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In memory of Dawit Daniel
Donation protected
I am heartbroken to share that Dawit passed away on Tuesday June 9. He is survived by his wife and five children in Addis Ababa. I am raising money from international sources to help his family -- and will combine what's raise here to the pool being raised locally on Friday June 12th.
Dawit had a long and meaningful career in coffee, early on as an extension officer in Agaro and Illubabor, and more recently as the head of his own specialty export business.
Dawit was a dear friend, colleague, and teacher to me. We worked together from 2009 to 2011, during the early years of the TechnoServe Ethiopia Coffee Initiative, and remained close after I left Ethiopia in 2014.
Dawit was a creator and a builder. He inspired groups of coffee farmers to overcome impossible obstacles. His tireless commitment, helping farmers build new washing stations, led to beautiful coffees and lasting prosperity in communities such as Cocola, Jawi, Sineso, Camp, Gole, and Hawa Yember.
Dawit was a teacher and a taster. He trained a new generation of Ethiopian coffee cuppers. He brought portable cupping labs into farming communities. It went beyond coffee, too. Dawit and I had a breakfast tradition whenever we were in Jimma together: he introduced me to foul and fetira, the Beckham Pension, the shai-buna spritz.
Dawit was a friend and a joker. He was one of those people who knew people everywhere he went, who opened doors with his wit and humility. He equipped me with Amharic adages to win smiles from new acquaintances at meals, like yewonde lij fota, tsegur new ("a young boy uses his hair as a towel") and to break the ice with farmers during important conversations.
Dawit was there for the people in his life. He hosted my parents the first time they visited Ethiopia; he danced at my wedding; he mourned at my mother-in-law's funeral. With the social distancing requirements in Ethiopia right now, it is hard for the people in Dawit's life to be there for him now and to mourn him according to Ethiopian traditions. If you'd like to send a message to his family in addition to making a contribution to his memorial, please let me know.
Rest in peace, Gashe Dawit.
Dawit had a long and meaningful career in coffee, early on as an extension officer in Agaro and Illubabor, and more recently as the head of his own specialty export business.
Dawit was a dear friend, colleague, and teacher to me. We worked together from 2009 to 2011, during the early years of the TechnoServe Ethiopia Coffee Initiative, and remained close after I left Ethiopia in 2014.
Dawit was a creator and a builder. He inspired groups of coffee farmers to overcome impossible obstacles. His tireless commitment, helping farmers build new washing stations, led to beautiful coffees and lasting prosperity in communities such as Cocola, Jawi, Sineso, Camp, Gole, and Hawa Yember.
Dawit was a teacher and a taster. He trained a new generation of Ethiopian coffee cuppers. He brought portable cupping labs into farming communities. It went beyond coffee, too. Dawit and I had a breakfast tradition whenever we were in Jimma together: he introduced me to foul and fetira, the Beckham Pension, the shai-buna spritz.
Dawit was a friend and a joker. He was one of those people who knew people everywhere he went, who opened doors with his wit and humility. He equipped me with Amharic adages to win smiles from new acquaintances at meals, like yewonde lij fota, tsegur new ("a young boy uses his hair as a towel") and to break the ice with farmers during important conversations.
Dawit was there for the people in his life. He hosted my parents the first time they visited Ethiopia; he danced at my wedding; he mourned at my mother-in-law's funeral. With the social distancing requirements in Ethiopia right now, it is hard for the people in Dawit's life to be there for him now and to mourn him according to Ethiopian traditions. If you'd like to send a message to his family in addition to making a contribution to his memorial, please let me know.
Rest in peace, Gashe Dawit.
Organizer
Carl Cervone
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY