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geoff weston's ethiopian adventure

[ Letters: 06 December | 18 October | 10 September ]

I have created this page to share with our club members the letters sent by Geoff who is currently working in Ethiopia as a volunteer Kindergarten teacher - quite a change from his TAFE teaching career. Geoff left Australia recently for the 1 year position.

Wednesday, February 18, 2004

Geoff's Newsletter #5

Greetings from Addis Ababa’.

I anticipate that this newsletter will be somewhat shorter than my previous 4 so bear with me as I try to share some of my happenings over the last 2 months.

The western Christmas and New Year passed by without any of the commercialization that one is accustomed to in the west, although I still able to attend church on Christmas Eve and managed a small celebration with some of the other residents in the house.

Christmas was celebrated in Ethiopia on the 7th January as the country follows the Orthodox calendar the, 25th December is not a public holiday here although a lot of Non Government Organizations are closed for the day. If you are an expatriate working here one gets to celebrate Christmas twice. Unless of course you are Muslim and then there is no celebration at all. I actually had classes on the 25th December, as the school did not close.

Ethiopia is an interesting place to live with the diversity of faiths represented here, but from my observations everyone appears to live together very well and in many ways Ethiopia could be used as a model for religious tolerance. The same cannot be said of tribal tolerance, which seems to be a perennial problem in Africa generally.

I was talking to a close Ethiopian friend of mine recently on the customs of marriage here. She has a boyfriend and I was interested to know how the difference in culture impacts on the relationship. I was totally surprised to hear that one does not introduce your boyfriend or girlfriend to your family at all before your marriage and one does not need to get approval or acceptance from the parents before the marriage takes place. There may of course be variations to this model in other parts of the country, which has a lot of tribal diversity. There are more than 80 tribes in Ethiopia.

When a death occurs the home in which that person lived serves as the location where all the family, friends, and neighbors come to pay their respect. Often extra space has to be made by erecting tents etc and the mourning and prayers last for 3 days. There is a further gathering within 40 days where everyone associated with the deceased comes together and a small ceremony takes place.

Family and friends bring gifts of clothes or items of food to celebrate the arrival of a new baby in a family. Fruit is a popular gift.

During the school holiday that coincided with the Ethiopian Christmas I took the opportunity to travel to Kenya to spend some time visiting friends in Nairobi. The flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi is less than 2 hours as compared to a 5-day trip if one was brave or adventurous enough to attempt to travel by road. Although Kenya is an adjoining country the road is not widely used excepting by trucks that travel in convoy to discourage banditry. If one wants to travel on these trucks it is possible as they have a small section dedicated to the odd passenger but the prospect of a slow, dusty, diesel fume-inhaling trip is not at all attractive.

I always enjoy my trips to Kenya and try to visit every 2 years. During my recent trip the Public Service Vehicles (or Matatu’s as they are affectionately known) was a big issue. The Government in a attempt to curb the road toll legislated that all PSV’s had to have speed governors and seat belts fitted by February 1st. On Monday that week there was traffic chaos in Nairobi as many vehicles where impounded through failure to comply, with the result that many commuters could not get to work and the roads were choked with a lot more private cars than normal. It will be interesting to see if the Government has to compromise the legislation.

There are many differences to life here in Addis Ababa and there is a simplicity that is quite attractive. Shopping is a good example as it is very straight forward and extremely basic there are no large shopping centers to contend with and most of my basic needs are acquired at one of the many little kiosks that line most streets. The one at which I shop is within walking distance from my house and is always an interesting exercise. Frequently the shop assistants are unable to give change for even the lowest denomination notes, so mostly I come away with a credit that I can use next time, and on the odd occasions when I am a little short then one is placed on the books to pay later. The two ladies that work at the shop are very friendly and we always end up having a good laugh especially at my attempts to use Amharic when buying items. Coffee shops are everywhere in the city and suburbs. Coffee first originated in Ethiopia so there are lots of variations available to suit most tastes and it is normally served with lots of sugar.

There are countless numbers of children in and around the city who earn a small amount of money each day from cleaning and shining shoes, and others who sell chewing gum and small packets of tissues.

At the present time there is a lot of development happening in the city in the terms of new buildings, factories and housing estates. There seems to be a lot of foreign capital and long terms loans pouring into the country to assist in the building up of the infrastructure and other projects .The Chinese Government has spent huge sums here in the reconstruction and building of roads in an around the city.

I have now completed the 1st Semester of my time here at the Gibson Youth Academy, which represents the half way mark of my contract. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at the school and have developed a close working relationship with the other members of the kindergarten staff and really love the students that I teach each day. I consider myself very fortunate to have had this opportunity and I know that the next 5 months will pass by all to quickly.

To mark the end of the first semester I traveled out of the city for a few day’s rest and recreation to a Mission Guest House at a place called Babogaya which is 45 kms south of the city. The guesthouse is situated on the rim of an extinct volcano and looks down into the Crater Lake. There is a wide variety of bird life that can be observed, and I was able to canoe on the lake, which was very pleasant. The guesthouse is used as a place of refreshment and tranquility by many Christian Missionaries and church affiliated workers.

I plan to send another Newsletter just prior to completing my contract here.

I have attached 2 images. One depicts a scene from outside my house early one morning. Donkeys can bee seen anywhere at any time, even in the middle on the city.

The second is one of my Pre KG classes and are representative of the youngest students that I teach.

Chow from Geoff.

Geoff's Newsletter #4

Monday, November 24, 2003

Greetings again from Addis Ababa.

I am presently on a four-day break from school, which marks the end of the first quarter of teaching and also the end of the Muslim Ramadan festivities. For the last month all the Muslim communities have been observing Ramadan, which includes fasting during daylight hours, attending the local mosques for special services and generally observing extra spiritual activities. The end of Ramadan is marked by feasting, parties and giving of gifts etc. Tomorrow is the public holiday.

My first quarter of teaching went very quickly and I was very pleased with what was achieved and the progress of the children especially among the Pre Kindergarten students who have made remarkable progress in their understanding and ability to speak simple English. There is no substitute so it seems for a very young mind when it comes to leaning new concepts and it is hard to believe that all that has been achieved in only 10 weeks of teaching. I have taught 12 classes twice each week during this 1st Quarter and have really enjoyed each class and have got to know most of my students quite well and even some of their parents.

I have had the opportunity to travel twice into the rural areas and have really appreciated the people and the simplicity of life. The countryside is however, a stark reminder on how difficult it is for most people to live in what is regarded as a very poor country. On both occasions I have used the public bus system which in itself is an interesting experience but quite trying especially if the trip is 5 hours long. On my first safari I traveled south to see to a place called Wondo Genet which is a beautiful spot located 270 kms south of Addis Ababa and famous for its hot springs and beautiful scenery. I stayed at a nice Hotel called the Wabe Shebelle where the accommodation was very comfortable but considered expensive by most of the locals. In fact I only paid the equivalent of Australian $68.00 for 2 nights accommodation which included breakfast and the use of the adjacent hot pools. By comparison it is possible to get a nights accommodation in other hotels for as little as $12.00 and I have seen accommodation for as little as $2.00 if one wants something a little more basic.
The hot pools mentioned above are fed from a spring where the water comes out of the ground at 85 degrees Celsius. It then flows down the hill to the swimming pool in ever decreasing size pipes until it finally reaches at just the right temperature and pressure to shower, and swim. The hotel uses the same water supply in all its bathrooms, non-of which have any cold water taps fitted, as they are not required.

My second trip was to a place called Ambo, which is located 125 kms west of Addis Ababa. Ambo is famous because this is the location of a mineral water spring where a factory has been established to exploit the underground riches with the product sold in bottle form throughout the country. The trip was interesting for a variety of reasons not the least of, which was the chance to travel in a bus that was a least 70 years old. We also came across a dead hyena in the middle of the road, and passed a number of abandoned army tanks reminders of the violent past of this country. My travelling companion for the Ambo trip was a friend called Fekadu, who I first met in Nairobi in 1994 and now living again in Addis. It definitely helps to have a native speaker when one is travelling in the rural areas, as English is not always widely spoken.

On Sunday 30th October I took part in the Great Ethiopian Run (the largest road race in Africa) conducted around the city centre of Addis Ababa over a distance of 10 kilometers. The run is organized to increase AIDS awareness and to raise funds (AIDS is a huge issue in this continent with an estimated 1 million AIDS orphans in Ethiopia alone and more than 6000 deaths each day throughout Africa). The race attracted 18000 participants and included the cream of African long distance runners and also people like myself who just wanted to take part, have some fun, and hopefully finish. Addis Ababa is situated at 8000 feet above sea level so running here is hard on the lungs especially if one has not done any training. My goal was to finish but managed a respectable time of 1 hour 22 minutes. Incidentally the winner completed the same distance in approximately 29 minutes. I can honestly say that it was a thoroughly enjoyable day and an experience that I will always remember.

My lifestyle in Addis is simple and yet there is nothing that I really miss. I am able to buy most of what I need in local shops and the absence of western type supermarkets is never an issue. My diet is basically fat free and I have lost 5 kilograms in weight without even trying. I eat a lot of rice, pasta and there is a good supply of fruit and vegetables. I have struggled a little with chest infections and influenza but at present I am fit and well. When one does get sick here, it is easy to go to a pharmacy and buy whatever one requires including antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription.

With Christmas looming I would like to take this opportunity to wish each of you and your families a safe and peaceful season. Christmas will be celebrated here in Ethiopia on January 7th 2004 and follows the Orthodox calendar. The Orthodox Christians here have already started preparing by fasting from all types of meat/eggs and dairy products so one has to be careful when invitations are given to eat in your home. Only fasting food can be served.

I have included as attachments 2 photographs:

The first one was taken after the end of the 10 kilometre race and shows a rather tired yours truly and some of the other volunteers that I work with here at the Gibson Youth Academy.

Shows the house that I live in (extreme left) with 4 other volunteers. Living area down, bedrooms upstairs.

Chow from Geoff

Geoff's correspondance which arrived 18 October:

Friday, September 12, 2003

Greetings All

It trust you have enjoyed my previous Newsletters and that they portray something of my experiences here.
Today is a very special time in Ethiopia as it marks the commencement of a New Year according to the Ethiopian Calendar. The country here has 2 calendars the Julian or Ethiopian, and the common Western calendar. This can and does lead to quite a lot of confusion. To begin with the Ethiopian calendar has 13 months, 12 months of 30 days and 1 month of 5 or 6 days depending if it happens to be a leap year. Last year was a leap year so the 13-month had 6 days. Furthermore the Julian calendar is actually 8 years behind the calendar used in the west so today would be regarded as the 11th September 1995. Fortunately most people here talk in terms of the Western calendar but many of the calendars sold in the shops carry both versions. If that is not difficult enough Ethiopian time is also different from Western time by exactly 6 hours. The Ethiopian clock starts when the sun comes up so if you get invited to breakfast at 2 00'clock that would actually be 8:00am in western terms. It is therefore, advisable to make sure if you are meeting an Ethiopian for coffee etc that you establish beforehand if the meeting time is Ethiopian or Western. I was in fact caught out in the first week here and arrived 6 hours late for a coffee with a friend.

As today is New Years Eve I have been invited to spend the time with an Ethiopian friend and her family I am looking forward to the experience and will be able to relate more later.

Another of the customs here is for people to buy a live sheep and slaughter it as part of the New Year festivities, and the husband of the school director arrived on New Years eve to inform us that we would be getting a sheep but that it was our responsibility to slaughter it, cut it up and then consume as we were able. My initial response was that there was no way that we could use all that meat and that out freezer was not big enough to keep it all. We then went for coffee together and upon returning found that the sheep had magically appeared and was locked in one of the downstairs rooms. The slaughtering was completed the next day by one of the previous volunteers and the day guard. Our House girl Martha kindly cut and cooked quite a lot of it, with the rest assigned to the freezer.

Yesterday I had to go to the Police headquarters, to have my fingerprints taken which is a pre requisite for obtaining a work permit. My fingerprints will be checked to ensure that I don't have a previous record, and if all is clear I will be issued with a certificate of "good conduct" and hopefully my work permit. When I though about it later the exercise seems a complete waste of time as I had only been in the country less than 3 weeks.

School for me officially started on Monday 15 September and what an experience the first day was. Pandemonium reigned supreme with kids in the wrong classes, kids who did not know their names, children that cried all day, and those that refused to be comforted regardless of all attempts. The Kindergarten children start arriving as early as 7:00am some with parents and others in taxis. The Kindergarten has a team of assistants whose job includes meeting the children at the gate and escorting them into the classes. My first teaching period was to be with one of the new pre Kg classes and was supposed to last from 8:30 am until 9:00am and then move to another class. The reality however was that I was still in the first class when the parents came to pick them up at 12:00. Having only prepared for 30 minutes I soon learned to improvise all the time realizing that none of the children could understand me but all children seem to respond well to animal noises, funny faces, and lots of cuddling. One particular incident will always remain with me. Two little twin boys seemed to regard me as a surrogate Dad and would not let me out of their sight, even insisting on coming with me when I went to the toilet. At the end of the day I had to have them surgically removed and then found out that they had spent the entire morning with me however, they were suppose to be in another class. Oh Well! Picture of the twins (Attached).

The first day ended with all the children still in one piece, the teachers and assistants completely exhausted, and the supervisor in a state of shock. I might add that there are 300 plus children in the Kindergarten section so it is no small task. As for myself I have thoroughly enjoyed my first 3 days and feel that I may find it difficult to leave when my contract is finished.

Sunday, September 21

I have now survived the first week and along with all the other volunteers who have a similar workload arrived home on Friday afternoon to some strong coffee and lots of reminiscing and stories.

Saturday, September 27

Today was a public holiday in Ethiopia called the Meskel holiday. This is a day when the Orthodox Church celebrates the finding of the true cross that Christ was crucified on. There is a big celebration in the city attended by thousands of people and it is a very colorful celebration with all the priests in their very ornate robes. The celebration culminates with the burning of a very large bonfire which also has some significance because the way that the charred remains fall at the end (left or right) supposedly determines if the country will be prosperous or not for the following year.

Sunday, September 28, 2003

Today I was invited to attend a local Pentecostal church in one of outer suburbs of Addis with one of the Kindy teachers that I am working with. The service was all in Amharic the National language Of Ethiopia however I was asked to sit with all the church Elders one of who was assigned the task of being my English translator. The service lasted 3 hours in a church which was packed to capacity with an estimated two thousand worshipers of which I was one of three white Caucasian visitors. The preacher was an elder and evangelist within the church and I don't think I have ever seen anyone preach with more gusto or energy. The congregation was very responsive to the message, which was regularly punctuated with all forms of encouragement, and quite a bit of shrieking.

There are many interesting aspects to daily life at the school and one I have enjoyed observing is the lunch time prayers of the many Muslim children that come to the school. There is a nice garden section in the school and at around 12:30 many of the children with their prayer mats make their way into the garden to kneel and prayer. They all face North, which is roughly the geographic direction of Mecca from Addis Ababa.

I have enjoyed my first 3 weeks of teaching and appreciate the children so much. I try to make my lessons a lot of fun as the rest of the school program is pretty regimented, and I feel that school at the age I am teaching should have a large amount of fun included.

This will be my last Newsletter for sometime but look forward to hearing from you when you have some time.

Chow Geoff

Here is Geoff's first letter received 10 September:

Photo below

Greetings all

I have now arrived and settled into life quickly here in Addis Ababa. I am presently in the school computer lab typing up this letter as it is raining outside and not much fun walking around outside. Present temperature in Addis is 18degrees Celsius and we are nearing the end of the rainy season. My accommodation is within walking distance of the school at which I will be teaching (about 3 minutes) so will not have the hassle of boarding public transport each day to commute. I have already had the opportunity of meeting some of the staff at the school and I feel that I am really going to enjoy my time here at the Gibson Youth Academy .At present a summer school is in progress with the students attending 3 days only each week .The school is well organized and the staff appear to be very dedicated. There are three campuses I will be teaching at the West Campus and have already been introduced to the kindergarten staff with whom I will be working. The school has 8 kindergarten assistants who look after the students from the time they are dropped off in the morning by their parents. I will only be responsible for teaching English classes and will possibly move from class to class within the Kindy delivering the same lesson. It will be very basic but should be a lot of fun I have already seen that some of the Kindy students already have a reasonable grasp of simple English so communication should not be a problem. The Gibson Youth Academy teaches an American Syllabus and most of the students will come from a good family background and could be Orthodox or Muslim. Religious education is not part of the syllabus.

My accommodation is nice. There are two houses that are provided for volunteers I am living in one of these and at present am sharing with an American lady called Tamara and French guy called Eve it is a five bedroom, house and by the time school commences most of the bedrooms should be used .My bedroom consist of a single bed and one build in wardrobe it is quite comfortable and very quite. There are several bathrooms one kitchen, we all share a common lounge/ dining room .We have a lady that cleans during the day and also does our washing for us. Cooking is left to each person so we all share one refrigerator and limited cupboard space.

Several days have now elapsed since I last wrote and in this time have now been here 1 week . On Sunday I attended a large International Church within walking distance from my home .The main morning service in English, and there are also services in French and Korean, the people are very friendly and the preaching of a high standard.

I also met Rob and Leif Harding for the first time since arriving they are the couple who are sending the containers from Australia on which I have sent the 150 kgs of books. They are living within walking distance from my house so will be neighbors. After church we all went back to their house for lunch with a 6 other Australian families who had been in Ethiopia for a couple of weeks to collect the children that they had adopted from here. It was really special to talk with these couples who have been unable to have biological for what reasons finally having a child to love and call their own, the adoption process is long and requires a good deal of determination some couples have been waiting for 4 years.

Yesterday, I spent the entire day at the airport clearing the unaccompanied luggage that left Australia at the end of July. This included all the materials collected for the school and one box of items that I require for my teaching, the process is long and requires one to see a multiplicity of people before actually taking possession of ones items. In fact I was surprised to complete the exercise in one day .The customs agents here check absolutely everything wanting to even count the number on pencils etc, etc.

Over the last few days 2 more American volunteers have arrived to teach at the same campus. Chris and Shannon are both 27 years old so I am well and truly the father figure in the house and envisage being the local fixit it man for all the broken hair dryers curling wands etc,etc. Another volunteer Jerome is due to arrive on September 2nd which will complete the occupancy for this house.

This last week I have been undertaking training with the other teachers and assistants from the 3 campuses there is about 120 staff and this week we have being going over the rules and regulations of the school preparing lesson plans and all the multiplicity of things that a school needs to address before commencing a new academic year .There are quite a lot of new national staff so the training is very important. I was also given my work schedule which looks quite daunting .I will be moving from class to class among the kindergarten students I will have Pre Kindergarten / Kindergarten and Prep students .I will have 24 periods a week and will see each class twice in a week .

There will be 30 students in each class and the periods will be 30 and 45 minutes long. All the other teachers and assistants in the Kindergarten are female and most seem to be in the 20 to 25 year age group. So I am well and truly the patriarch of the Kindy. I am basically responsible for ensuring that the student receive mainly English conversation and communication exposure. I am sure that a good percentage of the pre kindy children who may be as young as 3 will spend most of the first week in TEARS .Luckily I will have an assistant.

Impressions thus far of Addis Ababa.

People are very friendly and welcoming of foreigners. All foreigners are called (Ferenji ) which in Amharic means white person.

The public transport system is efficient and cheap, for me to travel to town on a mini bus costs the equivalent of 20 Australian cents, the trip takes about 10 minutes. The buses are uncrowded unlike their Kenyan equivalent and everyone gets a seat. And even have designated stops . The Taxis are mostly small Fiat's all painted blue and white and mostly in good mechanical condition. There are also larger city council type buses, which I have not traveled on thus far.

There are many beggars on the streets of the city, with some suffering the effects of leprosy and many with missing limbs the result of recent military conflicts in Ethiopia. Most want cash in the form of a few Ethiopian cents, however, there are a few organizations here in Addis where one can purchase booklets of food vouchers which can be given instead of cash. In some cases cash may not be spent on food.

Walking around the streets of Addis is easier and safer that in other African cities notably Nairobi and Johannesburg where the practice is not without risk. Even walking in the evening is considered safe something I have not tried personally thus far. Addis Ababa has a population of more than 3 million

Addis Ababa has a large population of donkeys and herds of sheep that seem very proficient at sharing the roads with all the cars and buses, and always have a shepherd who walks a few paces behind. It is also not unusual to find hyenas on the very perimeter of the city.

The cost of living for a foreigner is very cheap if one buys locally grown food of which there seems no shortage, there is plenty of fruit and vegetables available at the many roadside stalls that line the streets, however the larger markets that cater for the expatriate community stock foods that are quite expensive ; personally I am trying to budget to spend not more than 50 birr (The birr is the official currency of Ethiopia)per day which is equivalent to about $10 Australian dollars this should not be to difficult unless one wants to eat out every day. To eat out at the restaurant, which is right next door to my house, is quite cheap last week three of us ate there for a total bill of around $5 Australian dollars. (Of course living standards for the local who don't earn very much is not cheap)

As I am typing this letter the Mosque which is just across the road is calling the Muslims to pray they use large loudspeakers which waft the call across the immediate area, this ritual is repeated several times each day and the first is quite early in the morning /.

Lastly, the email services here are very slow it in not unusual to spent more than 30 minutes just trying to access a home page thus far I have been here one week and have not managed to send or receive any email yet. So don't expect to many emails from me until I find are more reliable provider. (Actually there is only 1 in Addis Ababa.)

Please don't send me any large computer files as attachments as I may never manage to open them.

Cheers or as they say here in Addis (Chow) A result of the brief Italian attempts of colonization.

Geoff
P.S I have now found reliable email access at the British Council so hope to check my mail once or twice in a week.

Attached a photo of my kindergarten colleagues. Quite a gender imbalance !!! I am the only male.

This page last updated Tuesday 24 February 2004

Web site constructed by: Jonathan Clark

http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jclark/bc/

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