Ok I couldn't get the letter that was written from Ethiopia to adula attached wouldn't work. but this is the letter that Dula has written to almost every ethiopian in Houston.
As you know for the last four years, I have been helping Ethiopian athletes with translation and welcoming them with your support during the Chevron Houston Marathon. My reason in volunteering was to promote Ethiopia and to help the athletes get good news coverage and to protect their interest.
Since last year, I have increasingly discovered blatant exploitation of some athletes by their handlers. I am attaching a letter that I received last September by one of the supporters of Teshome detailing the abuse. . The letter pushed me to seek change and some code of conduct in treating Ethiopian athletes by Chevron Houston Marathon Committee.
Some handlers use and dispose of Ethiopian athletes, who have no skills in negotiating or reading legal contracts written in English. The best example is Teshome Gelana. As you know, Teshome Gelana, was the record winner of the Chevron Houston Marathon last year and the defending champion. Because of his complaint about some of the abuses, he was denied the opportunity to defend his record. His manager simply refused to give him his passport. Initially, his manager told him that his passport was lost, but he was able to renew it and after it was renewed, they decided to deny him the opportunity to defend his title. Of course for the media, they claimed that he had visa problem. We had a chance to talk to him and others who are helping Teshome in Ethiopia, we found out that he has no visa problem.
After winning last years championship, he found out that he was not getting compensated fairly and that he felt his relationship was like master and slave equivalent with the handlers. When he could not get any success with handlers, he send the attached email asking if we can do anything to help him, especially by appealing for fairness from Chevron Marathon Committee. As it turned out, some don't give a damn about Ethiopian athletes, except parading them for their show and tell for one day.
As a defending champion, he was prevented from coming to Houston, because his manager refused to give him his passport. A similar thing happened to Teshome in his attempt to go to Poland
Like many Ethiopian athletes, Teshome is not conversant in English, nor writes or reads the English language. However, his handlers made him sign a contract without a translator and now he is being kept hostage. Please read his letter and make your judgement about his situation. What Teshome wants is a release from his handler who is in Houston, given his life depends on running. As long as he is stuck with the current contract, like many Ethiopians he has no other means of supporting himself.
On Sunday or even today, if you have time and if you got out to support the Ethiopian athletes, please bring a banner to the Brown Convention Center in Down Town saying
"Where is Teshome" "We want Teshome". "Stop Exploiting Ethiopian athletes".
Dula
Investment and real estate Consultant
Champions Real Estate Group
713-446-5222 (C)
713-436-1394 (F)