An Ethiopian Heroine's Story with Bogaletch Gebre

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"When threads unite, you can tie down a lion," an Ethiopian Proverb. Never does it apply more aptly than to the life of Bogaletch Gebre. A typical village hut in Ethiopia is divided in two, with the men living on one side and the women, children and animals living on the other. At great risk, Bogaletch Gebre's mother snuck her into the all-boys' school. In this program, Gebre tells the story of her heroic journey, from behind the patrician to a Fulbright scholarship, to a triumphant return home where the lives of girls and women will never be the same. The result of one girl's transformation, traditions of female genital mutilation and bridal abduction are giving way to a flowering of women's rights and the restoration of depleted watersheds and damaged ecologies. Mother Africa still has much to teach the west. Gebre is one of her gifts. (hosted by Neil Harvey)

Bio

Bogaletch Gebre (1953-2019) founded Parents International Ethiopia and has established the Kembatta Women's Self-Help Center in her home region.

Host: Neil Harvey             Interview Date: 10/20/2002            Program Number: 3019