The Last Couple of Months

The last couple of months have been a whirl wind of adventure here in Ethiopia, full of new people, experiences and places. As always I’m happy to be back in Hawassa with sunsets by the lake, afternoon summer rains and those dreadful monkeys. 

Almost two months ago my travels began in Afar on a work related trip with the NGO and staff from our Tanzanian and Ugandan projects. This meeting was an experience share between all three projects and the steps moving forward. I was excited to be out in Afar as it is a very unique place in Ethiopia with extreme temperatures and volcanic landscapes. Much of Afar is untouched by any form of modernization and includes pastoralist and nomadic communities which are rare to see and experience in today’s world. The Ethiopian government is having a difficult time providing vaccination services to these remote and mobile communities, which is the reason for the NGOs presence in the area.

Afar landscape

Afar Landscape

An electronics shop in Ethiopia

The NGO Team having coffee at the airport in Afar

Tanzania, Ugandan & Ethiopian NGO Staff

Breakfast in Afar

Afarian Men working with Camels

Afarian (Ethiopian) Women

Almost 2 weeks after I left Hawassa I was still out in Afar working and getting eaten alive by all sorts of bugs. Little did I know that I had been exposed to a terrible case of Typhus. I work with some of the most amazing people and they quickly recognized I was a bit delusional and immediately got me on a plane headed back to Peace Corps headquarters. I spent the rest of the week in bed under the watchful eyes of our Peace Corps doctors and was on the road to recovery.  Needless to say I really only had a few days to get better as I had family coming into country and needed to play hostess.

I got well enough to begin travel with my cousin in country, and I was off again. We started our trip by first coming to Hawassa for a few nights and hiking around Wondo Genet, then we headed north to Lalibella. While the trip was wonderful and I think my cousin had a good time experiencing Ethiopian culture, I was exhausted by the end of it all.

St. Gorges Church in Lalibella

Lalibella Rock Church

Lalibella Town

Little old Ethiopian Man in Lalibella

We made it back to Addis, enjoyed one last dinner together and she got on a plane to Istambul. I decided that for the next 2 days I wasn’t going to move, as I just needed a few days to recoup from my sickness and travels.  I spent it on Jenny’s couch in Addis with a hot cup of tea and lots cheese products. Jenny is an X-pat who works for the NGO and has been a great mentor to me in the international community and lifestyle.

Next up, was All Volunteer Conference (All Vol.) in Addis, where I spent the next week in a conference with 200 other Peace Corps Volunteers from all over Ethiopia. It was good to see everyone especially the volunteers from Tigray. While I love Hawassa, I will never forget the 2 years I spent in Tigray. Finally after 4 weeks of being on the road it was time to head back to Hawassa.

Since being home I have been spending some time socializing with a whole bunch of x-pats from the UK. Learning about the differences in our language has been rather interesting, while we all speak English and for the most part understand each other there are so many different sayings and names for objects that vary a lot. Even though America was originally colonized by the British and we adopted a lot of their language, cultures and customs our countries have grown miles apart.  As always its fun talking to fresh new faces in Ethiopia, as they have so much to learn and I learn how much I have grown here. 

Arbegona

In the last four weeks or so I have begun work in the county of Arbegona.  Yaya is the central town in the area and has a population of 12,000-15,000. Arbegona approximately has a population of 150,000 and it sits atop a mountain about 2 hours outside of Hawassa. Due to the high altitude it is much colder than I ever had hoped for in Ethiopia especially at night and early in the mornings. I feel like I should not ever see my breath in Africa.  The people in this area speak a tribal language called “Sudaminya.” However if a person has some basic education they do speak a bit of “Amharic” the national language however “Sudaminya” is much more common, and you’d be surprised how many people do not have even a basic education. People make their living under one of three main categories, farming, government work, or horse breeding and cattle raising. The area is naturally very rich in resources and the people almost souly live off of the land and the resources Mother Nature provides them with. Injera is not a traditional food for these people, unlike other areas of Ethiopia. There is something called a “false banana” plant that people eat and prepare, below is a picture of the false banana plant. This plant also has many other useful qualities, the leaves are used to wrap and carry other produce, the outside of the trunk can be made into rope or twine, and then the inside of the trunk is made into the local food called "kocha"

False Banana plant, broken down eaten and used for various other things

Arbegona (Southern Ethiopia)

More of the Arbegona landscape its beautiful there and very rich in natural resources

 

I was told a story by an Ethiopian from Arbegona and thought it was rather interesting. It begins with… a well-educated man from Addis Ababa (the capital city of Ethiopia) who went to Arbegona for work. He ran into a farmer lying in the grass and this was the conversation between the 2 men.

Addis man: Why are you not working?

The farmer: because I am finished and have no more to do.

Addis man: If you work hard you can improve your life

Farmer: If I work hard what am I going to gain?

Addis man: more possessions (clothes, shoes etc.)

Farmer: I am wearing clothes and shoes… What else am I going to gain by working harder

Addis man: Well more food for you and your family

Farmer: I already have enough food to feed myself and family. What else can I gain by working hard?

Addis man: a car and a better house.

Farmer: Why there are no roads up here. What else can I gain by working harder?

… This goes on a few more times between the two until this statement.

Addis man: You will gain happiness

Farmer: I have already achieved happiness

I’m not sure exactly how telling this story is of the people in Arbegona but thought it was interesting to hear. Below are a few pictures of work and the houses the people live in as they are very different compared to the houses in the Tigray region.

supportive supervision visit at health center

Quick on the job feedback during a supportive supervision visit 

Me in Arbegona in front of the local houses "Gojo bet"

Local house in the southern region of Ethiopia it is called a "Gojo Bet"

Contruction of a new "Gojo Bet"

There has also been one other aspect of my life that has changed significantly and that is compound/house life in Hawassa. I have to be aware of the obnoxious monkeys that frequent my compound they are little thieves. If I were to relate them to an animal in America it would be a raccoon except monkeys have opposable thumbs. They get into and destroy everything. Below are some monkey pictures most of them were taken outside my door but I was also at a hotel one morning and they were creating havoc among the staff and guests at the hotel.  

Monkey at the hotel/restaurant. You can't really see it in this photo but he had found the kitchen and stolen a garlic clove

Naughty monkey at the table next to me

Monkey in compound tree... Hes hoping I'll leave my food

That is an avocado tree and he snatched a ripe avocado from the top of the tree

Monkey in compound looking for food near our table and chairs

Snoozing in the tree above my door

Hawassa, Ethiopia

After a very simple Thanksgiving and a successful week re-group with the entire Universal Immunizations through Improving Family Health Services (UI-FHS) staff I am finally in southern Ethiopia, Hawassa to be exact. I was hoping to spend this week out at my work location meeting more of the government staff however due to circumstances out of my control I have been stuck in Hawassa.  Not to fret though, as Hawassa is a beautiful city and this time has given me the opportunity to learn a bit more about the culture and people that live in Southern Ethiopia.

Unlike Mekele in Tigray, Hawassa is a resort town not only for foreigners who are here to bird watch and see the hippos but it is also a vacation destination for the locals. The city of Hawassa borders a beautiful lake and dormant volcano, in which there are a couple of miles of public walking paths that I like to frequent in the early afternoons. Southern Ethiopia is known as the “cash crop” area of the country, where almost all produce is grown that keeps Ethiopians and Peace Corps Volunteers alive, if this crop fails severely for multiple years in a row, famine sets in. I’ve also been lucky to have regular access to items such as bell peppers, passion fruit, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, green onions, and different varieties of lettuce. Items I really didn’t have access to up in Mekele.

Lake Hawassa about a 2 min walk from house

Right out my front window

My new living conditions are a step up from anything I've ever lived in before in fact I might be a bit spoiled as I have a hot shower and refrigerator. I know to most of you these are essential to our daily lives however these are extremely rare for Peace Corps Volunteers to have. I've been laughing at myself a bit because I am having to re-learn how to use a refrigerator again. I know what goes into a fridge in America but not in Ethiopia. I'm slowly realizing I can cook a larger quantity of a dish and put it in my fridge and then re-heat it the next day. I've pretty much mastered the one serving size meal and am readjusting a bit. 

Another funny story, I had been in my house about 8 days before I walked next door to visit with the Scottish couple in my compound, to learn that I can make ice in the top portion of my fridge. It had not occurred to me to make ice cubes yet. It was just unutilized space in the top of my fridge I almost thought of it as a waste of space.  I’ve lived in this country long enough to assume ice is just not an option. I then quickly realized I could buy a small bottle of local gin and some tonic quite inexpensively and make myself a cocktail occasionally in my house. What a wonderful discovery!

Work has slowed down a bit, as I’m in between case studies at the moment.  The NGO and I are still working on revisions and formatting etc, then it will be released to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Don’t really know what that means all I hope is that the information is helpful to the Federal Ministry of Health in Ethiopia in re-writing their immunization strategies.

Well below are some pictures of Hawassa. When I head out to my work location I’ll be sure to post those pictures as well.  

Inside my compound in Hawassa, I usually sit at that table and work, its under the avocado tree

Monkeys I see regularly

Work in Ethiopia

It’s been exactly 27 months since I first moved to the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Its been a great experience living with the caring and curious people of Tigray. I have wrapped up my last case study in Tigray. The enlightenment I got from working at the lowest levels of the government system was probably a once and life time experience and I could not have done it without the assistance of the Non-governmental Organization (NGO) and my translator who helped me overcome the language barrier. When I talk with many Ethiopians about certain services provided here by the government I usually get the same response, “The government workers are lazy, and don’t do anything…They are working in a job in which they go have tea or coffee and talk with friends.” I find these statements rather curious because from what I’ve seen especially in the health sector in Tigray is that these are workers trying to do their jobs to the best of their abilities with the little resources they are provided.

Health Extension Worker giving a presentation on Malnutrition

The Health Extension Worker collecting documentation of the households

This was proven to me time and time again, working with county office staff, health center staff and again at the health post levels (ground level health services). My translator when we finished our work, said that the health staff that work in this county work very hard and are providing services to people who normally would not have access to these types of health resources and education. He was truly amazed at how hard they worked. I think he gained a bit of respect for what the government offices are trying to do, more than anything he became educated about was actually happening in the government system. He was just unaware as to how hard people really work.

Out Hiking

Just making sure our weight is healthy

The road in front of us

At the end of the month my time will end here in Tigray and I will get the opportunity to move to the southern livin’ of Ethiopia. I will be moving to Hawassa, the city capital of the Southern Nations region (SNNPR). This part of Ethiopia is much more diverse than Tigray. Originally the southern reagion was sectioned out into Tribal areas, each tribe speaking their own language and having their own cultures. Just living in a space about the size of New York there are 40 different tribes and languages.  I think it has been hard but now this area has been grouped into one region with all tribes living harmoniously in one region.

With this move comes new co-workers, new counterparts, and new government health offices to determine how immunization services in this part of Ethiopia function. I don’t know a whole lot about the area I’ll be working in other than its about 2.5 hours outside the capital city of Hawassa, its cold and wet and they speak 2 languages. I’m excited about the move and the challenges that await me. More to come on the move…  

Returning Back to Ethiopia...

I’ve been back from America now for just over a month and am really enjoying my third year in Ethiopia. While back home I truly enjoyed seeing family, hanging out with friends and eating good wholesome home cooked meals. Cooking in a proper kitchen again was wonderful and the use of a regular washer and dryer. We are very grateful to have all of those little luxuries that make America what it is today.

Since returning to Ethiopia I have pretty much settled into my Mekele house and love being in a big city with regular internet, electrical and anything I need. Lately, work has been going well with the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO).  Back in Adigudom (my 2 year placement site) I’ve been documenting the daily life of a Health Extension Worker (HEW). These young ladies are trained mostly in prevention and education as it relates to contraception, immunizations, and overall sanitation in the Ethiopian health system.

HEWs have the hardest job in the world, are paid very little for the services they provide, and still some of the most caring individuals I’ve met. Most HEWs walk several hours a day out in the weather elements going house to house educating some of the most rural individuals. Just yesterday, I went on a two hour hike with the translator and a local HEW to an outreach immunization session. It was a pretty amazing walk, up and down and around mountain sides. Then for the HEW it was six hours of providing vaccines to the local newborns in the community.

2 HEW at a Vaccination Session

HEW collecting documentation for the new Family Folder System

Another Vaccination Session

Hiking to a vaccination session

In addition, to observing several immunization sessions I was able to experience my first Polio Campaign. The neighboring country of Somalia is under civil unarrest and experiencing an awful famine. This has led to several thousands of Somali refugees coming into Ethiopia, which has brought several cases of polio outbreaks in Ethiopia. The World Health Organization decided to put on a polio campaign in Ethiopia to stop the spread of polio. That particular day I was also out with a rural HEW and I can officially say that was one of the hardest working days I’ve ever had, climbing down a mountain side and then going house to house to distribute polio vaccines to children under five. It sounds like there will be at least 2 more rounds of this polio campaign to make sure all children in Ethiopia are vaccinated against this disease.   

Polio Campaign (don't worry this is just the older sister to the infant)

Hike down into the valley for the Polio campaign

Checking for Malnutrition

In the weeks to come, with some anlaysis of the data I’m collecting I hope to help establish a solid defaulter tracing strategy and present that to the NGO. The county I’m working has done a great job at finding children who do not return to receive the rest of their vaccinations… More to come as it relates to this topic. 

Harvesting Grain

Good Food and Good Company

Group 5 (Health and Education) Volunteers of Peace Corps Ethiopia are getting ready to wrap up their final last couple of months in Ethiopia. Usually this includes saying goodbye to friends, co-workers and sometimes “adopted” families and finishing up any work related projects.  Perhaps, the hardest goodbyes are those said to fellow Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) we spent 2 years with. The group 5 PCVs of Tigray, Ethiopia decided we were going to go out with a celebration. So “Pig-Fest” was held!  Yes, there was a Pig that was slaughtered and spit roasted over a fire, along with a few other wonderful home cooked delights. While Peace Corps (PC) may not be one of the easiest jobs anyone will ever have it certainly is one of the most rewarding experiences.

Below are a few pictures of “Pig Fest” and saying goodbyes

Group 5 Peace Corps Volunteers

Beautiful old women

Priests in Training 

Drive up to Atsbi for "Pig Fest"

The cook at work for "Pig Fest"

Cheese Cake!!!

Me and Brittany 

Girls of Tigray

Tigray Group 5 Education & Health 

The gift of a book is worth so much

Brendan enjoying the Pork