Lucy’s Ethiopia: balancing progress and people
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A writer travelled to Ethiopia, the country where the 3.2-million-year-old hominin fossil Lucy was discovered, and found a nation grappling with rapid development.
The author initially visited to connect with Ethiopia’s contributions to humanity, Lucy, coffee, and injera, a traditional flatbread, but soon observed a complex situation unfolding in Addis Ababa. Lucy’s 1974 discovery established Ethiopia as central to the study of human origins, demonstrating that early humans walked upright long before developing modern technologies.
Coffee also originated in the Ethiopian highlands and became a global commodity, deeply embedded in Ethiopian culture as a social ritual and economic driver. However, the author noted that despite its global importance, coffee farming doesn’t always improve the lives of Ethiopian communities. Currently, Ethiopia is undergoing major infrastructural development through the Corridor Development Project, building roads, flyovers, and modern buildings.
While this development is visible and celebrated, the author found that it’s also displacing communities and raising questions about who benefits from the changes. Many who construct the new infrastructure find themselves unable to afford to live in the areas they help create, leading to concerns about inclusivity and whether Ethiopia’s progress will benefit all its people.
