Alemu Chekole

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Life and ministry

Alemu Chekole [አለሙ ቸኮለ; alternative spelling: Checole] was born in the Soqota District, Amhara Region, in 1941. At the age of eight, he lost his sight, and his father brought him to Addis Ababa for medical treatment. In Addis Ababa, Alemu entered Meriha Iwran School of the Blind in 1952. He became a member of the School’s Choir and belonged to the translation committee of the hymnbook Mahletä Ǝgziʼabǝher.

1965 Alemu earned a B.A. in English Language and History from Addis Ababa University. In 1973, he received an M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language in New York. Alemu Chekole taught English, history, Bible, music, and Amharic typing at Nazareth Bible Academy from 1966 to 1982 (interrupted by his master’s degree). After the Bible Academy was nationalised during the Ethiopian Revolution, Alemu taught at the Gelawdios Comprehensive and Vocational Secondary School in Nazareth [now called Adama] until 1997. Afterwards, he taught English at private colleges and worked for small NGOs until 2008.

Alemu Cheqole served as a member of the Meserete Kristos Church Executive Committee and as an elder in the Adama congregation. In addition, he helped North American Mennonites as a translator and interpreter.

Alemu was a pianist and song composer. He examined also voices at Nazareth Meserete Kristos Choir. In 2015, he recorded a cassette together with Eyob Shigute.

Alemu Chekole passed away in 2018.