Chawata: Games!

Resourcefulness Creativity. Endless Energy.  These are traits describing the children in Mezezo.  Living in a very rural and small town means they do not have access to some resources but they have unlimited creative ideas and ways to enjoy together and entertain themselves! They can be seen playing alongside the dirt road with homemade toys, often some type of wheel of circular object or objects attached to the edge of a long stick.  Groups of boys play soccer on the dirt road, with a homemade ball made from cloth, plastic bags and other materials sewn together.  Smaller children often play a game involving bottle caps or small rocks, which includes many variations of throwing one in the air and picking one up from the ground before the other one lands on the ground; it is much harder than it sounds!

  

An example of one of the many homemade balls in Mezezo!

Look closely and see if you can make out the stick with the four or more white cylinder wheels!

One aspect of many of life in Mezezo that I love is the special memories and moments that happen without planning; serendipitous.  For instance when I went to visit a Health Extension Worker last week, I happened to meet an adorable 8-year-old girl named Besalot who was playing a “chawata,” which is the Amharic word for “game.”  She had 5 metal bottle caps and I sat down with her and for 30 minutes she showed me the game and we laughed and enjoyed together.  It is moments like these that remind me of the importance of not rushing through each day, but allowing these moments to occur: due to my very hectic schedule prior to Peace Corps, these continual reminders are quite valuable, helpful and necessary!  Other moments such as a morning run that spontaneously ends with a volleyball game with a young boy using a homemade ball and homemade net are truly priceless!

Besilot is all smiles as we stopped for a photoshoot during the game!

Besilot focused on the game!

Some kids playing on the homemade volleyball net!

The resourcefulness and creativity of the children in Mezezo has also shifted my perspective of what truly is trash.  The saying goes that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” and the children here certainly have made many treasures out of what many people (including myself) would consider trash!  They inspire me each day as I walk down the dirt road in Mezezo, greeting children as they play and as many run up to me to greet me; an unforgettable experience that I will always remember and cherish.

Buna 101: So Much More Than Coffee

During the past few weeks, as I’ve been working on the garden that I started at the Health Center (planted kale, pumpkin, potatoes and squash) and brainstorming ideas and planning for the elementary school English and Health Club that I will be helping with starting next week, I’ve enjoyed numerous coffee ceremonies with the people of Mezezo.  The Ethiopian coffee ceremony is a very integral part of the culture and it is about so much more than simply coffee.

Starting the garden with the health center staff!

The finished product! |A permagarden!

First, it is important to be familiar with the different items needed for a coffee ceremony:

1.      Kasel mandeja: charcoal stove

2.      Burret mit’at: small metal pan/disc that is used to roast the coffee beans

3.      Muk’echa and zina zina: mortal and pestle used to grind the freshly roasted coffee beans by hand

4.      Rokaboat: this is a sort of small tray/table that holds the cups (sinis), plates and spoons used for the coffee ceremony

5.      Sini: the small cups used to drink coffee

6.      Jebena: a unique coffee “pot” where the coffee and water is placed and boiled on the charcoal fire.  It sits upon a circular stand to keep it off of the floor

7.      Ya buna k’urs: a small snack, usually bread, k’olo (a roasted barley and chick pea mixture), or fandisha (popcorn), that is served with the coffee

8.      It’an: incense

9.      Raw coffee beans (they can be bought at any small suk/shop in town)

10.  Sugar to sweeten the strong coffee!

Raw coffee beans ready to be roasted on a charcoal stove.

Roasting the coffee beans using a metal spoon/stick!

Grinding the coffee beans by hand using a wooden mortar and pestle! 

Each of the 3 sinis (small cups) of coffee has a specific name: the first is abol, the second is tona, and the final sini is called baraka.  Each sini of coffee gets gradually less strong, as hot water is added to the jebena and then placed back on the charcoal to boil.

Coffee ceremonies are generally done at 3 points during the day, although families may not do ceremonies at each of this times: morning with breakfast, after lunch, and in the evening after dinner.  Each coffee ceremony lasts between 45 minutes and 2 hours, and they are a time for social interaction, telling stories, and spending time with family, friends, and other community members.  During the numerous coffee ceremonies over the past 6 months that I have taken part of in Ethiopia, I have been able to gradually participate more in the conversation, and better appreciate just how important the coffee ceremony is to the culture of Ethiopia and to the lives of the people here.

For those of you who have not heard; Ethiopia was ranked as the top tourist destination in the world for 2015! If you decide to make the trek here, rest assured that there will be many coffee ceremonies waiting! J  I officially have all the required materials for a coffee ceremony and so at my humble abode I am looking forward to inviting people for coffee, switching roles from the guest to the host!

Pouring coffee: notice the tea kettle to boil water, the incense placed in the front of the picture, the jebena I am holding, and the sinis, small plates and rockaboat! Also notice the grass which is often placed on the ground surrounding the coffee ceremony area.

An adorable little girl making pretend coffee!