Realm of Achievement by Self-made Women Amid Worrisome

March 8, 2023

BY LAKACHEW ATINAFU

There are untold but interesting episodes that grab attention arouse imagination and stroke emotion in all endeavors of life as one turns pages of histories. For most known human history, obvious it is that women have contributed more to the betterment of the world and everything beautiful has their fingerprints.

Ethiopia is indeed the land of heroines in time of war that they are incumbent upon double and triple duties in preparing food item, enjoying fighters and involve in fighting. Though the name of Empress Taitu is put high the sky, there were and are numerous women strived for state formation. Teacher turned to teach the way of success Tilksew Gedamu once a teacher is one of the prominent personalities mesmerizing the world in showing optimism and the philosophy of possible to African women.

Upon a short stay with The Ethiopian Herald, the iron lady said that she runs number of hotels and engaged in this industry creating jobs for lots of employees. Reacting to the question posed by Herald as to how she was able to manage in the realm of success under multiple cultural odds, Tiliksew responded that she was not a woman of that kind and her early psychological makeup helped to step successes of ladder.

With no Feminism view, Tiliksew believes that women are more responsible in discharging responsibilities in every area of life for circumstances. No matter how the hotel industry is incumbent upon challenges than that of other businesses but it gives satisfaction for the owner as affording services and recruiting joblessness. Tilksew unveiled that there are drawbacks to the hotel industry as it is difficult to satisfy customers due to inefficient manpower however the woman run the business owning the hotel industry along with engaging in real estate, oil company, transport and package businesses creating jobs for thousands.

She finally conveyed across her message to young women engage in legitimate business and work accordingly and honestly. Tiliksew Gedamu is a noted entrepreneur involved in a wide range of business interests across Ethiopia, notably in the hospitality industry. Here, she reflects with local Media on her new expanding business, including her acquisition of Bellevue Hotel and Spa, the legacy she wants to leave behind and some of the noted projects she wants to fulfill in the years to come. 

Tiliksew, the owner of the Grand Hotel in Bahir Dar, bought the eight-storey hotel, under the management of the Swiss Inn Hotel & Resort. Nexus was first opened in 2012 with an investment of 150 million Birr. Resting on a 3,000sqm plot of land, the Hotel encompasses 151 rooms, five meeting halls, bars, a restaurant, a gymnasium, a spa, an outdoor swimming pool and a parking lot. The original developers decided to sell the property to shed off debt, including a 25 million Birr loan from Awash Bank. Zena Dawit, the managing director at Nexus, disclosed that 40pc of the proceeds from the sale will be used to settle these liabilities. “We haven’t decided on what to invest in using the outstanding proceeds. We’ll most probably be working on expanding our import and export businesses,” Zena said.

The owners may not have received a value the current market could offer, according to Wubishet Abera, a consultant in property management.”It’s hard to believe it is based on the current market value,” Wubishet said. The deal could have been brokered by middlemen who only considered the value of the land and the structure but neglected to account for the value of the property and amenities within the Hotel, according to the consultant. Tiliksew, however, is happy with her latest acquisition. “We’ll request land for expansion if the City Administration permits, as the Hotel’s parking space is insufficient,” she told local media.

Once a teacher, Tiliksew got her start in business through the transport sector before moving to the hospitality industry. She began with a hotel in Debre Markos and then opened the largest hotel in Bahir Dar, the seat of the Amhara Regional State. She is a manager of Grand Resort and Spa Bahir Dar, under the management of the Radisson Blu Hotel Group, and General Manager of Piccolo Abay International Business Plc.

Nexus Hotel is not the first piece of property she has acquired in the capital. She bought Bellevue Hotel in the Megenagna area in January 2020 and has no plans of stopping here. She has completed the construction of a 14-storey building in Bole District for another hotel. “I’m excited about the future. We bought the Hotel hoping that a better time is coming ahead,” Tiliksew said. She hopes that the future will be kinder to the hospitality industry than the last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The hospitality industry was one of the worst affected by the pandemic, with occupancy rates plunging to as low as two percent last year. Many hotels reached the point where they could not have covered payroll. Two decades ago, there were fewer than 10 star-rated hotels. The figure has skyrocketed to over 1,000, with hundreds more currently under construction. However, most are concentrated in Addis Ababa, Hawassa, Bahir Dar, Adama and Mekelle.

Senait Mario, the Owner of One Peace fashion Rome, in accordance with the piece she forwarded to The Ethiopian Herald, she conveyed across message to human kind amid worrisome during the global pandemic of COVID-19 and the woman has to be taken as an idol in combating challenges and a self-made woman in the business arena. Let us go through Senait’s narration in the precarious time where Italy was among the very victim and how the lady runs her business smoothly.

After months of lockdown and a social and perceptive distancing from what surrounds us, as of Senait, returning to normal becomes more and more complicated, considering that, perhaps, the life we knew no longer exists. A change that involved our daily routine, including masks, gloves and Plexiglas barriers, reserving the hardest blow to trade, tourism and industry in its complexity, including the clothing sector. The same seasonal change that normally occurs with individual collections and fashion weeks is at risk, given the prolonged stay of Spring Summer 2020 in the warehouses which interfered with the gradual seasonal change.

As a consequence of the increase in online shopping, the willingness of brands to offer their customers an immersive and engaging experience has also increased, developing new brand engagement techniques through digital channels. Among these, the moment of unboxing has become crucial and cared for in detail, as if to replace the warmth and courtesy of interpersonal contact.

Finally, reselling, vintage and second hand have conquered an important slice of fashion at the time of the Corona virus, not only in terms of purchase but also of sale. Having more time available has led to a total restyling of the wardrobes, making many users approach the various marketplace platforms or Fashion Do It Yourself techniques, to renew their garments and give them a new look through creativity. No certainty about what the future of fashion will be and what scars the health emergency will leave in the sector, what we know is that the desire for recovery and normality is growing every day, pushing us towards our habits than ever before reveal valuable.

Access to models, hair and make-up, production staff etc was only possible when restrictions were eased, so it was not easy to fix any pre-promotional advertisements for any kind of events. “In the past, one of the key objectives of Fashion Week in the town was to drive consumers into the city –this year we were trying to do the opposite! Because in the countryside there is no much conjunction of the people,” Senait said.

However the African fashion market is a bit better than European market as other countries around the world grapple with a 2nd and 3rd wave, the idea of inviting hundreds of punters in Paris or Milan (even flying some in from other countries) to hold a physical runway in order to sell astronomically expensive couture is beyond reprehensible. “As the experience of runways in person and digitally are just different we hope that we will get back to explore the reality by exploring the creativity and personality of the brand to life,” Senait added.

THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 8 MARCH 2023