Yeshimebeth T Belay

Yeshimebeth T Belay (Tutu) was born in the year 1962 to her father Fetawrari. Tesfaye wondemagegnehu and to her mother Mrs. Lakech Beyene in the eastern state of Harerge, city of Jijiga, Ethiopia. (Fitawrari, ፊትአውራሪ, a traditional Ethiopian military title meaning commander of the vanguard) She was the fourth of eight children born to a mother who hails from Ethiopian royalty and a father who was a provincial governor in southeastern Ethiopia in the Horn of Africa. Her father Fetawrari Tesfaye was a well-respected lawyer and later on provincial governor of the region where Yeshimebet and her family were residing at that time. Highly smart and extraordinarily creative for a tender age of 13, she made lemonade and vegetable-and-meat dumplings to sell to the Afar people coming to see their tribal chief, who lived across from her family’s compound. She persuaded some neighborhood girls to help out, even though girls of her class were not really supposed to be standing out on the street selling things. As a result, she recalled that “she kind of hid it from her parents !!” But later on, her father found out about it because she was bringing wads of money home and allowed her to continue her business, he says, as long as she kept her grades up; he wanted Tutu to become a doctor.

Academic & Professional career

Yeshimebeth attended her elementary and secondary education at Notre dame school in the town of Dire Dawa., with a good high school transcript, her early entrepreneurial experience and the support of her family, Tutu travelled to the United States of America to join the Southern University at Baton Rouge. Unlike her father’s wish for her to become a doctor and Perhaps not surprisingly, she quickly switched her major from medicine to marketing and Business. But life in the US was not an easy one for young Tutu especially as a student who came from Africa. In order to cover for her living expenses while in college, Yeshimebeth (Tutu) has to do different odd jobs such as cleaning houses, babysitting and selling Mary Kay cosmetics, which taught her “never to fear rejection.” After accomplishing her bachelor’s degree in business management, she moved to the Washington DC metropolitan area in 1989. It was an overwhelming excitinment and joy for the young and educated Yeshimebeth (Tutu) who spent all her college years away from home and fellow countrymen just by hereself in the deep southern state of Louisiana to come to the Washington DC metroplolitan area to see so many fellow Ethiopians & Ethiopian businesses. The feeling of happiness to see her kind of people striving hard everyday in every walk of life was tremendous. Yeshimebeth being curious and exploring as she has been all her life started to closely observe the Ethiopian community way of life. Yeshimebeth saw an increasing trend of Ethiopians and Ethiopian businesses in the Washington metropolitan area whereas she also witnessed that people were having problem of finding Ethiopian products and services. Then to her surprise, her observation led her and opened her eyes to one big problem in her community, that is Information. Through her obeservation, Yeshimebeth (Tutu) realized that there was lack of information, information- network and most of all lack of information channel. What started simply by jotting down the phone numbers and addresses of grocery stores, law offices and real estate agents was then expanded to a well organised research undertaking about information needs of her fellow Ethiopians and the Ethiopian community at large in the Washington DC metropolitan area. Thus the idea for the Ethiopian Yellow Pages was born. After two years of extensive researching, planning and preparation, the Ethiopian Yellow Pages was officially launched in 1993. Eventhough started with a humble beginning of 80 pages, the Ethiopian Yellow Pages through the last 20 years has performed outstandingly serving as a communication bridge of information network between the larger Ethiopian community and various businesses and establishments around the metropolitan area. Furthermore, the Ethiopian Yellow Pages in its marching hand-to-hand with technology has become easily accessible throughout the world via internet at www.eeyp.com. Still committed and inspired to achieve a higher academic excellence, Mrs. Yeshimebeth Belay successfully completed her Master’s degree in Business Administration in 2008, specializing in the field of Marketing from Strayer University in Alexandria Virginia. Moreover, as a family person blessed with two beautiful children (Feker & Selam- meaning Love & Peace respectively) and a loving husband- Renowned Artist Yehunie Belay, tutu is also a successful and accomplished loving mother and wife.

Ethiopian Yellow Pages

Present day Yeshimebeth Belay “Mama Tutu” is the president and Publisher of the Ethiopian Yellow Pages establishment (Feker Inc.) Which is located in the historical shaw Howard area of Washington DC. Over the years since its first publication in 1993, the Ethiopian Yellow Pages book “Mama Tutu’s Directory” has become more than a telephone directory. The Ethiopian Yellow Pages excellence in its services and yet unparalleled commitment to its community at large has been well identified and measured. On June 9, 2011 the Washington Post on its front page of the Style section under the heading “Ethiopian Yellow Pages: Life, by the book” gave an extensive and impressive coverage about the Ethiopian Yellow Pages closeness and commitment to the ever increasing Ethiopian community that it has been serving for the last two decades. The Washington post gave further detail by prasing and commending the Ethiopian Yellow pages dedicated performance and success through the Ethiopian Yellow Pages Publication as “ Immigrant’s Directory is an all-purpose tool for cultural acclimation.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/ethiopian-yellow-pages-life-by-the-book/2011/06/01/AGM64YMH_story.html Throughout the last 20 years, the Ethiopian Yellow Pages has shown tremendous growth becoming a trademark for a search engine among the vast Ethiopian community members living throughout the Washington DC metropolitan area and beyond. The Ethiopian Yellow Pages of today with its online website www.ethiopianyellowpages.com is accessible around the world connecting various businesses with consumers. It recognition of the Ethiopian Yellow Pages and its founder Mrs. Yeshimebeth Belay’s hard work, commitment and unparalleled continuous service of excellence for many years, the Washington DC Council September 15, 2007 honored & recognized The Ethiopian Yellow Pages by passing a resolution declaring September 15, 2007 to be honored as the “Ethiopian Yellow Pages Day” in the District of Columbia.

Shaw main Streets (http://www.shawmainstreets.org/who_we_are/board_of_directors) In addition to managing and running the day-to-day operation of the Ethiopian yellow pages, Mrs. Yeshimebeth is also a vibrant and active member of the Washington DC business community. Mrs. Yeshimebeth is currently (2011–2012, & 2013–2014) serving as the board member of the shaw Main streets organization. The Shaw Main Streets organization http://www.shawmainstreets.org/home is made up of a network of dedicated Board Members and volunteers, college and university interns, and a paid executive director (the organization's only employee) who have been working to revitalize Shaw's commercial corridors since 2003. It is a 501(c)(3) organization operating a local program of the DC Main Streets program, funded in part by the D.C. Department of Small and Local Business Development.

Ethiopian Expo

Mrs. Yeshimebeth T Belay (Tutu) is also founder and president of The Ethiopian Expo, http://www.bigethiopianexpo.com/index.html, a non for profit organization engaged in promoting a strong relationship between the Ethiopian community and various organizations. Since its inception in the year 2000 with Mrs. Yeshimebeth’s leadership, the Ethiopian Expo has been undertaking and promoting community based social and cultural events. The Ethiopian Expo is a grandeur, well detailed event with a large number of business participants which is also a showcase for heavy audience turnout which thereby create a conducive climate for businesses to promote their products and services to the largest Ethiopian community here in the washingtion DC area. The event will have various promotional tools making it easier for various businesses to use multiple channels to reach consumers, users and other stake holders. As a business owner and fierce business advocate of the historical Shaw Howard business district, Yeshimebeth (Tutu) is also a founding & active member of the 9th and U-street business association. Even though Mrs. Yeshimebeth (Tutu) has a very tight 24-7 schedule demanding immense responsibilities of handling her enterprise, she is exceptionally capable and actively gets involved in different business associations and community endeavors serving at various key responsibility positions.

Bawza Newspaper

Mrs. Yeshimebeth T Belay (Tutu) is also founder and Publisher of Bawza an Amharic-English newspaper and online publication. Bawza was launched on 2008 to inform the Ethiopian Community of the world of progress and advancement in Business, Culture, Music, Art and Family through articles and various medias.

The word Bawza in Amharic refers to a powerful beam of light. As light makes vision possible, Bawza by giving information, will help people to see various aspects of life with a clearer vision of understanding.

Bawza newspaper through its established distribution network channels is effectively distributed within wider area coverage. Bawza is also accessible to millions more around the world through its website: http://bawza.com/

Little Ethiopia Restaurant

Mrs. Yeshimebeth was also managing director and owner of Little Ethiopia Restaurant which was located at 1924 9th street 20001 NW, in the Washington DC’s Show Howard historical area. It is also to be recalled that it was Mrs. Yeshimebeth Belay with her husband Artist Yehunie belay and other fellow Ethiopian business owners who had fought fiercely to have the 9th and u street block area be named as Little Ethiopia since too many Ethiopian businesses around the area were on the rise. This demand by Ethiopians to have the street name changed got a big attention and media coverage from prominent news agencies such as Washington post CNN and BBC. Even though the request and demand to name the street as Little Ethiopia didn’t go through, for many Ethiopians it is still unofficially called or nicknamed as “Little Ethiopia St.” In addition, Mrs. Yeshimebeth T Belay’s and other Ethiopian business owners suceess and love for the district of Columbia in conjunction with an increasing number of the Ethiopian community in and around the metropolitan area has persuaded the Washington DC council to accept and approve Amharic- the Ethiopian national language to become the District of Columbia official language.

Achievement Awards and Recognitions

  • On December 21, 2011, The Washington DC council through its council member Jim Graham Awarded Mrs. Yeshimebeth T Belay a recognitional prize in appreciation for her hard work and her extensive positive role she played as an Ethiopian community activist.
  • The Washington Post on its June 8, 2011 Lifestyle section publication titled Ethiopian Yellow Pages: Life, by the book, by Emily Wax gave an extensive coverage about Yeshimebeth T Belay, Mama Tutu’s establishment- The Ethiopian Yellow Pages.
  • Little Ethiopia Restaurant, owned and managed by Mrs. Yeshimebeth T Belay was rated highest by Talk of the Town News http://www.talkofthetownnews.com/ in 2011 for its Excellence in customers satisfaction above all other Ethiopian restaurants in the Washington DC metropolitan area. The Ratings were calculated based on consumer-review websites and blogs, social networks, business rating services and other award information to determine the top companies across the country.
  • Diasporas: A journal of Transitional studies Vol. 15 Number 2/3 Fall Winter 2006 Published Spring 2011 by the University of Toronto (ISSN 1044-2057) under its chapter titled vital information at your fingertips: The Ethiopian Yellow Pages as a cultural Document (page 247-263) written by Steven Kaplan has extensively covered about the Ethiopian Yellow Pages.
  • Woman of the Year award from women’s association of DC.
  • Mrs. Yeshimebeth T Belay and the company that she leads, Ethiopian Yellow Pages Inc., was honored and recognized by the DC Council resolution that declared September 15, 2007 as the “Ethiopian Yellow Pages Day” in the District of Columbia. (To see the Resolution handout ceremony please go to: www.ethiopianyellowpages.com and click on “The 14th year Ethiopian Yellow Pages Anniversary”)
  • Community Achievement Award in 2005.
  • Mrs. Yeshimebeth T Belay’s Personal Achievements has been put forward as a role model example in a book titled “Making It in America: Conversations with Successful Ethiopian American Entrepreneurs” written by Mr. Peter Hagos published December 1, 2004. (ISBN 978-0970346353)
  • Businesswoman of the Year Award 2004.
  • In Addition, various letters of congratulations and recognitions, to the Ethiopian Yellow Pages & its founder/President Mrs. Yeshimebeth T Belay, has been received from (few among many) former Washington DC Mayor Adrian Fenty, Governor Timothy M. Kaine, Governor Martin O’Malley, Senator John Warner.

References