and being in partnerships that allowed me to grow and heal in my early 30s. Then, I envisioned a new dream for myself—to flow with life and explore who I am as an adult, serving as I inner-engineered. I was tired of foreign tourists, travelers, and friends telling me about Ethiopia and Africa, so I made plans to explore it all solo. While most people in their 30s were getting married, having children, and creating their own families, I changed my mind, inspired by my fathers. It was a life-altering decision: I rented my home in Capitol Hill, kept my belongings in storage, and embarked on a new adventure as a seeker of truth, to be of service to God.

Traveling throughout Ethiopia and Africa became my priority, as I couldn’t find travel books, tours, or experiences from an African woman's perspective of the continent. This journey within and outside helped me understand myself better. The Southern Regions of Ethiopia fascinated me because most people I grew up with or encountered in the city felt it was too unknown to venture into.

There are various routes to Ethiopia: via Nazareth (SE), Mojo (S), Welliso (SW), or Ambo (SW). I chose to take all three routes, exploring all parts of the South. Venturing deeper south from these locations from Addis is where it all starts! It is home to endemic forests, breathtaking nature, thousands of bird species, acacia Rift Valley trees, and vast plantations of coffee, grains, crops, tea, sugar cane, chat, and a variety of fruits such as mango, banana, pineapple, and papaya. Vegetables, seeds, beans, and so much more that 80% of Ethiopia's farmers produce for 120 million people overwhelm one's grasp of Ethiopia’s potential. Crossing rivers and streams from the highlands and witnessing the topography change every hour made me think how perfect the cinematography would be for the African Discovery Channel—or even my own show, which I had been asked to do several times. However, my purpose has always been personal research, to know and serve. There are pioneers, creators, researchers, data hubs, and those who use research and findings to improve, destroy, or steal for their lives. But life is really all interconnected.

My purpose has been the joy of feeling alive, being on the ground, doing the work, exploring, discovering, being part of nature, connecting with people, and ensuring that the youth in Ethiopia can understand the profound land we Africans have inherited. I started Deldeyoch in 2010 as a bridge from our ancestors' past to the 21st century, bringing Ethiopia from Aid to Trade. I chose to create and pitch projects that I believed would provide insights, awareness, and visibility to startups, MSMEs, and youth to get information, capacity, digital marketing, legal know-how, innovation, access to technology, inner awakening, and bring about an inclusive economy. I was excited to visit places like Arba Minch, Moyale, Sof Omar, Bale, Hamer, Jinka, Kaffa, Jimma, Omorate, Mizan Teferi, Gambella, and Teppi. I pitched projects to international organizations, private sectors, as well as associations, and private sector leadership training. It was a win-win situation for me—traveling to explore, volunteering with the youth, and understanding how to regionally assist them in gaining capacity and access. I invested my own savings, time, resources, and moments of my life to venture within and outside to get to know all of myself, fascinated by the human experience and the healing power of God's universe, as well as how interconnected we are.

I usually plan excursions for a few weeks to explore what the South of Ethiopia has to offer for potential entrepreneurs, even during the rainy season. I was up for a little adventure on the famous muddy roads, being open to surprises, extended travel, diverse cuisine, varied vegetation, topography, geography, history, traditions, and breaking bread with fellow travelers.

It was a pleasant surprise to discover the diverse landscapes, people, and traditions as one heads further south. From the Kafficho to the Bencha, Oromifa, Sidamo, Oromia, and other ethnic groups from all over Southern Ethiopia, most people treated me with curiosity, warmth, hospitality, and immense helpfulness. From a midnight chat with a coffee estate farmer/owner from New York; to an ambitious female daycare owner in Bonga; a high school teacher in Kibish; the agricultural expert from Jimma; an ex-bodyguard (Kebur Zebegna) of the Emperor whom we hired to rent his 4WD to visit a coffee estate in Gambella; advising the board of a startup credit union helping farmers; doing workshops in universities; talking to managers of incubations, accelerators & catalysts; being accommodated in Tepi, dembi dollo, hawassa, welliso, and jinka by hotel managers to accommodate me when the entire town didn’t have a room to rent; to the amazing managers of Tea & Coffee Plantation who hiked with me around the plantation where I discovered a crater lake surrounded by lush vegetation, with trees surrounding the lake and no access for cars, as well as so many waterfalls, and breathe taking topography of Ethiopia.

As I hiked, trekked, and discovered places and people, the environment opened its doors to me. I am deeply grateful for God's protection, my ability to navigate extreme situations, and my awe of my inner spirit, intuition, gut feelings, and instinct to accept people as they are. I learned the art, science, and skill to know my boundaries rather than just surviving. Throughout my life travels, within and outside, I trust God's timing, life as an adventure, feeling alive, and loving my inner instinct to guide me, mitigating my risk and awareness. Innocence, naivety, and flowing with life taught me to be sharp, alert, mindful, and aware of where I can serve, assist, and connect to God's universe, choosing to serve & being open to ask for help when I need it. Discovering we humans are interconnected, not separate as outdated institutions that define family, community, society, and humanity has taught us. I learnt to decolonize my mind, face all my fears, and give myself permission to be the weird, rebellious, funny, careless at times, kind, and disciplined human that I am that is not nice to belong, but requires the freedom to be my authentic self. I was sent to unchain, unlock and break generational traps, curses and fears that have made the black race not see, value, and recognize how powerful and amazing we are. 

In Kaffa, I met Bonga residents who gave me a ride in their truck in the middle of nowhere; chefs and restaurants en route that complied with my veggie diet; and random strangers who shared their experiences, laughter, stories, and challenges with me, a complete stranger. I am very blessed in all my journeys, reinforcing my sentiment that Ethiopia is more than Addis or just tourist destinations. I pray I am privileged to pay it forward, as I share this with my readers, fellow travelers, and all those I meet on the path, journey, and exploration that life is to be lived in spirit, using the mind and body as tools.

Hopefully, one of you who has read this will be enticed to venture onto the path less taken, seek, explore, and know you are more than what you think or imagine. As a curious and conscious traveler of this life, listen to what your intuition tells you. Set yourself free from bias, prejudice, and perceptions by challenging the limitations that the world imposes on you. Be open to the adventure and simplicity of those you cross paths with, and your ability to navigate your preconceived notions, judgments, and fears. Allow your imagination to flourish; do the things that bring out the playful and silly parts of you. Be kind, not necessarily nice, to belong. Challenge your notions of the status quo, and above all, relax and enjoy the moment as it is, letting people be, so you give yourself permission to unbecome all that chains, locks, blocks, and traps your soul. You will be surprised by who and what you discover within.

Southern Ethiopia is where I felt nature cleanse, purify, and connect me with my spirit, allowing me to fall deeply in love within. The environment, the people, and the pace of life gave me permission to slow down, be still, silent, and hug a few trees, letting me know I am enough, worthy, and whole just as I am. I am forever grateful for my ancestors who fought for our freedom, to never be colonized, and my free spirit to discover all sides of my authentic self, so I am able to serve, accept, and learn the duality within.

I love every phase of my life and am grateful that I dared to explore within and outside, trusting my instinct, gut feeling, and intuition to go deeper within.

Safe travels, leave only footsteps.