Addisu Lema, 24, is an eighth grade student at the Gorfu Primary & Secondary School, which is found in Selale Fich – a city in the Oromiya Region, approximately 72km North of Addis Abeba. He often comes to the Semen Hotel, Shola Gebeya – the local market on the Dejazmach Haile Selassie road, to sell the product locally known as chibo – a bundle of twigs used for bonfires during holidays such as the Ethiopian New Year, Meskel and Buhe.
On Wednesday, 24 September 2014, one of Addisu’s customers was Abebe Asfaw, a married father of six, who had come hoping to buy 10 chibo for his share of the large bonfire they were planning with their neighbours.
Addisu came to the Addis Abeba market with 2000 chibo, which he bought from his village, Moyo Gojo, in Selale Fiche. He bought them for two Birr a piece and had sold 500 pieces at four Birr each between Tuesday morning and Wednesday afternoon.
That Wednesday afternoon, the market also had van drivers hanging around. They make a business carrying the goods for Addisu and the other traders.
One such driver, Adane, normally uses his van to transport people between Selale Fiche and Addis Abeba. As the holiday approaches, he carries chibo, yellow daisies (also known as Adey Abeba or Meskel Flower) and rye grass, or ketema, which is strewn across the floors of homes. Ketema is also placed down on the floor where bonfires are made. There are ISUZU and minibus drivers who transport these commodities during the holidays.
“This place use to be very busy with chibo sellers, who came from Selale Fiche during the holidays,” Adane said.
The drivers charge people like Addisu 35 to 40 cents apiece, for large bundles, which contain 100 sticks. This is about a 10 cent increase from last year, according to Addisu. Pointing to that 10 cent increase as an excuse, sellers like Addisu are now charging at least one Birr more for each chibo, as they sell the larger ones for five Birr apiece.
The chibos are made with twigs of the kese and tunjit plants, which farmers get from a place called Aka Adi, between the Gorfu and Moyo Gojo villages, Adane says. The farmers start preparing the bundles as early as May to sell to traders like Addisu.
Mengistu Kalab, 25, was carrying off the load from an abadula – the local name for the Toyota Hiace van. He is a farmer who produces cereal and vegetables in a village called Chancho, 40km north of Addis Abeba. Three boys, aged 12 to 13, approached him and bargained with him for a long time until they managed to trim the price down from four Birr a piece to 3.50 Br.
The pavement from Semen Mazagaja to Addisu Gebeya was full of vendors, such as Mengistu, selling chibo, rye grass and flowers. That Wednesday, Mengistu was able to sell about a tenth of the 3,000 pieces he had brought between morning and mid-afternoon.
“If I am able to finish selling all of them by tomorrow, I will bring another 1,000 pieces I have at home by Friday morning,” Mengistu said.
Last year, he sold 3,000 pieces for three Birr each.
“This is a good opportunity for us,” says Mengistu.
The rye grass and flower sellers are not missing out on that opportunity. Assefa Feyisa, 40, a farmer with six children from the Meka Ture village in Selale Fiche, was able to sell 50 bunches of ketema and 30 bunches of Adey Abeba for 60 Br each during the New Year, making 4,800 Br. Nearly all the people selling the grass and flowers hailed from there.
“Although the market is seasonal and uncommon, the business helped me to cover for my children’s school expenses,” says Assefa.
On Wednesday Afternoon, 24 September, Assefa brought 20 bundles of rye grass to the Shola Gebeya, which he expected to sell by Thursday morning. These grasses simply grow on open lands mainly during the Ethiopian rainy season. Adey Abeba blooms as the New Year nears and for about a month thereafter. Assefa and his friends don’t spend any money to get the ketema and Adey Abeba, but the transport cost is high compared to last year, Assefa told Fortune. He paid the ISUZU driver 110 Br for transporting his produce from Meka Ture to Addis Abeba a year ago. This year, the price has gone up to 130 Br.
The other Shola Gebeya, near Megenagna, is equally teeming with chibo, rye grass and flowers. The sellers here get their supply from Legetafo and Legedadi. Asrebeb Manalegn, 37, purchased two bundles of rye grass and one bundle of Adey Abeba, paying 50 Br for each, as well as 25Br for transport. She breaks the grass down into 30 bunches, which she sells for five Birr each. With the flowers and the tej sar, a fragrant grass, she makes more money for the holiday than she does from the vegetables she normally sells.
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