Agitu Ideo Gudeta ( om, Aggituu Ida'o Guddataa; am, አጊቱ ጉደታ; 1 January 197829 December 2020) was an Ethiopian Oromo farmer, entrepreneur, and environmentalist who immigrated to Italy after experiencing conflict due to her political activism against

land grabbing Land grabbing is the contentious issue of large-scale land acquisitions: the buying or leasing of large pieces of land by domestic and transnational companies, governments, and individuals. While used broadly throughout history, land grabbing as ...

by the military for international corporations. She established a goat farming operation using the indigenous breed

Pezzata Mòchena The Pezzata Mòchena, known in Mòcheno as the , is an indigenous breed of domestic goat from the Autonomous Province of Trento, in north-eastern Italy. It originates from the Valle dei Mòcheni, also known as the Valle del Fersina and as th ...

to produce dairy and beauty products. Gudeta became a national symbol of environmentalism and successful refugee integration into Italian society by the press and politicians. She died violently in December 2020; Adams Suleiman, a Ghanaian seasonal worker she had hired, was charged with raping and murdering her.

Early life and education

Agitu Ideo Gudeta was born on 1 January 1978 in Addis Ababa. She learned farming techniques from her grandparents who lived in the countryside. Gudeta graduated from the University of Trento with a degree in sociology.

Career

Gudeta returned to Ethiopia to work on sustainable agriculture initiatives. She led projects to organize farmers and decrease workloads through training, education, and machinery. Her aim was to ensure adequate incomes. Gudeta became a political activist involved in protests in Addis Ababa against unregulated

industrialization Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econo ...

and

by the government of Ethiopia on behalf of international corporations. Fleeing the conflict in 2010, Gudeta immigrated as a refugee to Trentino. After researching local agriculture resources, she established, first in and then in

Valle dei Mocheni The Bersntol (german: Fersental, it, Valle del Fersina) is a valley in the Autonomous Province of Trento, in north-eastern Italy. The Fersina river runs through it. It is also known as the ''Valle del Mòcheni'' after its inhabitants, who spe ...

, "" (The happy goat), a goat farm on common land that was previously abandoned. She studied how to make goat cheese in France. Her farm produced dairy and beauty products made from the indigenous breed,

. Gudeta started with 15 goats before expanding the agricultural operation to 180 animals by 2018. Her life and farm is the subject of a

Deutsche Welle Deutsche Welle (; "German Wave" in English), abbreviated to DW, is a German public, state-owned international broadcaster funded by the German federal tax budget. The service is available in 32 languages. DW's satellite television service con ...

documentary. In June 2020, she opened her first store, "", in ( Trento).

Awards and honors

Gudeta became a national symbol of environmentalism and successful refugee integration in Italy after being lauded by politician Emma Bonino. In 2019, she was a nominee for the Luisa Minazzi-Environmentalist of the Year prize by Legambiente. She was sometimes referred by the media as "" ("the Queen of Happy Goats").

Personal life and death

As of 2020, she lived in an apartment next to the church in Plankerhoff, a German-speaking hamlet near Frassilongo. She was friendly with writer and performer Gabriella Ghermandi. On 29 December 2020, Gudeta was killed, aged 42, in her apartment from blows to her head with a hammer, after suffering an attempt of sexual violence (she was found half naked). The autopsy later revealed that there were no signs of sexual violence. Her body was discovered by neighbours after she missed a business appointment. Adams Suleiman, a Ghanaian seasonal worker she had hired, was arrested and charged with murder. After her death, the Ethiopian ambassador to Italy, Zenebu Tadesse, traveled to Trentino to work with the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...

. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees expressed remorse and stated that Gudeta "demonstrated how refugees can contribute to the societies that host them...Despite her tragic end, the UNHCR hopes that Agitu Ideo Gudeta will be remembered and celebrated as a model of success and integration and inspire refugees that struggle to rebuild their lives".

Documentary

*
Making cheese in the Alps - a story of integration
',

Documentary - 2019

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gudeta, Agitu Ideo 1978 births 2020 deaths Ethiopian emigrants to Italy Refugees People from Addis Ababa University of Trento alumni Ethiopian women activists Ethiopian businesspeople Women farmers Dairy farmers Female murder victims Ethiopian people murdered abroad 2020 murders in Italy 21st-century businesswomen 21st-century Italian businesspeople Women environmentalists Political activists Rape in Italy Rape in the 2020s