There are many reasons to celebrate the life of Alemayehu, the Ethiopian prince taken to England by invading British troops in 1868. Above all, there was his compelling and resilient character. “To know him well was to love him,” wrote one of his former schoolfellows from Cheltenham College in an article in The Whitehall Review after his death in 1879. “It was impossible to know the young Abyssinian without admiring his courage and vivacity, and without feeling something more than a liking for it.”
There are also many reasons to mourn, including the shortness of his life – he was just 18 when he died – and the fact that he is no longer widely remembered, particularly in Britain.
The Friends of Alemayehu want to do something about that last one. Members campaign for markers and memorials to be put up in places where he lived and touched. As a sign of intent, they also place portraits of him in their homes. In the future, we may raise funds for educational projects in Ethiopia.
The basic belief is that there is a story worth telling, and a young man worth knowing. If you would like to hear more, please join.
Email us at contact@friendsofalemayehu.com with any questions or suggestions.