Hello, how are you all?

I’m a 21-year-old man living in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. However, I spend most of my time alone. I really value self-respect and self-care, and I prefer being alone rather than being in crowded places or surrounding myself with people who don’t share my values.

The reason is that most of the people I know smoke, drink, get into fights, and constantly chase women. Almost every conversation they have revolves around women, and honestly, some of the things they say and do are quite disturbing. When I think about them, I feel like many of them have no clear goals or ambitions for their future.

What surprises me the most is how they spend almost 24 hours a day chasing women instead of focusing on improving themselves and building their futures.

When I see the people around me living this way, I often choose to stay alone because I prefer peace and personal growth over being surrounded by negative influences.

However, I would love to make some genuine, healthy friendships with people from any country, regardless of where they live.

I’m looking for positive, like-minded friends who value self-respect, personal growth, a healthy lifestyle, and having meaningful goals in life. Whether you are male or female, it doesn’t matter to me. In fact, I would be happy to have friends of both genders.

Thank you! ❤️🤝

I've been in this subreddit for a while now and I've noticed quite a few posts from people sharing heartbreaking stories and asking for help.

Before anyone gets upset, I'm not saying everyone who posts about their struggles is lying. I know there are people out there genuinely going through difficult times and I feel for them.

But let's be realistic. This is the internet. Anyone can create an account, come up with a convincing story and take advantage of people's kindness. And unfortunately, some people are very good at it.

I learned this the hard way myself.

Not too long ago, I was driving when a guy stopped me on the road. He told me he was on a road trip with his kids and his car had run out of gas. He seemed genuinely desperate and I felt bad for him. I ended up giving him quite a bit of money, enough to cover gas, food and even a hotel.

A few days later, I happened to drive down the same road and guess what? The same guy was there stopping cars and telling people the exact same story.

I felt like an idiot. I genuinely thought I was helping a family in need.

And that's exactly why I think people on this subreddit need to be careful. I've seen quite a few emotional posts here and sometimes I wonder why the moderators allow so many of them without some sort of verification or safeguards.

If someone is genuinely struggling with their mental health, I think encouraging them to seek professional help or contact local support services is far more useful than blindly offering money to someone we know nothing about.

And please, if you're thinking of sending money to someone you met on Reddit, think twice. You don't know who's behind that account. A heartbreaking story doesn't automatically make someone trustworthy.

I know this might sound harsh and some people probably won't like what I'm saying. That's fine.

I'm just tired of seeing kind people being taken advantage of. I've been on the receiving end of a scam myself and it's not a nice feeling.

You can feel sorry for someone without sending them money. You can be kind without trusting every stranger on the internet.

Not every cry for help is genuine and not everyone has good intentions.

Could someone please bring attention to this widespread issue in Ethiopia and especially in Addis. Unrestrained dogs roam the streets and terrorize residents as you can see in this video. And this is a guard dog. Communicating with owners doesn't often lead to any resolution. I am a diaspora visiting from Canada and I can't imagine how foreigners new to the country might feel.

Hello, how are you all?

I am 21 yrs old male. My height is 179 cm, and my weight is 59 kg, which means I am underweight. However, I am very interested in bodybuilding and working out. I have loved fitness for a long time, and I try to exercise whenever I can, even though I only manage to do it occasionally.

To be honest, I struggle financially to afford enough daily calories and protein to help me gain weight and build muscle.

I am still a student, and rather than spending my youth engaging in addictions or hanging out in places that do not benefit me, I would rather spend my time working out, staying active, and doing other productive things.

If there is anyone in the fitness industry, anyone who sells supplements, or anyone else who can help, please support me on my fitness journey. I would love to get supplements, protein shakes, or any other nutritional products that could help fuel my workouts, improve my strength, and support my muscle growth.

Thank you so much

I'm a guide based in Gondar and have led treks in Simien Mountains National Park for years. Here are the questions I get most often:

When to go

Roughly October to March is the dry season. September to November is greenest, right after the rains. December to February has the clearest skies but very cold nights.

How long

Three to four days is the sweet spot. You get the escarpment views, gelada monkeys, and a real chance at Walia ibex without rushing. Longer routes toward Ras Dashen (around 4,550 m, Ethiopia's highest peak) need 6+ days and good fitness.

Altitude and cold

Camps like Geech and Chenek sit around 3,600 m. Nights can drop to freezing, so bring a proper sleeping bag and warm layers. Give yourself a day or two in Gondar first (it's about 2,100 m) to acclimatize a little.

Logistics people don't expect

Park rules require an armed scout with you. It's routine and not a safety concern.

Most treks start from Debark, about 2 hours from Gondar.

You can trek with a cook and mules carrying gear, so you only carry a daypack.

Camping and lodge-style options both exist.

What to pack

Layers, a good rain shell, trekking poles, sun protection (the UV is strong), and a headlamp.

What surprised guests most

How close the geladas get, and how dramatic the cliff edges are. Most people expect "hiking" and end up saying it feels like walking along the edge of the world.

Disclosure: I run a small local trekking company, so I'm biased, but I'm happy to answer questions here, whether or not you ever book with anyone. Ask away about routes, gear, budgets, or timing.

Hey everyone!

I'm planning to import ice cream base powder from Long Beach, California, USA, to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Does anyone have experience importing food products from the US to Ethiopia? I'd really appreciate some advice on how the process works, how expensive shipping and customs can be, and how long delivery usually takes.

Would it be more cost-effective to import a large quantity at once or start with smaller shipments?

Any tips, recommendations for reliable freight forwarders, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

credit: @may_solotraveler on Instagram

Anyone who wants puppies I have 6 (4 male and 2 female) Dm me.

To retire comfortably in Addis Ababa as an American citizen today, you will need a monthly budget of $1,500 to $2,300 USD if you are single, or $2,200 to $3,200 USD as a couple.

This translates to an estimated lump-sum nest egg of $450,000 to $750,000 USD to sustain a safe, comfortable Western lifestyle under the 4% withdrawal rule.

Location dictates your safety, utility consistency, and budget:

1. Bole: The most vibrant, modern hub. It is dense with Western-style cafes, restaurants, malls, and supermarkets. However, it is also the loudest and most expensive.

2. Old Airport: A quieter, highly secure residential neighborhood. It is home to many diplomats, international school families, and the golf club. It offers an excellent pace for retirement.

3. Kazanchis: A central business district close to the UN ECA. It features upscale high-rise apartments with robust backup utilities.

How accurate is this? It’s much better & higher than most of American cities.

Now that my daughter is 2, I've started paying a LOT more attention to how people raise their children. And tbh some of the things I've seen here genuinely bother me, especially because my own Ethiopian parents were surprisingly chill growing up.

We obviously had rules and responsibilities, and when we messed up there were consequences. But we could actually have conversations with our parents, ask why something wasn't allowed, disagree with them and have our own opinions without it automatically being considered disrespectful.

Compare that to some of the parenting I've seen here. A kid asks why and gets "because I said so." They make a small mistake and get shouted at in front of everyone. They get a bad grade and suddenly they're being compared to their cousin who apparently has never done anything wrong in his entire life.

Bro imagine your boss inviting the entire office to explain why your coworker is smarter than you. You'd be updating your CV before lunch. But apparently when you're 8 years old it's supposed to build character.

Then there's the physical punishment. This is something I absolutely refuse to normalize. I've heard people defend hitting children with the classic "we got beaten growing up and turned out fine." I don't know bro, if your best argument for hitting a child is that you survived it, that doesn't exactly convince me.

And the whole obsession with children respecting adults no matter what? I think that's genuinely dangerous. If you're teaching your child that questioning an adult is disrespectful, how are they supposed to recognize when an adult is treating them badly? I want my daughter to respect people, but I also want her to feel comfortable saying no, questioning things and telling me when something is wrong.

Obviously I'm not planning to let a 2-year-old run our household like she's the CEO and I'm just an employee waiting for instructions. She'll have boundaries, responsibilities and consequences when she misbehaves. But I want her to understand WHY something is wrong, not simply behave because she's terrified of what I'll do.

And before someone gets offended, I'm obviously not saying every Ethiopian parent is like this. I've met plenty of amazing parents here, and I'm sure there are ridiculously strict diaspora parents too. I'm talking about certain parenting attitudes that seem far too normalized.

I genuinely love that my daughter is growing up here. I want her to experience the culture, speak the language, have close relationships with family and enjoy the things that make Ethiopia special.

But the shouting, humiliation, beating children and treating obedience like it's the most important quality a child can have? Those are some Ethiopian parenting standards I'm definitely NOT bringing into my household.

I'd much rather have a daughter who occasionally argues with me than one who's afraid to tell me she's made a mistake.

I'm actually curious, what was considered completely normal parenting when you were growing up that you've now realized was pretty messed up? And if you have children, what's something your parents did that you'll NEVER repeat?

Akkam, hello everyone!

First of all, I wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone in this community. When I posted last week about my father’s rare 1990s diaspora cassette tapes, I never expected the incredible wave of support and views you gave us. Seeing how much his music and history mean to people has been deeply moving for both of us. He actually wanted me to pass along a sincere thank you to this sub for the initial love!

The Machine is Awake 🏗️

I promised an update, and I’m proud to say we officially finished assembling his brand-new basement recording setup right here in Minnesota! We built this dedicated workspace to give him a permanent, high-fidelity booth to step up to whenever he feels inspired.

It has been a solid 30 years since he last touched recording gear, so right now the main goal is just letting him get hands-on and familiar with the modern tech. He’s always jokingly reminding me that once he completely figures out how to navigate this new setup, he's going to absolutely blow me away with whatever he comes up with next lol.

A Special Piece of History on the Wall 🖼️

To keep the presentation focused entirely on his history, I managed to get his original 1996 Ali Birra Tribute Poster framed and mounted right next to the mic stand. There is a really cool backstory to this piece: my father actually designed this artwork himself using early digital graphic tools back when he was working as a technician for a printed circuit board manufacturing company (Advanced Circuits) in the mid-90s.

He printed it out as a special digital tribute for the legendary Ali Birra right around the time of the convention. Shortly after that, he actually traveled all the way to Canada to personally get the analog master cassettes of his album pressed and duplicated. Seeing that poster on the wall next to the setup brings his entire journey from Dire Dawa, to the manufacturing plant, to Canada, and back to the Twin Cities completely full circle!

For the creators and gear heads in the community who asked about what we are running, here is a quick breakdown of our physical specs:

• Audio Interface: Focusrite Scarlett Solo (4th Gen) USB Interface
• Microphone: MA-67 Studio Condenser Microphone (34mm Gold Large Diaphragm Capsule)
• Vocal Isolation: Aokeo Studio Recording Shield & High-Density Absorbent Foam Tower
• Headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Professional Studio Monitors
• MIDI Controller: Arturia MiniLab 3 Universal MIDI Keyboard (Deep Black)
• Primary Display: Philips 24-Inch FHD 100Hz VA Monitor
• Playback Speaker: LENRUE G11 Computer Soundbar Speaker

Thank you all for keeping his legacy alive. The Legend Continues...

People back home have zero filter. Every conversation somehow turns into "send me the newest iPhone.”

Bro, most of us in America don't even have the newest iPhone. Not because we can't afford it but because we genuinely don't see the value in it anymore.

And do they even know how much a new iPhone actually costs out here?

Here's the thing: if someone came to me and said, "I have $X saved and I'm short $Y can you help me out?" That's reasonable.

But just expecting the latest iPhone? Nah.

As someone who is half Italian I would like to apologize for what my ancestors did

Having been here for a week, I’ve come to appreciate just how conservative Ethiopia is and how deeply its people embrace and preserve their culture and traditions.

I know 1 week is too short but hey, been to other countries but I could tell...ET may have it's flaws but thumbs up

Please everyone be extra careful and even lie about your identity because I experience repeatedly, unfortunately and I'm sorry for this, culture vultures, bigots, racist, narrow-minded people of all different types of nationalities that have jealousy or hate against Ethiopian identity and they disrespect and steal, and benefit from association at my expense. That's it in a quick nutshell. Everytime I just wish I just never told anyone my real identity and jus let them thinking indian or asian or latina or anything else then they won't have their horizons broadened while not even having any decency in return but want to turn around and act like they are cultured or intelligent or gifted or anything good like that and they are often ungrateful. Yeah yeah that's human nature but anyways. Unless of course you are way smarter than me which you are and work something out in your benefit and interest beforehand.

Also I am mixed live in NYC pretty alone often and are there any people or anyone around here that want to talk and even help me out get more connected to my roots, or just to have acquaintance? Write me of so. I know this is probably weird but idc...yes it's the 21st century and all but it's just getting more isolated actually and alienating, imo. Okay be careful and gatekeep!! For your own good. They have nothing to offer you, oftentimes...they will just use you an leave you to clean up the mess.

I became interested in Ethiopian History recently and came to realize how controversial of a figure Haile Selassie was as opposed to the idea I had of him being ​​a champion of black empowerment. So to those of you who are not Amhara, how do you guys generally view him?

Used to be easy on the digital Invea app. Now that has been scrapped. You need to travel to DC to give fingerprints, pay 250 USD and wait 45-90 days. I need to travel in late December to Ethiopia, and it looks like this will not be complete in time. I would cancel my trip if my parents weren’t so excited to see my kids. Has anyone had any luck with expediting this process?