HVA Wonji, Wonji/Shoa, Metahara Pollution Concern

By Almaz Mequanint

I am so happy to learn that this year (2003) is declared to be an international year of fresh water. Being one of the victims of polluted water and air, and at the same time I feel helpless and in despair when I think of myself, my whole family, and the 100,000 voiceless residents of Wonji, Wonji/shoa and Metehara. Thousands of children and adults are at risk by drinking the poisonous water, breathing toxic gas, and living next to waste in these industrial communities.

Even though, problems of famine and Aids/HIV are the priority concerns in Ethiopia, there is also another silent killer called industrial pollution, which had affected and is still affecting tens of thousands of lives of residents of Wonji, Wonji/Shoa, and Metehara sugar factories.

In the 1950s, HVA started to pioneer the sugar industry in Ethiopia. Wonji, Wonji/Shoa and Metahara sugar factories were established in 1954, 1960 and 1968 respectively.

There are three major departments in sugar factory manufacturing, (a) mill house, (b) process house, and (c) boiler house. Each produces different types of waste, and are responsible for the emission of harmful gases into the air. There was also pungent smell from the mill house. Molasses were poured on the streets in Wonji, Wonji/Shoa, and Metehara which produced horrible smell, and attracted numerous flies around the town. It made the streets sticky to 

walk on. Wouldn't be nice if HVA had asphalt paving instead?

These three communities were exposed to toxins emitted from the factory, and the residents were not informed of the toxic gas or the sludge waste material on the streets and dumps. Because of such withholding of crucial health information the communities were vulnerable. Such disregard of the welfare and health of people was undertaken because the owners of the factories perceived Ethiopian citizens as weak and passive, citizens who will not fight back against the poisoning of their environment in fear that it may jeopardize their jobs and economical survival.

Around 1967 I came to Wonji as a kid. I grew up in Wonji, and my two children were born and raised in Wonji until the age of six and seven. At that time in Wonji, the drinking water had excess fluoride, the air was polluted from the smoke and dust, which was coming out of the factory, and most of the houses were built from asbestos. As we know human health is closely tied to environmental conditions. Due to pollution the quality of air, water, etc. in Wonji, Wonji/Shoa, and Metehara had risked the health of many families including my family and myself.

When I was a kid there were Dutch citizens who were the top representatives and employees for HVA the rest in the bottom of the pyramid were all Ethiopians.
At that time the Dutch were living in a secluded area called "Shebo Gibi," which means, "wired area." No, Ethiopian was allowed to go to that area unless she or he had a pass, or working as a baby sitter, kitchen maid, or a garden boy. The Dutch also had their club, swimming pool, tennis court, hospital, and school. They were drinking bottled water, because they knew that the drinking water at the time was not pure and had excess fluoride. But they let us use the well water which was contaminated and with excess of fluoride. The Dutch had withheld information from us causing us tremendous suffering, death, and destruction of the health of tens of thousands of Ethiopians. They have taken our rights away from having a healthy environment to live in.

Reports of chronic fluoride toxicity indicate that it causes weight loss, dental skeletal changes, indicators of carcinogenesis, hypocalcaemia (low blood calcium), hyperkalemia (excess blood potassium) that affect the spine, causing cerebral impairment, and damage of soft tissues. Excess fluoride consumption also leads to cancer, osteoporosis, neurological, cerbrovascular effects, and other physical ailments.

The Dutch were using the Awash River for irrigation using channels, which run in residential areas, that resulted in many deaths from drowning and also ameba infection. If the Dutch had fenced this irrigation instead of their homes, they would have saved many lives. It is too late for my family and I who are totally exposed to the pollution, but I believe we have to help the present generation and the next coming generation.

I suffer from asthma because of the air pollution, my teeth are decayed, and I have knee and other joint problems because of the excess fluoride in the water. My parents had knee joint problems but they passed away recently. My kids are suffering from teeth decay, cavities and staining. Recently, I visited Ethiopia and I found out that many people whom I had known as healthy people are now very sick from various disease caused from the air and water pollution. Some of my father's friends are sick and bedridden because of skeletal fluorosis. Many young beautiful girls of these communities hide their mouth with their hands when they smile in order to hide their heavily stained and deformed teeth and gums, and those who have money have replaced their front teeth with artificial teeth. The sad thing is nobody knows whom to blame, or where to seek help.

In summary, the pollution from the sugar factories has caused tremendous suffering, loss of lives, and disease. HVA is responsible for all the suffering, death and destruction of the health of tens of thousands of Ethiopians.
1) The exhaust fumes from the factories get so thick until they form a sort of fog around the community I was living in. Dust, gases and smoke had affected many peoples� lungs and respiratory tracts; asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer of the lung are all due to the factories pollution.  
2) Drinking water was heavily polluted by the hazardous wastes generated from the discharge by the factory, and excess of fluoride
3) The noise pollution was also very prominent due to the power looms situated in the community.
4) HVA also neglected the defluoridation of the drinking water. HVA withheld information about the excess fluoride in the drinking water from the Ethiopian workers. HVA violated the human rights of Ethiopian workers in those three communities. Excess fluoride in a drinking water causes dental and skeletal fluorosis. Normally fluoride should not exceed 4.0 milligram per litter, I wonder to what level of fluoride my family and I were exposed.  Fluoride has been banned in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Austria, France, and The Netherlands.
5) Asbestos was widely used for ceiling panels, pipe insulation, well insulation, cement pipe and sealant. No doubt my family and I were exposed to asbestos fiber concentration. As we know asbestos is extremely aerodynamic and it may cause cancer, shortness of breath, and pain in the lower back. Even after 1970 when scientists properly identified and cautioned the use of asbestos in buildings or installations where human beings may come in contact with, HVA did not take any precautionary action to prevent the community from being affected by asbestos contamination.
6) Heavy vehicular traffic that carry sugar canes to the factory pass through residential area, which caused a lot of dust and resulted in many deaths due to vehicular accidents.

Discrimination in health care is a violation of internationally declared human rights and defies the very fabric of freedom and justice. The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights states in articles 2, 3, and 25 that everyone has the right to all freedoms in the declaration, including health and security of person, without distinction of race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

Wonji, Shoa, and Methara were segregated Ethiopian communities in which outsiders had full control of these communities. Since the Dutch are white, it's the �all-Negro� section that was a segregated community. When you're under someone else's control, you're segregated. The Dutch were always treating us as the lowest forms of life and polluting Wonji, Wonji/Shoa and Metehara communities with out restraint..

The 30 Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
[From 1 to 10] [From 11 to 20] [From 21 to 30] Article 1: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights."

You have the same human rights as everyone else in the world, because you are a human being. These rights are inalienable -- they cannot be taken away from you. Every individual, no matter who he or she is or where he or she lives, should be treated with dignity.

Article 2: "Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind."
Article 13: "Everyone has the right to freedom of movement."

My father used to warn me not to go to Shebo Gibi because it was the white residential area (Dutch), and I asked him why? His answer was we are black; they are white and they run these three sugar factories. It is morally wrong that these communities had to face the burden of factory pollution, and it hits the poorest hard. Why in my country, Ethiopia, with thousands of years of freedom?  

I want a response from HVA why has this happened to my family to tens of thousands of residents and myself that are exposed to pollution?   I wish my voice will be heard and to see some changes on this issue.

The Dutch ran HVA and their main office is located in The Netherlands. I sent emails months ago to HVA regarding this pollution in Wonji/Wonji-Shoa and Metehara, but they didn't respond back. I hold HVA accountable and to clean up the mess that it had left behind in Wonji, Wonji/Shoa and Metehara.  

There is no enough environmental and health pollutants data collected in these communities, I know this much, many children are dying from this pollution, and it is a human rights violation of the residents. HVA had violated the following AOU articles: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9,12,16,20,24,27,28. We do have enough evidences, and can submit written or oral representation. According to article 60 cum 61, we are entitled and deserve international justices. I will be happy to receive any email, help from agencies, or posting this article in newspapers to make the world hear my voice, bring HVA (the human rights abuser) to justice, and end pollution in these three communities in Ethiopia.

Almaz Mequanint
December 9, 2003

Editor�s Note: W/o Almaz�s writing was earlier posted as a letter in New Internationalist magazine. Our Website has adopted her cause, which is also our cause. We cannot afford to standby and let our fellow Ethiopians suffer with only one courageous lady standing up on their behalf. Ethiopians suffer tremendously in all kinds of industries, goldmines, et cetera run by profiteers and carpetbaggers. We will devote a column in our Website for the investigation and reporting to all Ethiopians such misdeeds, destruction of health, and the pollution of the environment. HVA Wonji has lost control of the sugar factories during the dictatorial government of Mengistu Hailemariam in the 1970s; however, the harm done to Ethiopians then or now is a continuation of the same irresponsible and racist acts of the HVA. TH