Local residents stare down at the river below from the recently dedicated bridge in Negele Borena, Ethiopia, Dec. 6, 2011. Each year during the rainy season, the river claims the lives of about three people who attempt to ford through the strong currents and deep waters. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Jarad Denton)
A young girl pauses and smiles as she walks toward the original river crossing in Negele Borena, Ethiopia, Dec. 5, 2011. U.S. Navy sailors from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5 recently completed a bridge for pedestrians and livestock, which will prevent people from fording through the river to cross it. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Jarad Denton)
A young boy uses a stick to splash the water running beneath the recently completed bridge in Negele Borena, Ethiopia, Dec. 5, 2011. Although the water level is currently low, during times of heavy rainfall it can exceed depths of 10 feet, with currents strong enough to carry people and livestock away. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Jarad Denton)
by Senior Airman Jarad A. Denton
Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa Public Affairs
1/12/2012 - HAWASSA, Ethiopia (AFNS) -- (Editor's Note: This story is part of "Through Airmen's Eyes." These stories and commentaries focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.
During a recent trip to Ethiopia, Senior Airman Jarad A. Denton experienced rural areas outside the country's capital as he travelled to Negele Borena by car. Negele Borena is the site of a bridge in Ethiopia, built by Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa.
The long car ride to Negele Borena afforded Denton the opportunity to see a people very different from the stereotypical images most Americans have of Ethiopians. He described the journey through the country as a discovery of the soul of its people. This is the fourth part of a five-part series: 144 hours in Ethiopia.)
With the dedication come and gone, life in Negele Borena, Ethiopia, returned to normal. But the memories of the recently dedicated bridge will remain vivid for a very long time.
The images of smiling children and appreciative townsfolk waving from the bridge were forever etched into my memory as we drove away from the town Dec. 7.
Less than 24 hours ago, Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa officially turned over control and responsibility of the Negele Borena Bridge to the people of the town. The bridge was built to provide safe passage for pedestrians and livestock crossing the river below. Approximately three people each year are swept away by the water as it rises during the rainy season.
The river does not discriminate; its victims have been men, women and sometimes children. Negele Borena boasts a diverse, but small, close-knit population of various ages and ethnicities. Whenever the river decides to take someone, their death is known and mourned by everyone in the village. For someone who has lived in Negele Borena many years, the weight of losing friends and neighbors must be crushing. I thought about who might feel the pain of loss the most severely in the town.
I thought about Mr. Solomon.
In such a small and intimate town, everyone in Negele Borena has heard of or interacted with the man known only as Mr. Solomon.
Mr. Solomon is a retired sergeant major from the Ethiopian army and has lived in the town for more than 20 years. During his time in Negele Borena, Mr. Solomon has become a successful businessman, owning restaurants, hotels and the only car in town. Everyone knows Mr. Solomon, and he knows everyone as well.
He has lived in Negele Borena for a long time, helping it grow and develop, said Adissu Wedhao, an Ethiopian employed at the U.S. embassy in Ethiopia. Mr. Solomon is as much a part of the town as it is a part of him.
In the short time I stayed in Negele Borena, I had seen Mr. Solomon everywhere, interacting with everyone. A man of few words, his love for the town was apparent through his actions.
The evening of the bridge dedication, he held a banquet for Sailors from U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5 and Soldiers from the U.S. Army 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery, who stayed in his hotel during their time in Negele Borena.
"What you have done means a lot to me," he said to the service members, his face not betraying any emotion. "You have come here and helped this town so much. Thank you."
Once or twice during the banquet, I caught him glancing at the children who were helping prepare and serve the food. For the first time, I saw him smile -- as a father would smile at his children. Even though Mr. Solomon did not articulate his feelings with words, his expression spoke volumes.
They are safe, he seemed to communicate. We will remember this; Africa will remember.
The sight of school children running to class, wearing uniforms and carrying books gave life to Mr. Solomon's words as we departed Negele Borena for the last time. Children just like them have been killed by the river; the bridge has allowed future generations to cross safely.
As the distance increased, so did a revelation regarding the bridge. To Mr. Solomon, who has been a pillar of his community for many years, the bridge was more than steel and bolts. It was a symbol of the future.
