This small house is neither my Grand mom’s house, nor my relatives in small rural village. This is Oromia Regional State Attorney General, Omo Beyyam District Office. Our office in a small rural village located 100Km far from a city. Every day, I woke up early in the morning to go to my office. The only means to travel is a motor bike (Bodaboda) and you need to ride 24 Km over a mountain. A high rounded village with tinny sharp rocks of road. A village with no water, electricity, network access, no transport and lounges to serve you a food of your choice.

Dalota is a very cold mountain village in Jimma. You are expected to wear like an Eskimo guy living over a dead frozen place to live here. Very cold air than Brunknhurst of Limuru village in Nairobi, one of the coldest place in Kenya. If you try to stay the night over here, trust me the next morning you will woke up like a robot, frozen. Riding a motor bike over this cold hill is very dangerous. In case you missed up the road, you will end up down there some 60s meters, probably died or broken but for sure injured. I am the only staff member still safe from an accident. Thanks to God. Before you hang on, on a motor bike, make sure you cover up your head with a cloth and wear an eye glass as much as possible. That is the only way you can get to Dalota village. Being a judge or a public Prosecutor in Ethiopia is a tough job, moreover, if you are a junior. It’s not comfortable as people think of the proud and respect it has. When I was in Nairobi for YALI, one of interesting thing I found is my profession. From the moment you found yourself in YALI you need to introduce yourself to each of fellows. Communication is the only way you can work with young leaders from 14 African countries, meeting everyday at Chandra building. "Let’s build bridges'", is the principle in YALI. You need to communicate with all of the fellows as much as possible, to share experiences and build networks for your future journey; most of the time you will share your experiences for minutes in front of your class. Never mind, if you get there, Emiran, the funniest but committed and serious person in YALI, will tell you how important that thing is.

One day, in the beginning of our class, Public Management track, it was my turn to introduce myself. I stood up in front of the class and began to explain myself; I told them my name, where I came from and my profession. I told them I am a public Prosecutor in Ethiopia. Everybody shouts, "Wooow". I didn't expect this much that my profession is a superb. I feel proud.

Basically, unlike Africa, it is very surprising to be a Public Prosecutor at the age of 25 in US or Europe. Raphael, a humble and kind dorm mate of mine at KUCC, told me my profession is the most respected, paid and rich profession in his country, Tanzania. He told me some amazing facts. But it was a beautiful story for me. He told me, Public Prosecutors and Judges in Daresalam drives the most expensive vehicle like V8 cars, living in a beautiful house, paid a salary of thousands of Shillings and security guards if needed. I feel surprised and consider myself lucky, to hear this strange and interesting story. The other day, my fellow friends from Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi told me the same thing Rafael was telling me. In fact, I am the most paid public servant in Ethiopia earned 9067 Ethiopian Currency (Birr) per month, which is approximate to 335$, but with no car and house, even transportation. Telling 335$, was a bit funny for one of my class mate who is earned 1000$ in one of NGO in Tanzania. You are wondering of Tanzania, isn't it? Me too. A profession with such exaggerated payment like Tanzania and relatively very low payment here in Ethiopia. You should have to have passion and commitment before you decided to work in areas like here, Dalota.

For graduate of law school with distinction grade, to decide living in a small rental house, travelling with paid motor bike over dangerous hill and working in office over a cold rural village with no basic living things, needs a strong decision, as there are many better opportunities in the capital, Addis Ababa. However, the beauty is, you can't compare with anything, the satisfaction you gate from serving your people. The very reason for most of brilliant young Judges and Public Prosecutors working in rural village like mine here in Ethiopia is the need to serve their people. The need to serve the poor people over here who is thirst of justice next to hunger of bread.

Despite this high level commitment of yourself, the most difficult thing which may probably demoralize you and force you to give up is the acute and shriveled autocrat administration down here, which you can’t simply overcome. The only beautiful thing working here in Dalota is the generous people and the natural
environment. I love the people very much, kind, humble and respectful community. They respect you like an old man aged 70, though you are at the middle of 20s. This is nothing to do with your profession but a good culture and tradition.

The natural beauty over here, it’s amazing. The graceful green mountains standing between forests, the clean natural water flowing between trees, the cloud lying over hills like a white scarf over a man’s neck and the flowers between farmlands is the thing that remains in your heart. You will always miss it. You wish you could live here, had it been all basics are fulfilled for you. This story is not the story of my Grand mom’s house, or my uncles in small village.

This is a story of my office.

Yonas Alemayehu
Dirre Dalota, Jimma, Ethiopia

October 17, 2018