Agitu Gudeta’s body arrives home from Italy

Addis Ababa, January 12, 2021 (FBC) -The body of Agitu Gudeta has arrived back in Ethiopia from Italy, where she was killed on December 30, 2020 on her farm.

The Ethiopian flag-draped casket carrying her body was received by Deputy Mayor of Addis Ababa, Adanech Abiebie, coordinator of public service delivery institutions with the rank of Deputy Mayor Jantirar Abay, her families and other officials.

She will be laid to rest tomorrow at the Jacros Monastery of St. Joseph Catholic Church at 9:30 am.

Agitu, 42, was killed on her farm where she raised goats for her cheese business. She was hailed as a refugee success story.

She had made her home in the mountains of Trentino’s Valle dei Mocheni, Italy, making goat’s cheese and beauty products in her farm La Capra Felice (The Happy Goat), which was built on previously abandoned land.

Her story was reported by numerous international media, including Reuters, as an example of a migrant success story in Italy at a time of rising hostility towards immigrants.

Agitu had arrived in Italy in 2010. On reaching Italy she was able to use common land in the northern mountains to build her new enterprise, taking advantage of permits that give farmers access to public land to prevent local territory from being reclaimed by wild nature.

Starting off with 15 goats, she had 180 by 2018 when she became a well-known figure.