Bekele Gonfa lost his leg in a battlefield explosion in 1977, during the Ethio-Somali war. Since his accident, he has persevered through a painful rehabilitation process, a non-handicap accessible school, and persistent employment discrimination to become the Director of the LSN-Ethiopia Network in Addis Ababa.
Born to an Ethiopian farming family in 1953, Bekele excelled as a student and graduated with honors from the Harar Military Academy. He served as an operations officer to an Army battalion at the outbreak of the Ethio-Somali War. During a mission at the war’s front lines, Bekele’s battalion was heavily shelled. Instead of retreating, Bekele launched an attack to capture the enemy’s artillery. Moments before crossing the assault line, he was struck by an explosive that took off his left leg and ended his military career.
While in the hospital for eleven months (and through five surgeries), Bekele met many other amputee patients, many of them with more serious injuries than his own. Bekele was also inspired by his former, and favorite, teacher from school, who had also lost a leg and used a crutch while teaching. This teacher became his role model, and he decided that losing a leg would not end his ability to have a normal life.
In 1978, against his doctor’s wishes, Bekele enrolled in the Addis Ababa University. As a disabled student on a campus that was not handicap accessible, he faced many challenges, including trying to get to classes on the second floor. Financial constraints forced him to rely on an erratic bus system for transportation, which often left Bekele with no option but to walk several kilometers, causing his prosthesis to rub and chaff against his scar.
Despite the difficulties he encountered as a student, Bekele graduated with a degree in statistics in 1983 and went on to earn diplomas in Business Management and Administration and in Marketing/Sales Management. Although frustrated by the discrimination he faced when applying for jobs, he proceeded with determination, making strong contacts with other disabled people facing discrimination and actively participating in society. The director of LSN-Ethiopia since April 2003, Bekele is currently a husband and the father of three, and immensely enjoys his work with fellow Ethiopian amputees. Today he continues to inspire and encourage all those around him during their physical and emotional recovery from trauma.
For more information on Bekele Gonfa and the LSN Ethiopia Peer Support Network, click here. |
