Well, my schedule finally caught up with me. This week has kept me very busy now that I have found my place of work. On Monday morning I went with Matt to three different locations. Haptamu our driver took us in his taxi which helped us accomplish all three meetings before noon; otherwise, we would have been driving around all day on minibuses. Our first stop was Ababech which is an orphanage that also runs a women’s workshop. They have a lot of big sponsors so their need for volunteers is not as critical.
Our second stop was Destiny Academy - my reason for going. Destiny is a school that is only two years old. It was started by a couple named Yunatin and Hareg. They are amazing people. I made an instant connection with them when they came to our 4th of July party. Even though at the time I was completely open to being wherever I needed to be deep down I knew I wanted to work at Destiny. Words cannot describe the faith and love that is in the hearts of Yunatin and Hareg. They gave up Hareg’s income, a comfortable lifestyle, and their home to move to Gofa in Addis and start this school. The tuition for summer school is a mere 100 Birr ($10) - as Yunatin says, they are not in it for business they are in this to do good. The sad reality is most people in the neighborhood cannot even afford that and Y&H’s hearts are so big that it is a struggle to turn people away. The tuition is barely enough to cover the expenses of the school; it is humbling to work with Hareg everyday and see the sacrifices she is making to allow more children attend for free. As soon as Matt and I got to the school I could see how much care and effort they have put into it. Yunatin was on the road speaking to various churches and organizations while Hareg was preparing for school and trying to keep track of her two young daughters. The visit was so moving that I could barely hold back tears. I immediately knew that it was the place I wanted to work.
Destiny Academy.
Hareg and her daughters: Abigail and Ruth.
Our third meeting at Children’s Home Society was just as eventful. We basically went there because I had not been able to meet with the director of the orphanage on Friday. To kill time we first went to the primary school. As we were sitting on the mats watching the kids perform an American woman came in and picked up her child. She greeted us with a huge grin and said, “Is this your first time?” I just looked at her and smiled and mumbled some kind of explanation as to why we were there, but after she left Matt laughed and said she thought we were there to adopt. It had not even crossed my mind that people would think that! It was really funny. We got the same reaction when we went back to the offices to wait. I think it’s mainly because people go out of their way to make a connection here…especially foreigners. It is such a huge thing to adopt from a foreign country – I really admire anyone who takes that leap of faith. When we did get to meet with Asnaki I was prepared to tell him that the meeting was really a waste of his time because I had found the place where I needed to be and that it was apparent that they were in no need of volunteers, but I was completely wrong. As we were explaining and sort of apologizing for setting up a pointless meeting he interrupted us and said I had been committed to work for them to help them prepare a new school for 1000 students! I was dumbfounded – somehow he had gotten the impression that I was a professional teacher and would be able to write the curriculum for the new school! It was very awkward when Matt told him that I was not really the person he needed. Rather than make any promises, I simply took the proposal for the school and agreed to help them critique it. While I’m here I’m going to do whatever I can, but in this instance I felt like they were placing too much emphasis on obtaining a Western influence. I know that CHS has plenty of talented and experienced people with an education background who are much more capable than me. We arranged a meeting for the next day with the task force even though I knew my input would be of little use.
That was just the morning…in the afternoon I went with some of the girls to Asco to play with the orphans. Afternoon visiting hours are from 3:00-6:00 pm. We basically go there and let the kids pile on top of us. Some of the girls got their hair braided by the kids. I then took them up to the sick ward. There was one baby that had arrived the first day I visited Asco. She died two nights ago. The children who are HIV positive and not taking ARV’s will not likely live beyond their early twenties. It is such a cruel disease and I feel so ignorant and helpless. As I held one of the babies I had to confirm that I could not be infected by their saliva. One thing that the girls have been told is that we are probably carriers of TB now that we have been around the sick children. Medicine is taken for granted in the States; here, an illness often means the difference between life and death.
Running water is also taken for granted…I haven’t showered for two days. The city shuts the entire system off whenever there is construction. We have no idea when it is going to happen or when it is going to come back. Right now we are at such a shortage that we have to watch how many dirty dishes we accumulate because we have no way to clean them. Our toilets don’t flush either.
After Asco, Molly, EJ, and I went for a run. I hadn’t really ventured about our neighborhood on foot yet so I was excited to see the area. People cheered as we passed by – apparently we were quite a spectacle. About six or seven kids joined us as we zig-zagged through the busy streets. One boy followed the whole way and helped me avoid injury from the uneven ground – parts of it were quite treacherous and the mud often forced us to run on the road up against the massive buses packed with people. The fumes and smog from all of the vehicles constantly irritate your throat and eyes. It still surprises me that after one week I am unfazed by some of the things I have encountered. Like seeing a severed goat’s leg on a busy sidewalk or boys on their hands and knees cutting lawns by hand.
Tuesday was my first day at Destiny Academy. It was also my first day riding on the taxis alone. I managed to get to the school with no trouble – I was thankful for the sunny weather so that I didn’t have to slosh through the mud as I navigated. Hareg was hard at work when I arrived. She explained her plans and decided that I would teach the older kids English. This means I will have one class all morning four days a week. Summer School is 7 weeks and will end August 30th. So far there are 15 students enrolled in my class, but she expects the number to jump to 25-30. The age range is 9 – 27 years old which is basically 6-10th grade. I was completely overwhelmed at the notion of it at first, but I’m finally able to take it in stride – somehow it will work! The miraculous thing that happened that day was a phone call that Hareg received shortly after I arrived. She turned to me and asked if I was from Kentucky. When I said yes she handed me the phone and an American woman named Jennifer was on the line. It turns out she and her husband are the American couple I had brought goodies for from their family in Frankfort, Ky. I had been trying to get in touch with them since I had arrived. Jennifer had called the Cherokee house after I left that morning and coincidentally decided to call Hareg, who is one of their best friends, and invite her to lunch. Hareg just happened to mention that I was now helping at Destiny and something triggered Jennifer to ask where I was from. It is such a small world! So on Wednesday I got to meet James and Jennifer and go with them and Yunatin and Hareg to a restaurant near the school. It was my first real experience with Ethiopian food. They ordered lots of things for me to try. All of it includes injera which is the staple food. It’s basically a thin, spongy pancake that you use to scoop up sauce, meat, and vegetables. You eat it with your fingers and everyone shares the same plate. No inhibitions allowed!
Ethiopian food.
After four days of work, I have managed to get set in my routine. Although, a short bout of nausea did throw me off for a bit (may have had something to do with my first Ethiopian meal.) I even walked home from Mexico one afternoon because the weather was so nice and the traffic was terrible. It was a lot longer walk than I had remembered, compounded by feeling extremely self-conscious from all the stares that I was getting. People will say, “hello, how are you,” but most just stare and giggle at the sight of a white person. Many will say “forenji” which means foreigner. I never encounter negativity – just fascination and curiosity. They really care what we think of their city and always try to help. That’s why I never have to worry about getting on the wrong taxi – someone always helps me clarify where it is going. The only downside to my day is the part of my route that goes past the city slaughtering factory. Even from a distance you can see the mountains of bones and hundreds of vultures hovering over the warehouse. It is the most grotesque thing I have ever seen or smelled. I pray for mercy every time I pass that horrid place of death…even residents of Addis struggle to keep a straight face when we pass it. But that’s really the only complaint I have. The cost to get to and from work is fifty cents a day and the people I get to spend time with have already blessed me in many ways.
Destiny Academy.
Tonight, we had “cup of soup, lots of love,” a Cherokee house tradition. I brought Hareg and other friends of Cherokee joined us. It is a great way to connect with all of the Cherokee partners. I was also blessed to have our family friend Tsegaye join us. It was my first time meeting him although I have known his family, particularly his wife Roman, for nearly 10 years. It is going to be so nice having someone like him here in Addis.
One last thing, we are still trying to catch the mouse that is in my closet. He somehow managed to get in my suitcase and eat some of the food I had brought James and Jennifer. He is quite a menace and apparently very smart. Two nights in a row he has successfully cleaned our trap without triggering it. As inhumane as this sounds, I now go to bed anticipating the sound of the trap and wake up dismayed when it has not gone off. The whole house is involved…sometimes it’s the little things in life that matter!
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