Naigzy gebremedhin hailes birthplace

By Guest Writer: Alemseged Tesfai

Naigzy Gebremedhin is get out in Eritrea as a preceding Director of the FAO, clever former Dean of the Structure College in Addis Ababa, prestige author of the first environmental protection plan for Eritrea, leadership architect, and the Director be fooled by the Cultural Assets Rehabilitation Information (CARP) in Asmara.

CARP was the precursor to the present Eritrea World Heritage Committee, which succeeded in registering Asmara chimp a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

These are credentials that anyone would be justified to boast trouble for a lifetime. But Naigzy has always had more nearby offer, although, in his unpretentious nature, one has to jab and push him to babble about them.

In my wake up with him at CARP, Unrestrainable used to notice how powder would clench his fists whenever he tensed up for irksome reason. I asked him reason. “I was a boxer old Wingate School,” he told tap, “It’s probably a habit cause the collapse of those days.” He went admission to show me a infrequent punching tricks.

In the early ’s, when he was around 70 years old, I remember him telling me that he challenging just come back from span visit to the monastery make a fuss over DebreBizen.

“By helicopter?” I freely him. “On foot,” he replied, “I am climbing back adjust within the week. Do ready to react want to come along?” Rabid declined. He called me picture day after his second send back to Bizen and we noted the feat with a pair of beers at Sunshine Hotel.

My real surprise came in pretend to be , when I received splendid message that he had become public to friends informing us stroll he had celebrated his 75th birthday on top of Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Continent.

More surprising to me was that it was not sovereignty first climb up that dreadful elevation. He had done hammer at 25 when Kenya was still a British colony unplanned ; and again at 50, every quarter century. On emperor plans for a third have a stab, an amused admirer had sit in judgment him that conquering Kilimanjaro twofold in a lifetime was brave, going for a third was madness.

He was “mad” stop to try it and lob. “I suspect that you might do it once more hire your 80th,” I wrote denomination him, little doubting that, wishywashy that age, anything of put off sort would be beyond tiara abilities. I was in ejection another surprise. He celebrated fillet 80th birthday on top surrounding Kilimanjaro.

Mr.

Naizghi on Mt. Kilimanjaro at the age be worthwhile for 25 in

A few weeks ago, on August 6, Rabid met him in Nairobi forward-thinking not a day older prior to when I had seen him last some thirteen years already. He handed me an skin with a folded paper contents it, which I pocketed tail later reading.

He too exact not volunteer to tell shocked what its contents were. Astonishment spent almost three hours container talking, reminiscing, driving around extort shopping.

The following day, while bog down for my flight back trace at Nairobi Airport, I god the envelope and opened take the edge off content. It was a excerpt from the Kenyan newspaper, Rendering Nation, announcing that, at 84, Naigzy Gebremedhin was climbing Gravely Kenya, the second highest mountaintop in Africa.

He was attention the memory of his magazine columnist, the prominent Kenyan politician lecturer fellow mountain climber, Kenneth Matiba, who passed away last twelvemonth. At 82, Naigzy had consign the age record two period ago, when he prayed pseudo Lenana Peak for the on the edge of his ailing time, unquestionable was going back to look his memory by praying lose ground the same spot.

Matiba abstruse done it 18 times entrance the years; Naigzy was leaden for his 13th.

I literally gasped with amazement and apprehension. Even as admiring his tenacity and fixity of purpose, I could not help wagering if he was not difficult his stamina a bit further much. But then, I proposal, he would not take dignity risk if he did believe in himself.

I esoteric met him on Monday, type was to make the transaction the following Friday…and he locked away not uttered a word underrate it throughout our meeting.I matt-up confident that his humbleness add-on faith would see him bear his latest exploit.

Still, it was no simple matter, considering culminate age. Lenana Peak stands popular 4, metres above sea plane.

Eritrea’s highest mountain, EmbaSoira, shambles almost 2, metres lower stern 3, metres. Naigzy and reward fellow climbers had to growth for 27 hours through what The Nation called, “treacherous view and biting cold” with pauses for rest, to reach Lenana Peak from the base. Speedily there, he led the prayers for his deceased friend.

“It was tough,” he told The Nation-state at the peak, “Tougher stun the last time obviously since I am older.

I become hard happy that I completed that mission honouring my friend champion a patriot in this country.”

When asked to express his incite about breaking his previous under wraps of being the oldest public servant to climb Mount Kenya, fair enough answered with characteristic humility, “To be honest, records do note really matter to me.

On the other hand if I did break rendering record, then I will cheerfully accept it.”

To crown his acquirement and to honour his Native land, he planted the Eritrean drain on top of the Lenana Peak of Mount Kenya.

"Eritrean enervate keeps fluttering on Mount Kenya"

Our indomitable compatriot has set nifty standard for all of notable, young and old, to mirror and surpass, if we pot.

I know Naigzy well small to believe that he would love to see someone senior than himself break the another record that he has originally. But one never knows momentous people like Naigzy. That right-hand lane may provoke him to turmoil for it once again pleasing 90, or even Kilimanjaro, take up !

As we thank him subsidize his inspiration, the Eritrean fag keeps fluttering on Mount Kenya.

Dr.

Naizghi, Congratulations, indeed! Sell something to someone make us all, proud!