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,,,The 2018 Bikila Award Lifetime Achivement, Professional Excellence, Community Service Excellence and Academic Excellence and Scholarship Award Winners.
Professor Getatchew Haile is an Ethiopian-American philologist widely considered the foremost scholar of the Ge’ez language alive today. He was acknowledged for his contributions to the field with a MacArthur Fellows Program “genius” award and the Edward Ullendorff Medal from the Council of the British Academy.
Dr. Catherine Hamlin is known for her outstanding and Compassionate Service in the Treatment and Prevention of Fistula in Ethiopia. Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia Hospital is dedicated to the treatment and prevention of childbirth injuries called obstetric fistulas. It was founded by Dr. Reg Hamlin and Dr. Catherine Hamlin in 1974.
Benyam Belete exemplifies Humanitarian and Compassionate Service. Benyam is the founder Mekedonia shelters which supports over 1,500 elderly and disabled persons, collecting them from the streets. His center is now hosting senior Ethiopians, who have done a lot for their country and to the world.
Professor Siegbert Uhlig is a Distinguished Professor and Scholar, Editor-in-Chief of Encyclopaedia Aethiopica. He is Emeritus of African and Ethiopian Studies at Hamburg University in Germany. Professor Siegbert Uhlig has published two scientific series and founded the journal Aethiopica.
Professor Tessema Astatkie is known for his Professional Excellence in Research and Internationalization. He conducts independent and collaborative research in several areas of statistics. His collaborative work also includes researchers in 18 countries, including Ethiopia.
Bethlehem Tilahun has shown exemplary Excellence in Business as soleRebels Founder and Creator of Garden of Coffee. Bethlehem has earned significant international recognition for her work at SoleRebels and is now one of Africa’s most recognizable female entrepreneurs.
Ednah Negatu is a graduate from Senator O’Connor. Besides her outstanding academic achievements, she has been involved in many leadership activities at her school. She is an innovative thinker as well as a dedicated volunteer in extracurricular activities in the community.
Semir Bulle graduated from McMaster University after which he began to provide clinical and surgical care. This year he continued his education at one of the globally recognized top medical schools at the University of Toronto and became one of the first few black students to be admitted to this program.
Zatty Tameru is an exemplary honor roll student with impressive extracurricular activities, a big heart open to hear community and actions that inspire positive community change. Zatty is a recipient of a scholarship award from York University.
Caleb Jara exemplifies the best in others. He is a great role model for the youth. Caleb graduated as an Ontario Scholar with 95% grade average as well as being elected valedictorian for the graduating class of 2016.He is a recipient of York University Scholarship and Black Business professional Association scholarship.
Professor Getatchew Haile, 2018 Bikila Lifetime Achievement Award winner
Professor Getatchew Haile is an Ethiopian-American philologist widely considered the foremost scholar of the Ge’ez language alive today. He was acknowledged for his contributions to the field with a MacArthur Fellows Program “genius” award and the Edward Ullendorff Medal from the Council of the British Academy.
He is Regents Professor Emeritus of Medieval Studies at Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota, and Curator Emeritus of the Ethiopian Study Center at the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library at Saint John’s, where he began work in 1976.
He prepared catalogs of more than five thousand Ethiopian manuscripts and trained Ethiopic manuscript cataloguers in paleography, dating, and other skills. Previously, he was associate professor in the Department of Ethiopian Languages and Literature, at the Haile Selassie 1st University (now Addis Ababa University), from 1962 to 1969, and 1971 to 1974, where he taught Amharic Grammar, Amharic Literature, Ge’ez Grammar, Ge’ez Literature, Arabic Grammar, and Semitic Linguistics.
He is on the advisory board of a number of journals, including Comité de lecture of Analecta Bollandiana (Journal of Christian Hagiography), Ethiopian Journal of Education, Journal of Ethiopian Studies, Northeast African Studies, Ethiopian Register (1994-2001), and Acta Aethiopica (1980–89).
In addition to his writings and translations of a variety of works on Ethiopia and the Orthodox Church, he has produced two volume books on the history and beliefs of Abba Estifanos of Gwendagwende, one in 2006 the other in 2011.
Professor Getatchew Haile is a recipient of over seven Honors and Distinctions and author of several recent books on Ethiopian Orthodox Church History and Culture.
Bikila Award is honoured and congratulates Professor Getatchew Haile for being selected as the 2018 Bikila Lifetime Achievement Award winner for his distinguished scholarly achievement in the GE’EZ language, Ethiopian History and Culture and outstanding contribution to the preservation of Ethiopian Manuscripts.
Dr. Catherine Hamlin, 2018 Bikila Medical & Humanitarian Services Award Winner
Dr. Catherine Hamlin is known for her outstanding and Compassionate Service in the Treatment and Prevention of Fistula in Ethiopia.
Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia Hospital is dedicated to the treatment and prevention of childbirth injuries called obstetric fistulas.
The organization was founded by Dr. Reg Hamlin and Dr. Catherine Hamlin in 1974. They were in Ethiopia to train midwives when they discovered the terrible plight of the fistula patients.
Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia directs the work of the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital, its five regional hospitals, the Hamlin College of Midwives and Desta Mender, a farm and training center for long-term patients.
In 2003, Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia began an ambitious plan to build five regional Hamlin Fistula Centres. There are Hamlin Fistula Centres in Mekele and Bahir Dar in the North, Yirgalem in the South, Harar in the East and Metu in the Southwest.
In 2007, almost 50 years later, Dr. Hamlin returned to her original vision through the development of the HamlinCollege of Midwives.
Bikila Award congratulates Dr. Catherine Hamlin for being selected as the 2018 Bikila Professional Excellence Award winner for her distinguished medical services achievement and outstanding Humanitarian services to women in Ethiopia.
Benyam Belete Community Service Excellence Award winner
Benyam Belete exemplifies Humanitarian and Compassionate Service. Benyam is the founder Mekedonia shelters which supports over 1,000 elderly and disabled persons, collecting them from the streets.
His center is now hosting senior Ethiopians, who have done a lot for their country and to the world, including retired and street dwelling disadvantaged citizens. All residents are provided with a secure and loving home where everyone lives together as one big happy family. Dedicated volunteers and caring staff members provide unreserved compassionate care to all residents of the Mekedonia shelters regardless of religion, sex, and ethnicity.
Before enrolling into Mekedonia, most residents were homeless with a very limited opportunity to survive. Mekedonia welcomes these people with an open heart, to share God’s love together as a family.
Bikila Award congratulates Benyam Belete for being selected as the 2018 Bikila Community Service Excellence Award winner for his exemplary humanitarian services, his dedications in helping and rehabilitating disadvantaged and elderly citizens in Ethiopia.
Professional Excellence Award winner
Professor Siegbert Uhlig is a Distinguished Professor and Scholar, Editor-in-Chief of Encyclopaedia Aethiopica. He is Emeritus of African and Ethiopian Studies at Hamburg University in Germany.
Professor Siegbert Uhlig has published two scientific series and founded the journal Aethiopica.Supported by various national and international organizations, he was asked during the 1994 International Congress of Ethiopian Studies in Michigan to take charge of the scientific lexicon Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, for the support of which a special research institute and finally the Hiob-Ludolf Centre for Ethiopian Studies was created.
The last of the five volumes was published in 2014. The total work comprises 4,300 articles with many maps, photos and graphics, together almost 6,000 pages, written by nearly 600 scholars from 30 countries. This standard work on North East Africa is used by international organizations, governments and aid agencies. Professor Siegbert Uhlig is also the author of the book: Ethiopia - History, Culture, and Challenges (December 1, 2017).
In addition to research, the promotion of Ethiopia and Ethiopians is at the center of its activities. On the occasion of his 60th birthday, Professor Siegbert Uhlig established a foundation, the German Ethiopian Foundation, to support young Ethiopians and their studies. People from business and politics have sponsored the foundation’s activities, sometimes to the tune of several hundred thousand Euros.
The University and Foundation have agreed to set up an endowed junior professorship to train young leaders for Northeast Africa so that a new “elite” can advance Ethiopia’s development in business, science and society.
Bikila Award congratulates Professor Siegbert Uhlig for being selected as the 2018 Bikila Professional Excellence Award winner for his distinguished scholarly achievement in Ethiopian Studies, outstanding contribution to advance research in the field and educate young Ethiopian leaders.
Business Excellence Award winner
Bethlehem Tilahun has shown exemplary Excellence in Business as soleRebels Founder and Creator of Garden of Coffee.
Bethlehem has earned significant international recognition for her work at SoleRebels and is now one of Africa’s most recognizable female entrepreneurs. Early last year, she was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. She has won the award of ‘Most Outstanding Businesswoman’ at the annual African Business Awards organized by African Business Magazine, and in November, she was named the ‘Most Valuable Entrepreneur’ at the 2011 Global Entrepreneurship Week.
After more than a decade of building SoleRebels into a global footwear and leather goods brand that combines traditional Ethiopian craftsmanship and materials with fresh new designs while also paying top dollar throughout the supply chain, Bethlehem launched a creative and popular coffee venture called Garden of Coffee.
Bethlehem is also founder and CEO of Republic of Leather, GIZA Digital, and NoodFoods.
Bikila Award congratulates Bethlehem Tilahun for being selected as the 2018 Bikila Business Excellence Award winner for her distinguished professional achievement in business and founding innovative enterprises that inspire the community in Ethiopia.
Professional Excellence Award winner
Professor Tessema Astatkie is known for his Professional Excellence in Research and Internationalization.
He conducts independent and collaborative research in several areas of statistics. His collaborative work also includes researchers in 18 countries, including Ethiopia. He has published over 150 papers in peer-reviewed journals.
His main research contributions got accelerated in 2005 when he directed the five-year Global Affairs Canada funded “Agricultural Sustainability - Ethiopia” project that enhanced the capacity of Jimma University College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine.
The success of this project helped to win the Tier 1 eight-year project entitled “Post-Harvest Management to Improve Livelihoods in Ethiopia” implemented and directed by Professor Tessema Astatke.
One of the notable contributions of this project was the establishment of the Post-Harvest Management Department at Jimma University and the launching of its BSc, MSc, and Ph.D. programs in Post-Harvest Management.
Bikila Award congratulates Professor Tessema Astatkie for being selected as the 2018 Bikila Professional Excellence Award winner for his outstanding collaborative international research and his dedication in establishing post-harvest management platform and knowledge transfer to Ethiopia.
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