Azezo is a small town located on the outskirt of Gondar, a provincial town some 470 miles (760 km) north of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. It is surrounded by chains of mountains, and lies at an altitude of 4,600 feet (1400 m) above sea level. The average temperature ranges from 50 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (10 to 26 C). Demaza River flows through the heart of Azezo, demarcating the former military camp from the town. Shinta is the other river that bounds Azezo on the east side.

The town is located along the main highway that links the provincial town Gondar with such cities like Bahr Dar and Addis Abeba and towns like Gorgora and Chelega. Azezo is surrounded by small villages like Amedege, Gomenge, Gumberit, ChaChekuna and Aba-Samuel. There are three churches (Loza-Mariam, Tekele-Haimanot and St. Michael) and one mosque. The newly built regional airport 3 miles (5 km) south of Azezo has given Azezo a face-lift.

Azezo’s transformation from a hand full of hamlets around the Demaza River into what we have come to know in recent times was owed to the establishment of a military camp during the Italian occupation of the 1930’s. Successive governments have also used the site for similar purpose. The growth of the village into what is now a sprawling small town was linked to the need to provide services to the garrison.

Azezo comprises three small boroughs commonly called Kebeles. Total population is about 35,000, and that accounts for 15% of the Gondar population. The male-female breakdown is 45% to 55%, respectively, indicating that large portions of the households are headed by females. More than 45% of the population is under 15 years of age, and this contributes to a greater demand for schools and learning facilities.

Since the army’s demobilization in the early 1990s, Azezo’s major source of income has been lost. Thus a once fairly sustainable small town is now struggling to survive. Many facilities such as schools and other community resources were neglected for years. Also poor ecological conditions including deforestations, overgrazing, and erosion have drastically reduced the water volume of the Demaza River, the single most important lifeline of the town.

Apart from very few government employees and small factory workers, most of the residents survive on meager incomes through brewing local drinks, trading, gardening, raising cattle, selling fire woods and some handcrafted products. Many families are also dependent on the remittances from family members who live and work in larger towns like Addis Ababa or abroad.