The first Prime Minister of Israel David Ben-Gurion once famously said, “…there is only one man in my cabinet” referring to the gutsy lady Golda Meir who was the only woman in his cabinet. Women throughout history have shown extraordinary courage where they stood tall in a world dominated by men. The case have become too evident particularly in this and the last of the previous century when women demonstrated a stellar leadership quality not only in politics but also in managerial positions as well.
Close to home, we witness the steeled determination of our Tegaru ladies as they press on the cause of Tigray with vigor and tenacity where the rest of us draw inspiration beyond the horizon. Women in TDF, women in the political leadership, women in the social and political activism. There is no dearth but abundance. The picture-perfect doesn’t seem too clear, however, when the three Tigrean athletes were unable to tell the world their stories for a reason only known to them.
Letesembet, Gudaf and Goitetom shone on the world stage when they won Gold medals including breaking records. The excitement particularly for us Tegaru was not only the fact that they won the Gold medals but they were afforded the unique opportunity to tell the world their macabre stories when world cameras were zoomed-in on three of them. We expected them to the very least to tell the predicament their respective families find themselves in where they are completely cut off from the rest of the world. But again, for a reason only known to them, they expressed their perennial agony through streaming tears instead where one can confuse it with a tear of joy as well.
In fact, the siege is not only limited to Tigray and their respective families but the athletes found themselves hostages as well when one of them was cut off from giving answers when her trainer and interpreter interjected and said, “the question is not good for us” before the reporter finished asking about the brave Tigrean who sported flag of Tigray and jumped on the track-field to hug and congratulate Letesembet and Goitotom.
It is understandable that it was not an easy feat for them to compete much less to win Gold medals given the extraordinary mental and physical anguish they had gone through. And it is also true that, as they say, only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches. No one exactly knows what is on their mind as the Abiy regime lavishes them with praises to the moon and back and throwing perks here and there as well. It is certainly Orwellian where their parents are under siege and again Abiy throws them a “home-coming” lavish party to celebrate their victory.
I am not passing any judgment on them but one can not help it but draw a parallel between them and the Tigrean artist [his name betrays me for now] who won the “Gumma Award” in Addis Abeba a year and half ago and refused to speak in Amharic but spoke in Tigrinya instead when he said, he cannot feel the joy of his artistic recognition when his sister is violated, his mother is weeping tears of blood and his brothers are being pushed off a cliff in Tigray by the invading armies. When he said the brave and courageous words, the camera in the audience turned towards to the likes of Endargachew Tsige who was one of the main architects of the invasion of Tigray. Only heaven knows what went through the latter’s mind at that very moment but certainly it will go down in history as one of the most courageous speeches ever made from the belly of the beast so to speak. That is the spirit of Tegaru!
Our dashed expectation as it may, one day, the three ladies will tell their side of a story and why they were not able to rise to the occasion and seize the moment when the entire world was zoomed-in on them through the screens around the world. The benefit of the doubt is in place for our faith in them is never misplaced. Disappointed for now but eternally proud of three of them.