Worku Mamo, an artist and university lecturer who has been producing some of Ethiopia's most widely acclaimed artwork, has lost his both arms in a bomb explosion when he was still 10-year old.
However, his amputation has never hindered him from pursuing his dream of becoming a painter.
"I accepted my fate a long time ago," Mamo, 80, told Anadolu Agency in an interview.
Feeling determined, Mamo decided to pursue his study to become a famous painter. "I went to an art school," he recalled.
After graduation, the Ethiopian painter decided to travel to the Soviet Union for completing his study.
"After the completion of my training, I was sent to the USSR for further study," he said.
Trained in a traditional Ethiopian painting, Mamo, a father of seven, successfully completed his higher education in the Soviet Union.
"During my stay in the USSR, though my arms are amputated, I could wash and mend my clothes whenever necessary," he recalled.
Pursuing his artistic career, Mamo is thankful to God for his success despite amputation.
"I thank God for giving me the endurance and capability to be able to lead my life," he said.
Painter Seyoum Ayalew recalls meeting Mamo when he was still a third-year student.
"Mamo worked during his leisure time to support his students and involved himself in preparing painting materials while other instructors just gave orders to students to prepare the materials," said Ayalew, who is the President of the Ethiopian Painters' Association.
"Painter Mamo is a disciplined man, who sacrificed his life for art," he said.
