A Feature Commentary: The Passing of Aadde Beernaadiit

The news of the passing of Aadde Beernaadiit, the widow of the renowned Oromo artist Dr. Hayilee Fidaa, marks the closing of a profound chapter in Ethiopian cultural and personal history. The memorial service planned in her honour is not merely a funeral; it is a testament to a life of resilience, deep love, and quiet strength that withstood the tremors of national tragedy.

Her story with Dr. Hayilee Fidaa is the stuff of a poignant romance. They met as young students in 1964 at a student event on Boulevard Jordan in Paris, a meeting of minds and hearts far from home. Their bond, formalized in marriage in 1966 in the U.S., flourished with the blessing of two daughters, Saraa and Yodit. This was the beginning of a family life built on intellectual companionship and shared dreams.

Then came the seismic event that would define the rest of her life: the assassination of Dr. Hayilee Fidaa in 1970. The commentary notes a harrowing detail: she learned of her husband’s murder while still in France, the country of the perpetrator. Yet, what did she do? She did not retreat. She embarked on a “great effort” to return to Ethiopia, to the very place where her husband’s blood was spilled. This act alone speaks volumes about her character—a determination to confront grief at its source, to be present in the land he loved, and to raise their daughters connected to his roots.

Her subsequent interviews, like one with Azeeb Warquu on Radio Fana, reveal a woman who, though devastated, framed her loss through the lens of the immense love they shared and her faith. She carried not just grief, but the weight of his legacy. Her dedication to Dr. Hayilee’s family—visiting his birthplace in East Welega, supporting his siblings and mother, educating his nieces and nephews—shows she became the living bridge between his past and their future. She didn’t just mourn an artist; she nurtured the ecosystem from which he sprang.

Her life in Addis Ababa thereafter was a powerful statement. Choosing to live in Finfinnee (Addis Ababa), the capital of her husband’s homeland, over France, demonstrated where her heart and loyalty lay. She channeled her experience into compassion, founding the “Okay” Charity to support orphans and women in distress. This was her enduring response to tragedy: not bitterness, but organized kindness.

The later years brought a familiar diaspora narrative—a daughter abroad, and the quiet life of an elder. Passing at 84, she witnessed epochs change, but her core identity remained: the guardian of a memory, a philanthropist, and a matriarch.

Therefore, this memorial service, this Yaadannoo fi Dungoo, is for so much more than a bereaved widow. It is for:

• A pillar of resilience who stood firm after an unimaginable blow.
• A keeper of the flame who diligently preserved and honored her husband’s legacy and family.
• A compassionate builder who translated personal pain into public good.
• A symbol of transnational love and loyalty, tethered between two worlds but choosing to plant her heart in Ethiopian soil.

Aadde Beernaadiit’s life reminds us that behind every great, lost figure, there are often unsung heroes of remembrance. Her strength ensured that Dr. Hayilee Fidaa’s legacy was not just a public treasure, but a lovingly tended private garden. In mourning her, we also honour the quiet, formidable power of the love that outlasts even death. May she find the peace she so steadfastly cultivated for others. #AaddeBeernaadiit #HayileeFidaa