Celebrate the 123rd Birthday of Emperor Haile Selassie I at His Birthsite, Ejersa Goro, Harar

July 23, 2015 marks the 123rd birthday of Emperor Haile Selassie I. Since 2010, the Pilgrimage Committee, based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, has been celebrating the birthday of Emperor Haile Selassie I at his birth place, Ejersa Goro, Harar.

July 23, 2015 marks the 123rd birthday of Emperor Haile Selassie I. Since 2010, the Pilgrimage Committee, based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, has been celebrating the birthday of Emperor Haile Selassie I at his birthplace, Ejersa Goro, Harar.

To promote public awareness and community support, the Pilgrimage Committee is engaged in development projects for the area. The committee has established a school for girls in the name of the Emperor’s mother, Yeshimebet Ali, constructed guest houses to generate income for the community, and renovated the old church built on the ground where the Emperor’s umbilical cord is buried (see picture left). These project have been successful due to kind donations from people all over the world.

In future, Ejersa Goro has the potential to become one of UNESCO’s heritage sites through the awareness of the annual birthday celebration. The site is located in a remote region with a population of just over four thousand. The majority of the people there are young and have limited knowledge about the life and legacy of the Emperor and thus, the historical value of the area.

The annual birthday celebration is a platform for the transmission of educative information. This year, the hope is to raise funds to take three medical doctors and nurses to the birthday event. The medical personnel will be able to provide general medical services to community members. To achieve this goal, approximately $10,000 (US) is needed to hire, transport, feed, and house the medical team.

Due to the reputation of the annual celebration, there has been interest in holding an additional birthday celebration at the former residence of the Emperor and Empress Menen in the city of Harar. The Emperor was the governor in Harar from 1907-16 under the title Dejazmatch Tafari Makonnen. This could be the first time since 1916 the home of the Emperor and Empress would hold such a celebration (Dejazmatch Tafari & Weyzero Menen in Harar, see picture right).

During the additional celebration in Harar, the Pilgrimage Committee would like to donate a carpet with the Lion of Judah symbol on it to cover the stairway of the Emperor’s former home (see picture below). The material and art work for the carpet will cost approximately $5,000 (US), bringing the total funds needed for this year’s events to $15,000 (US). With your generous donation, the community service projects can be fulfilled in both Ejersa Goro and  Harar (The Former Residence of Emperor Haile Selassie and Empress Menen, see picture left).

Kindly donate by clicking here: http://www.gofundme.com/pxula8
And forward this information to ones across the world.

Perfect love,
Ras Sela