Reflecting

Hello again! It has been a while since I did any Ethiopia related blogging, however the time has lapsed so much so, that this time last year I was in the midst of my adventure. I was thinking about how I could reflect on my time away and decided that I should publish a few of my diary excerpts. 

Now, don't get your hopes up for any profound words of enlightenment, think teenage angst in diary format and that's closer to what you'll get. I used my little notebook as a way to have the conversations I couldn't have, the regular boring stuff rather than tough stuff (the tough stuff will stay with me and has already had a lot of exercise in various discussions). It was the simple stuff that I wanted to note down, its so easy to forget it and actually it triggers a few other memories and thoughts. 

I want to pick my selection at random rather than skim through and give you the bits I feel like sharing, so every now and then (when I remember or have some keyboard time) I will publish the entry from the date which matches current day or the entry closest to it as I didn't write every day. If I have photos to use I will slot them in where relevant too, and maybe at the end give a few annotations on the excerpt. 

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Sunday 3rd February 2013 (morning)

Today is Craig's birthday, hopefully I can get some internet access to send him a message. I tried to have a lay in today, but there was so much noise outside and then I got woken up by knocking at my door just as I nodded off. I don't think a Sunday lay in is part of their culture!

I had papaya juice and coffee for breakfast again, they were encouraging me to eat some wheat/barley but I just cant face food as soon as I get up. 

There are two kittens in the courtyard. One of them is tied up with string and seems to have a broken tail, it's probably only a few weeks old, tabby tortoise and white - it breaks my heart. I think they are hungry or want to play. The other is white with bits of grey, a little bigger than the one tied up but just as vocal. I gave them a pet and got some odd looks. I wish I could take them home! 

I've just been shown how to make injera, it's much the same as making crepes really, except on a wood fired hot plate. When they are fresh they are pancake coloured, but after a few days they go grey and taste really bitter. They use 'tef' flour and water to make them, the batter is about the same consistency as pancake mix. 

I think my host family will go to Church today - I am hoping they will so I can have some time to myself, I feel like I am always being watched (plus there is a young girl in the courtyard, no more than 6 feet from me watching me write this!). It is much like being a young adult at home with strict parents. Scenarios like this make me appreciate my own home and space in the UK. Young people here live at their family home until they marry and often have strict curfews and rules to live by until they go. 

~time lapse to afternoon~

Louisa and I went to the Lewi Resort today, it is close to where we live and we heard it has WiFi. It is nicer than the Haile resort, much more relaxed and 'holiday' styled. There were monkeys just lazing about, I need to take my camera next time! The WiFi is not very reliable. then again, I am currently sat in the dark, writing by torch light as they power has gone out - it's been going on and off for a couple of hour. So I guess the power isn't very reliable either! The phone network is much the same with text messages being delayed and calls not connecting. 

Whilst at Lewi a few Irish people came to talk to us, they are here doing some work in Shashemene; www.hopeandafuture.co.uk. Goodness knows how the locals understand their Belfast accents as even I was struggling!

I think dinner will appear soon, it's eight thirty now, the football is on but the power cuts are interfering. I think I may run out of notebook if I carry on writing at this rate, I need to try and ration my writing time! Just have to add that I managed a rather satisfying poo today, in a nice loo! I think normality will resume soon - yipee!

~ ~ ~

For me, the kittens were a little slice of home, I have two cats which I love having as company and really did miss while I was away. These two were so cute and tiny that I couldn't resist showing them some affection and I think I taught my neighbours that a little love goes a long way. A few days later they were gone, I didn't know their fate but I didn't expect it to be good. Until a couple of weeks after that on my walk home a little cat strolled out onto the road to meet me around the corner from my compound  and insisted on some tickles. My heart just melted. 

I got used to being a bit of a spectacle and being watched eventually, I put it down to curiosity and also did my fair share in return. I guess the regular things I felt I was doing were quite intriguing and vice versa. 

I have to admit the phone and power networks were a lot more sophisticated than I expected, and whilst it was sometimes tedious having to write or read by torch light, to even have power to start with was very much appreciated. It essentially encouraged you to find other things to do when need be, and there is something quite nice about gathering together with your (Ethiopian) family around a candle or torch lantern even if we aren't saying much. 

Lastly, that little update at the end on my bowel movements might be too much information for you, but I was certainly suffering from a shy bladder/bowl in the first few weeks.  Feeling constipated and out of sync is no fun when you've got your home comforts, never mind without. My regular consumption of papaya for breakfast soon sorted it all out and made me feel a whole lot better! 

Kx

ICS Ethiopia: Project Impact Case Study

Team VI027, Hawassa January – April 2013. - I have written this for ICS as part of my role in the media team.

Our ICS team was based in the lakeside city of Hawassa, situated 275km south of Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa. Hawassa is the largest city in the Rift Valley and also the capital of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region (SNNPR) which is an ethnically and linguistically diverse region with an estimated population of 138,000. The mountainous backdrop of the beautiful lake served a stark contrast to some of the realities that were faced daily. Fortunately, Hawassa is a compact city which meant travel between host homes, work placements and favorite social haunts was relatively easy and allowed for plenty of interaction with the notorious bajaj drivers!

Photo: The view of Hawassa Lake and City from the top of Mount Tabor

After a few days of In Country Orientation (ICO) at Addis Ababa University, which also included the ICS team that would remain in Addis Ababa, we made the 6 hour bus journey to Hawassa – our home for the following months. Our team of 8 UK volunteers and 10 Ethiopian volunteers were distributed to 6 placement organizations covering a range of fields from HIV/AIDs to technology training and orphanages. Everyone was eager to get stuck in and start making a change for the community, whilst keeping our expectations realistic and attainable. We soon learnt that one of the main challenges would be keeping a positive mentality in order for our effort to have the desired impact. It was certainly a learning curve for the UK volunteers to be able to adapt to the way of life in Ethiopia, and we did so with help from our counterparts. Supporting one another became the main basis of our relationships and it was immediately visible how reliant we would be on each other and our support network.

We set about learning as much as we could about our placement organizations and their field of work, planning our time and how we could be effective as volunteers and global citizens. 

The first success came from a public coffee ceremony which was held in our third week, by the lake in aid of Fiker Behiwot Orphan Children and Youth Association (FBOYA). Tickets were sold, raising over 2,000 Ethiopian Birr (ETB), the organizing volunteers wore traditional clothing to perform the coffee ceremony whilst traditional dancing entertained a large crowd and information on the organization was shared to the masses. The hidden message in the event was the VSO ICS volunteers have made a start!

Volunteers Tsion, Habtamu & Laura at their coffee ceremony

This event set the ball rolling for the various events to come; we held two Community Action Days (CAD), four Global Citizenship Days (GCD) and other ‘extracurricular’ events e.g. coffee ceremonies. We estimate across all of these events we reached out to 1,784 direct beneficiaries, and 56,906 indirect beneficiaries within the community of Hawassa – a huge achievement for us all!

The first CAD took place in our 6^th week in Ethiopia. It was held in conjunction with Organization for Social Services for AIDS (OSSA). The team placed with OSSA led the facilitation of a free community fun run through Piassa, the main street in Hawassa, down to the lake area which is approximately 1.2km. We used the same area that hosted the aforementioned coffee ceremony to award medals to the winning runners and distribute stocks of water and other materials that had been sourced through sponsorship of the event. We also promoted OSSA and their current programs and raised awareness surrounding HIV/AIDS within the community. Some of the beneficiaries of OSSA performed cultural dancing and several of them took part in the race alongside a few of our more athletic ICS volunteers! After the event we accompanied some of the younger beneficiaries of OSSA to have a meal which was donated by a local burger business, socializing with them was the perfect end to the event and truly defined our connection with them.

 

VSO ICS volunteers and OSSA beneficiaries at the CAD

Our second CAD was in cooperation with Digital Opportunity Trust Ethiopia (DOT). The two volunteers placed at the organization engaged the full ICS team to arrange a business fair at Meskel Square. Taking experience gained from the previous CAD regarding protocols on public events and local authorities the event fell into place very smoothly. The aim of the event was to engage youths in startup businesses. Local businesses participated by hosting tents in the square to sell their goods and share their business knowledge. The bandstand in the arena was fitted with music equipment to provide entertainment and be the stage for a large discussion with the public about volunteerism and microfinance opportunities. We were all thrilled with the outcome of the event; we had prominence in the area for the full day and thoroughly promoted our ICS program and the local business that partnered with us for the day.

View of the businesses at the DOT CAD

Interspersed between the CADs were our four GCD events, these are mainly for interaction within the team, but we felt we could also incorporate the community as the topics we covered were so important to us. The four subjects we chose to act on were Disability, Gender Equality, Child Rights and Health. In teams of four or five we set about organizing an informative day for our fellow volunteers and sprinkling in some community participation which took several forms; leafleting, petition signing, closed gender community discussion groups, art work with street children and inviting guest speakers to share their knowledge on these specific subjects. These events were key in growing our knowledge of such areas on a global level and relating them to the Millennium Development Goals which as volunteers are always in our minds as the ultimate target area for our efforts.

Snapshots from each of the GCDs

Three of our volunteers are placed at Association of Education and Training Services for Persons with Disabilities (AETSD). They have successfully started a chicken farm to earn income for the organization and held various events to raise resources. They held a coffee ceremony at Tabor Elementary school which was attended by 45 people including representatives from NGOs such as Goal Ethiopia, Center of Concern, UNICEF, Plan International and World Vision. It was all in aid of the 18 children and two teachers we support in the sign language department there. Following an introduction to sign language, a demonstration of learning methods and the way the children communicate (and popcorn, traditionally), guests offered to replace all school uniforms, Alganesh from World Vision offered 1,000 Ethiopian Birr (personally) for learning materials and requested a short proposal containing a price list of all materials to submit to her manager. The manager of Plan International is writing a proposal for us, again for learning materials, hearing aids etc. Center of Concern will be offering psycho-social services. This event was extremely successful for AETSD. The work the volunteers have done for the organization has produced a high level of results and a strong network of contacts to ensure the sustainability of the organization for the future.

Our time in Ethiopia has been memorable; we were fortunate enough that our project term coincided with the VSO Ethiopia conference which was held in Lake Langano. We were reunited for a brief period with the ICS volunteers from Addis Ababa and also had the opportunity of meeting many of the long term VSO volunteers placed in Ethiopia. This event added gravitas to our experience and made us even more focused on the outcome of our efforts.

VSO ICS Ethiopia volunteers at the VSO Ethiopia
Conference 2013, Lake Langano

All of us have something positive to take away from our time in the ICS program, which will serve us well in our future endeavors. Many of the relationships and connections we have formed will be lifelong and valued. 

Community Action Day – DOT Ethiopia

04/04/2013

Saturday 30 March saw the second VSO ICS Community Action Day (CAD) take place. It was hosted in association with DOT Ethiopia (Digital Opportunity Trust) their mission is ‘to create global networks of talented, energetic young leaders who make a real change by educating local communities to apply technology effectively to real life.’

The Grandstand set up

The event was held in a large open space known as Meskel Square in central Hawassa. It was designed to be a business fair and attract young people who are looking to improve their future prospects and gain some business knowledge. Several businesses came to take part, each hosting a tent set up like a market to share their goods and expertise. Businesses included leather goods, computer equipment, traditional clothes and spice makers. There was also a band and dancers which took to the grandstand in the square to provide information about volunteering, business and the various areas of expertise the businesses could share. It became quite a social event with music playing and a small stall providing traditional food and beverages to attendees.

  

Some of the business tents

We estimated that around 800 people attended, with more being reached in the wider community during the event promotion. The outcome is very pleasing; the volunteers spent a lot of time and effort making the arrangements and encouraging local businesses to participate. Bringing the event together was a challenge which was successfully achieved given the amount of time and restrictions which occurred.

I think I speak for all the team when I say it was a good event with a great outcome!

Kx

Oh yes, wait a minute mister postman

04/04/2013

Forgive me for it has been some time since I last blogged! Nonetheless plenty has been going on. Upon my return from Langano I was pleased to receive a parcel from home, well two to be precise as they had to be split to be under the required weight for air mail. Post is somewhat unusual here because not many people have postal addresses, the use of PO Boxes is common though and I was able to provide a PO Box address which belonged to a fellow volunteer to my sister so she could send me a surprise.

My anticipation waiting for the parcels to arrive was evident and I was so excited to receive them that I opened them in the post office, after paying 10Birr for the privilege of them being given to me over the counter.

I burst open the first box and found it full of materials to use;

21 Paintbrushes

1 Set of 12 watercolour paints

1 pack of Easter themed paper chains

1 A6 notebook

2 A5 notepads

4 Magic painting books (just add water to reveal the colour)

4 Colouring books

1 Pack of playing cards

4 Dice

4 USB memory sticks

36 Mini felt tips

More about how I have put these to use will follow in future blog posts.

To my delight the second box was full of home comforts and personal treats;

1 Large bag of marshmallows

1 bag mini eggs (saved for Easter weekend)

6 Hot chocolate sachets

11 pairs of ear plugs

1 box of Mikado chocolate sticks

A bag of green tea bags

A bag of Tetley’s tea (for the benefit of the other volunteers)

4 Melody pops

1 bag of Jellyatrics (like jelly babies but old people)

3 of my nail varnishes from home

2 packs of face wipes/make up remover

2 bottles of eye drops

3 DVDs to keep me amused

A great stash of goodies!

I have managed to share a few bits, ration some others and certainly made use of it all. I was particularly comforted by these things because my sister included some little notes on certain items to explain their purpose of being included which added a personal touch. I was also coming down with Tonsillitis so having these home comforts made me feel a little better about being ill and of course the tea and hot chocolate helped to soothe my sore throat.

I now have less than 2 weeks left in Ethiopia; the packages have helped to keep me going and also made me anticipate returning home even more than before. I know a lot of thought and coordination went into getting these things to me and I am so grateful that the effort was made (and that they arrived unscathed, sadly some other volunteers have had parcels gone missing en route).

I’ll be re-using the packaging to pack some trinkets to bring home with me so I making sure everything has been made use of and not going to waste!

Kx

I like piña coladas and getting caught in the rain

22/03/2013

As the title suggests I am a fan of cocktails and spontaneity in the rain, only one of these two things have occurred here in Hawassa!

When I arrived I had a weather discussion with my host father, in which he assured me that the months I am spending here are dry months and there will be no rain. Much like the ‘seasons’ in the UK this has not held true.

Of course when it rains here it actually pours, you get the whole shebang not just a few trickles. It comes down heavy and fast causing everyone to scarper to the nearest shelter. One day I waited long enough for it to be lighter so I could walk home, after all our skin is waterproof, but a couple of minutes into the journey the heavens truly opened and I joined the locals in sheltering until it passed.

This is the view I had while I sheltered; the bajaj drivers had abandoned their vehicles to stay dry!

This was my drowned rat state when I returned home in the rain

I did actually come prepared for rain, I have some rubber flip flops which are more suitable for rain than my other shoes, and I have a rain mac with me. The key to making use of these things is to actually have them with me when the weather turns which so far has not happened. It is so unpredictable, the majority of the day could be glorious, and then late afternoon/early evening it turns entirely. The beauty of it is watching the sky change colour like a chameleon to the mood of the weather, and seeing the area around you light up by the flashes of lightening.

This is the weather rolling in over Lake Hawassa, the image is not perfectly clear as there was no light other than the lightening for the shot.

The best part of this weather, for me, is getting home, drying off, feeling a chill and putting on something warm - it causes a real nostalgia of the UK (and I hear that even in mid-March the UK is being ravaged by cold weather and snow). Even better is the sound of the rain plinking on the tin roof while I drift off to sleep like a melody that drowns out any other noise that would normally disturb me.

The interesting part of it all is that in the mornings after the rain, you would barely know it had happened. There is not a puddle in sight and the ground is barely damp, whether it is soaking in or evaporating in the heat I am not quite sure. One thing that is certain is in the days leading up to the storms the heat is scorching, and once the storm has passed the temperature comes down to a bearable level again.

Kx

Lake Langano

21/03/2013

On Saturday 16^th March we made our way to Lake Langano as part of our Mid-Phase Review (MPR) and to participate in the VSO Ethiopia conference – the first to take place in 3 years. We were fortunate that our MPR could be pushed back a couple of weeks so that it overlapped with the conference. It allowed us a 5 day break to enjoy some time together and we were reunited with the other ICS volunteers who are based in Addis Ababa.

Lake Langano

Lake Langano is a picturesque area, the large lake is inviting for those that want to swim and the water is considered to be ‘safe’ - although it is murky brown in colour it is refreshing. I only swam once, finding myself busied with other things and missing the opportunity to go again, the thing I noticed most was that the lake itself does not get very deep until you are considerably far from the shore, this is a benefit for the few who were not confident with swimming although it could hinder your attempts at trying.

Sunday was the start of our MPR, we spend the day together as a full ICS team, around 40 of us in total, discussing various things about our placements and our experiences so far. Across the Hawassa and Addis team there is a huge variety in sectors covered by our placement work so it was good to hear what the other volunteers have been doing in the last two months.

The full VSO ICS team in Ethiopia, complete with VSO Ethiopia conference t-shirts

Monday marked the start of the VSO Ethiopia conference. All the VSO volunteers in Ethiopia gathered, some have been here for years; others are just starting their permanent placements. Again, the areas covered are vast, from Family GP to education and much more, I noticed that many of the long term volunteers were ‘skilled’ in certain sectors and were either here in their ‘retirement’ time or here to gather some experience to launch their careers. We were referred to as the youth Volunteers (although I soon found out that I am roughly the same age as many of the long term volunteers and was often asked ‘why are you here as a youth volunteer and not a regular one?’ – I am not sure I have an answer for that at the moment!). We did not participate for the full day on Monday as we were finishing our MPR off, however we re-grouped with the conference for a session that they called ‘Open Space’.

The purpose of the Open Space session was for people to share some skills they have with other people. On the first day, some of the options were; reflexology, photography, face painting, bird watching, and storytelling – can you guess which one I got involved with? Face painting! I was the first guinea pig, being painted as a tiger and we soon branched out to taking it in turns to paint each other and try new things. Here are some of the art works created:

Tuesday was a day of being integrated with the conference, we were all mixed up into small groups and asked to discuss various case stories and scenarios which reflect moral issues within volunteering – it was interesting to see how our short time here compares with the experience of the other volunteers. The afternoon brought another Open Space session and this time I offered my origami skills (though I had not brought my paper to the lake with me which made me kick myself). I only had a few people join me, but it was enough to be able to share the method of folding a Japanese Warrior Hat, Water Bomb (Cube) and the perfect Paper Aeroplane. My claim to fame here is that the CEO of VSO Ethiopia came to learn from me and was particularly excited about the paper aeroplane!

Each evening we had buffet food and some spare time to socialise, although some of our efforts to enjoy the scenery were scuppered by the frequent storms we got each night. In particular on Tuesday night, we sat watching the storm form around us, with lightening illuminating the lake and thunder rolling in before the heavens opened and we huddled for shelter. On the last night we had a barbecue of sorts, and a bonfire but the weather rained on our parade and we retreated inside to party the night away before we headed back to our respective placement areas on Wednesday.

Kx

There is no place like home

14/03/2013

It was an oversight not to pack my ruby slippers for my trip, I am not sure that my flip flops can be considered a good substitute. There have been a couple of occasions where I have wished I were Dorothy, being able to click my heels and return home. Alas I am still on the yellow brick road, with a few weeks remaining until I stumble back to Kansas.

Much like the venture to Oz, I hoped this trip would bring me courage, strengthen my heart and feed my brain, I can safely say that so far all of these things, and much more, have transpired.

As I anticipate returning home, because there really is no place like it, I turned to my fellow volunteers and asked them to finish the following sentence;

‘When I get home, I cannot wait to…….’

The survey says;

“When I get home, I cannot wait to bathe, with candles, bubbles and a glass of wine.”

“When I get home, I cannot wait to get into my own bed, with fresh sheets and fluffy pillows.”

“When I get home, I cannot wait to eat bacon.”

“When I get home, I cannot wait to see my mum and my sisters.”

If we were in Oz, no doubt the Wizard would grant these requests, but for the mean time we will make do with chasing the flying monkeys and avoiding the wicked witch.

Kx

Coffee for the community

14/03/2013

This article is written as part of my role within the Media team for the volunteers placed in Awassa, it is published for the VSO ICS program.

On Saturday 16th February 2013, VSO ICS volunteers Habtamu, Jess and Tsion organized a coffee ceremony by Lake Awassa to create awareness of Fiker Behiwot Orphan Children and Youth Association within the community (FBOYA).

FBOYA, it is a member of the national NGOs, licensed by Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Charities and Societies Agency as an Ethiopian Residential Charity. It has 542 members and is the only orphan association in Ethiopia. They represent children and young people who are living with HIV and affected by the epidemic. Their Vision Statement is to have orphan children & youths, who can stand for society free of HIV/AIDS and have strong self-esteem.

One of the goals of the placement program is to raise funds which can be used to support 5 children for a full year. This would include their educational material, books and uniforms etc. The volunteers decided that the most effective way to engage the community would be to hold a coffee ceremony, something which is much revered in Ethiopia.

In the week leading up to the event date they produced cards to distribute which were sold for 5birr each. With the help of all the VSO volunteers in Awassa they distributed all the cards, raising over 2,000Birr and bringing the event to the attention of a large portion of the community.

Picture: Tsion, Habtamu & Jess preparing for the event.

On Saturday afternoon the event was set up with speakers, informational posters, coffee ceremony decoration and people dressed in cultural clothing. During the event quite a crowd appeared, there were around 500 people watching, with more people coming throughout. A traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony took place; fresh coffee beans were roasted and ground whilst incense burned and cups were prepared with sugar. When the coffee was ready it was given out to the crowd with popcorn whilst the different acts performed.

The Youth Campus Club and Eyerusalem Club performed traditional cultural dancing, drama and singing. There was also a solo guitar and singing performance by Laura, a VSO volunteer from the UK.

 

Picture: Dancers performing traditional Ethiopian dance

Picture: Laura singing and playing guitar with Habtamu holding microphones

Most important was the input of the Fiker Behiwot team, discussing the benefits of the organization and the future plans, emphasizing that it needs the help of the community for their vision to be attained. The event was a big success; it has certainly increased the community knowledge of Fiker Behiwot and the VSO presence here in Awassa. The fundraising was a huge triumph, and a great time was had by all.

The team will be continuing to innovate and fundraise during their time with FBOYA to try and meet the set target before their placement ends.

Kx

Global Citizenship Day - Disability

14/03/2013

This article is written by Alice Duckett as part of her role within the Media team for the volunteers placed in Awassa, it is published for the VSO ICS program.

Raising Awareness on Disability in Hawassa

On Thursday 21^st February the VSO ICS Hawassa team held our first Global Citizenship day on disability, throughout our 12 week program we will have four GCDs focusing on issues we have noticed within the local community that we want to challenge.

For this topic the morning activities were held at AESTD – one of the volunteer placements that works with disability. Here four of the volunteers facilitated some learning for the rest of the group; we began the morning with identifying famous people with a disability and then learnt some less obvious ones who suffer with mental disabilities. We then answered a questionnaire which was passed onto the organization for their research; this was to find out more about our experiences and attitudes towards disability. The morning session finished with a quiz where we all learnt some statistics on disabilities within England and Ethiopia.

In the afternoon the team of 18 was split into four groups, these groups went out into the community to work on issues AESTD are currently backing. This included gathering signatures from the people of Hawassa for education and training services for persons with disabilities to be built using the government budget put aside to see that every child has access to primary education. In just a few hours we managed to collect 301 signatures including the manager of The World Food Program.

Kieran Gilberthorpe who helped organize the event said ‘It was great to get the team together to work on issues we are all passionate about, the event was a success and we managed to raise awareness on not only my placement organization but on problems disabled people in Ethiopia face”

To complete the day a small panel of people with disabilities that work with AESTD were taking questions from the volunteers on disability within Ethiopia and what is being done to help them and what frustrations they are facing when working on change.

Written by Alice Duckett