Skateboarding trailblazer Sosina Chala of the Ethiopia Girl Skaters rolls with us as we explore the monuments of Addis Ababa.
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00:00Hi everyone, my name is Hosanna Dalla. I am also a skater born and raised in Addis
00:04and now I would like to take you to a tour of Addis. Come skate with me please!
00:10Addis Ababa is Ethiopia's largest city. The city's name means new flower in Amharic.
00:17It's a buzzing metropolis with a population of over 5 million people. At an altitude of
00:232,335 meters above sea level, Addis is Africa's highest capital city. Nestled amidst rolling
00:31hills, it's the perfect place for young daredevils like Sosina Chala, the founder of Ethiopia Girl
00:37Skaters. Since I'm born and raised in here, like most of my childhood stories and memories are
00:45here. I love it for that and career-wise, to be honest, since I started skateboarding in the city
00:51and then also like a lot of skaters and people who are really interested in this kind of
00:58rebellious action and actually like this kind of unique kind of activity, they are here.
01:06Renowned for its diverse cuisine, fashion scene, captivating music and rich historical heritage,
01:13Addis Ababa blends old and new. Let's explore one of its most iconic highlights on the first
01:20stop of our city tour. And behind me there is a monument of honoring a battle of Adwa,
01:26where Ethiopian patriots fought against Italy in 1896. The Adwa monument in the old city center
01:35commemorates Ethiopia's victory over Italian forces in 1896. This solidified Ethiopia's
01:42independence and made it one of only two African nations to never experience colonization.
01:49For 26-year-old Sosina, it's a beacon of hope and inspiration for those fighting for justice
01:55and equality. All of our sisters are rebellious, one, and heroes. So that is why we're strong
02:04enough to say, oh, we're Ethiopians or we're like, we've never been colonized or most of the
02:11like, hero stories. For Sosina, skating and cruising through Addis Ababa's streets is an
02:17exhilarating experience. Not just for the thrill of skating, but also because of the monuments that
02:25reflect the city's rich history and dynamic present. Few have more significance to Sosina
02:32than the Holy Trinity Cathedral. The church is actually on renovation now, but most Sundays you
02:39will find me here worshipping. So let's take a look. The church is known as Kedist Selassie in
02:46Amharic. Emperor Haile Selassie's remains were buried here in the year 2000. More than 1,500
02:54people can comfortably sit inside the church. It's a place where you will learn humanity. Addis
03:06Ababa is the city where you can find a young soul. A very young and old soul where it's combined
03:14gives really beautiful lights to everyone. In recent years, Addis Ababa has experienced rapid
03:21urbanization and technological advances, making it one of Africa's fastest growing cities.
03:28In a country with over 75 different ethnic groups, there's a lot to see. You really don't have to
03:34go out of all of the part of the country. You will find a lot of things just in here, just because
03:41like all of the people from like out of Addis, like out of Addis, they come here and then they
03:47kind of have their own culture, build whatever they want to and then let's say you want to eat
03:52the food specifically with the specific culture and you can find that. The African Union is
03:59headquartered here and business people, diplomats and activists all meet in Addis Ababa.
04:06Having like all the Africans and like learning all the cultures throughout all Africa and
04:13then all Africans come here to to do whatever they wanted to change Africa. I mean that's this
04:20this is the center of Africa. For Sassina, Addis is more than just a city. It's home. It's the
04:28place that nurtured her rebellious spirit and encouraged her to challenge societal norms.
04:35That's the place where you come and see all the mixed things beautiful and ugly and combined.
04:42Like it's kind of really nice. Addis Ababa is a place where you can defy the odds,
04:48shatter the status quo and embrace life to the fullest.