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!

Reconnect: 150 days

 It is hard to believe I have passed the 150-day mark in Ethiopia.  This milestone happened to fall during a weeklong “Reconnect” training in Addis, where all of the G12 volunteers came together.  We hadn’t seen each in 9 weeks, and therefore we were thrilled to reunite!

Among the many health-related topics that we learned about during Reconnect, there are two I would like to highlight:

1.      The extent of the challenge of open defecation (OD) and the implications of it.  There is lack of infrastructure in some places and there also is a need for behavior change.  Diseases related to OD lead to a child dying every 2.5 minutes globally. 

a.       I hope to work in the area of OD by increasing education about the issue and by promoting positive behavior change.

2.      Salve (skin ointment) making: On a charcoal stove, we used beeswax, and spices (cinnamon, ginger, rosemary and chamomile) ground with a mortar and pestle to make salve.  The properties of these particular herbs/spices that we chose are incredible!

a.       Cinnamon: stimulates circulation

b.      Ginger root: relieves joint pain

c.       Rosemary: anti-bacterial, anti-microbial

d.      Chamomile: soothing and relaxing

The completed salve is shown on the right, with the preceding steps on the left!

Reconnecting with the other G12 volunteers allowed us to share stories (like the time I drank 12 sinis-a small cup that is used for coffee-of buna in one day because of so many invitations, ask questions (what kind of food is everyone making?? Who has a funny story involving a mix-up in language? ), and brainstorm solutions to challenges (like how to cook on a charcoal stove or how to adapt to a different definition of time).  Sharing stories and questions together allowed us to discover that we have each faced many similar challenges, helping us to realize that while at times in our small and rural towns it may seem like we are alone, we really all are in this together, although we each have our own unique Peace Corps path shaped by the people and experiences specific to our sites.

Some of my wonderful fellow G12 volunteers!

Addis Ababa was certainly bustling with cars and people, a slight shock to the system after spending 9 weeks in Mezezo, a town of 2,200 people! My friends and I were able to explore the city; including a very powerful, extremely moving and eye-opening visit to the Red Terror Museum (which was created in 2010 by victims and survivors of the Red Terror- a time in which people were persecuted to the extreme and many, many died.) We navigated the city both on foot and by line taxi (a van with about 12 seats- but may or may not fit about 24 people-, where you “hop on”/”squeeze in” and yell “warajallah” when you’re ready to get off).  Rides are between 2-5 birr depending on the distance.  For reference, 20 birr=1 USD.

The hotel that we stayed at was conveniently across the street from Meskel Square, where dozens and dozens of people exercise each morning.  People run, play soccer, do pushups and squats on the steps (for CO folks think along the lines of Red Rocks- but dirt and longer rows), and others are participate in group workout classes.  I joined a group of about 25 people on Wednesday morning at 6:30 AM (12:30 local time to add to confusion/aid in cultural exchange!) for the “Wednesday Project,” which is inspired by the “November Project” (free group workouts in big cities across the US, such as DC).  It was exhilarating to be with this energized group, meeting people from all over the world who are living and working in Addis, and who share a common passion for health!  I suppose it might be a bit of a stretch to commute to Addis every Wednesday morning from Mezezo for the Wednesday project workout.  Luckily my morning running routine has continued in Mezezoand now often involves a few young kids and another participant who leads a high intensity karate/plyometric workout after we run together in the morning (we are the only two participants for now but stay tuned…).

I have many ideas for programs/projects to possibly implement in Mezezo, such as nutrition lessons for mothers, making a permagarden and planting locally available foods, and helping with an English Club at the High School.   It felt really good to return to Mezezo, where people greet me by name on the street, and where the sense of community is very strong!

The Wednesday Project workout crew!

I also enjoyed Reconnecting with family and friends across the globe when I was in Addis- it is always so wonderful to catch up and see familiar faces (thank you FaceTime and Skype) and hear familiar voices.  Know that I miss you all every day and you are in my thoughts and prayers!

The Reconnect training in Addis was a great reminder for me about the importance of connecting with people in life, no matter how near or far they are.  I challenge you to send an email or text, write a letter, or make a phone call this week to someone you have perhaps not connected with recently, and see where the reconnect takes you!

Thank you for reading:

            For now and until next time: Selam naw! (It is peace!)

Wearing White

At 6 am I heard a boy say “Hannah? Nay!” A teenage boy was outside my door, explaining that I needed to come quickly.  After locking my door, I navigated down slippery rocks and mud (wearing Toms with zero traction) to the main road, where a bus was driving past, a cloud of dust trailing behind.  The boy I was with ran ahead of me and managed to flag down the bus, and I soon followed and got on the bus; I barely could fit, as it was literally packed with people, dressed in white from head to toe, ready to celebrate Saint Mary together.  I managed to squeeze through the crowd and sat on a makeshift seat, trying not to worry about getting my completely white dress and net’ela (traditional white scarf) dirty.  I saw several familiar faces on the bus, and after greeting them I settled in/held on for the ride ahead.  As the sun rose, the bus navigated and maneuvered along the winding road, which was filled with new potholes and mud, due to the torrential rain the night before.  The 50+ people on the bus swayed and moved with the bumps and turns, as the morning fog surrounded both sides of the winding road.

After a 90-minute ride, we began to get close to our destination.  I knew this because I saw hundreds of busses and cars lining the road, and people, dressed in white, walking alongside the road.  

The road lined with busses and people, surrounded by a beautiful blue sky!

As we exited the bus, the celebration certainly had begun; velvet and colorful umbrellas were being used and others were being sold; families, men, women, and children of all ages were walking through the extremely muddy road, as others sat in small restaurants lining the road, eating bread and tea for breakfast.  With the six other women from Mezezo that I was with, I ate breakfast and then we proceeded toward the church. 

A religious leader leading a call and response 

    

There were thousands and thousands of people, and as we approached the church, I saw the massive portrait/picture of Saint Mary, bordered by red, green, and yellow (Ethiopian flag colors) balloons, and the mesmur (religious singing/chanting) began.  As I am learning more Amharic, I was able to pick out some words from the singing and chanting and was able to participate; it was so powerful! Everyone was extremely passionate and happy, as they did a call and response like religious chant, complete with drumming and clapping. 

The famous church, with decorations to celebrate Saint Mary.
You can see the reconstruction that is being done, at the rear of the church.

This celebration of Saint Mary was held at a church that was build more than 4 centuries ago! There is so much history behind it and it was incredible to be a part of this celebration.  My all-white dress certainly was a bit tinted with a shade of brown by the time I returned to Mezezo in the afternoon, but more importantly I felt full from this experience that I was able to share with some women from my community and also thousands of people from the larger Ethiopian community.  You know the saying “Don’t wear white after labor day?”  Well that doesn’t hold true here…

Enjoying the celebration together, wearing white!

Lidet #24!

My birthday happens to be on a national holiday in Ethiopia, which celebrates the victory over the Italians.  Therefore, government offices are closed and there is no work.  This allowed me time to plan ad host a birthday gathering.  It was a truly special and memorable day that I will not forget: celebrating birthday #24 in Ethiopia, with about 40 friends, coworkers and my new family; laughing and enjoying food and drinks together.  It even included having a variation of happy birthday sung to me in a mix of Amharic and English, by a group of five 10-year-old boys; priceless.

A day in pictures:

Birthday-eve preparation:  Difo Dabo bread

Day of preparations: my awesome counterpart and compound dad helping to hang up decorations (thank you for sending them mom!)

Part of the party crew!  The five boys were the ones who sang to me; so priceless!!

My compound mom and me at the end of a memorable and wonderful celebration!

Birthday decorations!

Lighting the birthday candles!

Wearing my net’ela (thank you Christine and Jesse) and party hat (thank you Bantayehu) while cutting the difo dabo bread.  Notice the food and beverages (traditional Ethiopian bday style: popcorn, candies, cookies, bread, and soda)

Cheers to the year ahead! I wish you all a great year ahead; know you're in my thoughts! Thank you for reading:)

Stop and Smell the Roses

Each morning I have been running along the dirt road in Mezezo at 6 am, as the sun is rising as people are beginning to move around the town, wearing gabis (large thick white scarves/blankets with colorful patters on the edges).  For the past three weeks I have had a companion join me, a 15-year-old girl who expressed interest after seeing me running in the mornings.  I am so happy to have a running partner and it has been a great experience! She has shown me new places and taken me to incredible overlooks, where we are surrounded by mountains and rolling hills, with the rising sun as a backdrop.  She speaks no English, and so it has also been a valuable experience of practicing my language skills and trying to avoid miscommunications such as where and when we will meet (especially since the time here is 6 hours later than “ferenji” or American time!).

Hibist and me!

The beautiful mountain and tree backdrop of Mezezo!

One morning we stopped in an open field and picked roses; this was a great reminder of the importance of slowing down and enjoying the small moments and not rushing through. It was also entertaining to try to explain in Amharic that my middle name is rose, especially because people here do not have middle names!  As someone who used to compete in running at the college level, running has been something I tend to be competitive about, focusing on pace and distance.  Running with my new friend has taught me how running is also a way to build relationships, see new sights, and appreciate what is around you. 

On the work front, I experienced a challenging commute, as with my counterpart we walked 70 minutes each direction up and down rocky hills (serious hills), to deliver ringworm medicine and hand washing lessons to students.  I also came to find out that when a pregnant woman is ready to have her baby she is carried on a wooden stretcher that whole distance that we walked, by 4 men, so that she can get a bus to the Health Center. This was very eye opening for me.  The next week I went with my counterpart and two health extension workers to a very rural area as they gave vaccinations to infants and did home visits.  We walked for about seven hours and climbed over rocks and branches, and I was in awe at how hard the work of these health extension workers is.  Note: The healthcare system/foundation in Ethiopia involves health extension workers in each small town, which act as links between the health center and the community.  They know the community members and focus on education and prevention.  It is a very neat system!  The rural houses are extremely far apart, and also extremely far from the health center so the health extension workers go to the homes, carrying vaccinations in a cooler, winding down mountains, crossing streams, and more.  As we arrived back in town at 6 pm we were all very exhausted, but it was a valuable and humbling day.

Where we walked all day, as the HEWs delivered vaccinations!

Two wonderful HEWs with the vaccination cooler which was carried across the mountain!

For the past few weeks I have been working on collecting data for and writing a Community Needs Assessment, which is a comprehensive document that highlights Mezezo, including its resources and assets and also challenges and barriers.  It will help guide the work that I do in Mezezo and help me to identify future projects.  I have learned so much from talking with community members, collecting data, and talking with community elders about the history of Mezezo.  There is no written history of Mezezo, only word of mouth.  I look forward to being able to present this CNA to the community when it is complete!

A look at the celebration: Saint George the 23rd

I celebrated this great holiday in Mezezo, beginning the day before (Thursday), as the town was decorated with green, red and yellow flags, and as homes prepared meat, injera and t’ela (a local drink made from barley).  I helped a group of 12 women cut raw meat, and it felt wonderful to be able to help out and bond with these women as we all sat together and chatted while working.

On the day of the holiday, Friday, I dressed in my white cultural dress and attended the celebration at the church, which sits atop a tall and rocky hill, overlooking the surrounding valleys, trees and mountains; Stunning!

My cultural clothes and a look at the colorful celebration, spent with a good friend (pictured on the right).

The walk up to the beautiful church.

All night leading up to the celebration the religious leaders chanted and sang, projected on loudspeakers, which could be heard throughout the entire town, in preparation of the holiday; this day which remembers and celebrates Saint George who was put to death in the year 303 for not renouncing his Christian beliefs.

The church was fully decorated with paintings of St. George, beautiful velvet umbrellas, crosses, banners and flags.  People were killing sheep and preparing wot (stew to be eaten with injera), as others brought large stacks of injera or difo dabo.  There was chanting, singing and clapping, and also drumming and dancing as men moved rhythmically with the music that was singing praise to St. George.  This day was powerful as the community came together, united by their strong Ethiopian Orthodox beliefs, celebrating with song, dance, and carefully prepared meat and other special food!  As they do each and every day, the Mezezo community made me feel welcome and a part of the celebration as we enjoyed meals, coffee, and visited in Amharic (or at least listened and chimed in when I could!)

The festivities!

A group of children enjoying the day in their best clothes!

A procession around the church!