Ode to Amhara

After spending a few days in Addis, I was glad to return to Gonder. While driving out to the rural school of Shumarjie, I soaked in the scenery and decided to show my appreciation of the Amhara landscape.

Ode to Amhara

The land is a patchwork of brown and green

Teff swaying against the rolling foothill

It is the most beautiful I have seen

Gentle animals graze while farmers till

Bright young shepherds barefoot run to and fro

Women carry great loads with grace and ease

It is quite serene, it is bucolic 

The amber sun beats down, the heat is slow

Shade is found under the acacia tree

I hate to leave, surely I'll be heartsick

A Slice of the Big Apple in Addis

Manicure and pedicure. 250 birr.

Cupcake. 18 birr.

Movie ticket. 45 birr.

Spending Shabbat at Dr. Rick's house and celebrating the departure of the Shaun as well as the Jen's and their beautiful babies Tali Bamlak, Bedassa, and Shikuri. 

Priceless.

Gathering for coffee before Shabbat dinner 

JSC Fellows serving in Ethiopia

News from the Nuba Mountains

Sudan is only about 200 kilometers from Gonder. Whenever I pass by the sign to Sudan, I always wonder about life on the other side of the border. Recently, one of my favorite journalists and humanitarian superstar Nicholas Kristof was in the Sudan reporting about the atrocities occuring in the Nuba Mountains.

Check out his articles:

In Sudan, Seeing Echoes of Darfur

Dodging Bombers in Sudan

Battling Sudan's Bombs with Videos

The New York Times also featured a Room for Debate discussion, How to Prevent Another Darfur.  It is really interesting to read the seven points of view.  A couple of the pieces mention Ethiopia's potential importance in resolving matters between Sudan and South Sudan. In January Ethiopia hosted the two countries' failed negotiations to end their oil dispute.

An Investment in Energy is an Investment in Education

Last week we visited five rural schools (Chilo, Jenda, Guramba Gieorgies, Gebru Warka, and Shumarjie) where the JDC recently installed solar panels. The panels absorb the sun's rays as a source of energy for generating electricity. Ethiopia is the perfect place for solar panels. As I've mentioned before, the locals say there is sunshine 13 months of the year. And so far it seems to be true! It has rained only three times in Gonder since I arrived, and each shower was in the late afternoon and lasted no more than 20 minutes. 

The schools with the solar panels are in remote locations where it would otherwise be difficult to obtain electricity. To get to Jenda, Guramba Gieorgies, and Gebru Warka we had to navigate narrow dirt roads full of rocks, ridges, and bends. Guramba Gieorgies was in small village that we reached after driving through fields and fields. Along the road to the village, which is really little more than a dirt trail, are wooden posts painted red, yellow, and green. They lead to the village, which is often hard to find when the fields are full of crops.

We visited the schools to examine the solar panels, see if there were any issues, and speak with teachers and administrators. The most common uses for the panels are charging cellular phones, providing power for radios, and supplying light.

Chilo

Jenda

Guramba Gieorgies

Gebru Warka

 

 

Shumarjie

One administrator explained that it is important for the staff to have fully-charged cellular phones because it enhances communication between teachers as well as between the school and the Woreda Educational Office. Previously, if there was an issue one would have to physically find a teacher or travel to the Woreda Educational Office rather than simply make a call. 

As part of the curriculum, students are required by the Ministry of Education to listen to educational radio programs. The government has educational radio stations and airs age-appopriate programs for students on a variety of topics. Teachers said the programs are factual, unbiased, and uniform across the country. They also mentioned that the students enjoy using technology to learn and accept the information presented in the programs since it comes from a higher authority.

Before installation of the solar panels, the schools used battery-powered radios. The electronic radios have proved to be more reliable with better quality sound and lower long-term costs. At Chilo, a teacher told us that in the past students often had to miss radio programs until new batteries could be purchased.

A number of the teachers at different schools told us they use the solar panels to power lights at night for teacher meetings and instruction. Many also intend to start teaching evening adult education courses once harvest season is over. In the future the solar panels can be used to power televisions and computers. Recently, a laptop was donated to Shumarjie. Ari and I will be giving the teachers lessons on how to use the laptop and educational CD-ROM's. It may even be feasible to gain Internet access in the future. The solar panels have opened the door to numerous possibilities for these rural schools. 

New York State of Mind

Ever since the Superbowl I've been having New York nostalgia. Here are some of the things that I miss right now:

• Sitting on a bench in Central Park and people-watching
• Gazing up at the Empire State Building at night, guessing the holiday/celebration/occasion, and then checking on http://www.esbnyc.com/current_events_tower_lights.asp
• Hoping to spot Bill Cunningham on his bike
• Examining celebrity dopplegangers and wondering, "Is it? Isn't it? Is it?"
• Seeing the absurd lines at Shake Shack, sample sales, and The Book of Mormon
• Watching television shows that take place in New York like Gossip Girl, 30 Rock, How I Met Your Mother, SNL, Law & Order SVU, and Mad Men
• Looking up restaurant grades on the New York State Department of Health website
• Leisurely perusing the fresh produce at the Union Square Greenmarket
• Admiring Grand Central's ceiling
• Street performers
• Bodegas
• The Metro North train ride home on the Hudson line
• Smelling salt water and suntan lotion at Cooper's Beach 
• Going to Tate's early in the morning for iced coffee and croissants 
• Overhearing interesting conversations on the subway
• Sarcasm
• Eating the largest and best bagels in Manhattan (and possibly all of the world) at Ess-a-Bagel, greasy pepperoni pizza, pierogi and sweet potato fries at Veselka, french onion soup at Artisanal, sushi, pumpkin waffles at Penelope, and frozen yogurt at Pinkberry
• Drinking venti lattes 
• Ice cubes
• Getting ready to go out with the girls
• Brunch with friends
• Happy hours with co-workers
• Weekends in Westchester with the family

Here Comes the Construction

It seems like everywhere you go in Gonder, there is construction. Hotels, houses, hospitals, statues, schools, sidewalks, bridges, and roads spring up before your eyes. Within the past couple of weeks I discovered three new hotels in my neighborhood and traveled on two recently completed highways. For small-scale projects scaffolding is made from wood, cement is mixed without a machine, stones are cut by hand, and wheelbarrows and mules are employed. For large-scale projects modern machinery is used and foreigners, such as the Chinese, consult and advise. 

Construction on College

Construction on College

Construction at the Gondar University Hospital

Newly erected statue of Emperor Tewodros
in the center of the Piazza

When we arrived in Gonder, there was a bridge next to our school. It, like many schools and government buildings in the Piazza, was built during the Italian occupation from 1936 to 1941. The main structure has been demolished and slowly work has begun on building a new bridge. The work in Gonder in ongoing, and I look forward to seeing the progress in the upcoming months.

The construction in Gonder reflects broader patterns in infrastructure development occurring throughout Ethiopia. The country is about twice the size of Texas,  with 17% of the population living in urban areas. As of 2010 there were 17 airports with paved runways and 44 airports with unpaved runways. Only 19% of Ethiopia's 36,469 km of roadways are paved (2007).

Ethiopia produces 3,715 billion kWh of electricity annually and uses 3,357 billion kWh (2008).  The Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation, a government-run monopoly, manages the country's telephone system.  Data from 2010 reveals that there are roughly 908,900 main telephone lines and 6,517 million mobile cellular phones (CIA World Factbook).  

Under the Ethiopian Constitution, the state owns all land and provides long-term leases to tenants. This prevents entrepreneurs from using land as collateral for loans, thus serving as a serious impediment to industrial growth. According to the Ethiopian Business Development Services Network, the construction sector faces the following obstacles: dependence on imports for equipment and materials, strict government regulations, scarcity of financing, competition from large, experienced international firms like MIDROC, difficulty establishing relationship with customs, and lack of skilled labor.

Building and maintaining a modern and safe infrastructure is paramount to connecting remote parts of Ethiopia to cultural and economical centers, facilitating trade and tourism, creating jobs and strengthening domestic industries. It looks like Ethiopia is on the right path but additional reforms need to be made for the country to reach its full potential.

Crazy Little Thing Called Timkat

Last week Timkat, or Epiphany, was celebrated for three days across Ethiopia. The holiday marks the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. Gonder is a popular destination so the city was buzzing with excitement. Upon landing in Gonder from Addis Ababa, we were greeted by women in traditional garb handing out flowers, coffee, and bread. The city erected a statue of the highly regarded Emperor Tewodros in the center of the Piazza. I also noticed that many hotels that have been under construction since I first arrived in Gonder were now open, even though they appeared to be unfinished. Locals and pilgrims flooded the streets in celebration, and all of Thursday night I heard prayers being broadcasted.

On Friday we went to Fasiladas' Bath at 7:00 AM. The bath house was decorated with lights, streamers, and red, yellow, and green striped banners. There were thousands and thousands of spectators. The Ethiopians were dressed in all white. The handful of tourists stuck out in the muted sea of white. In front of the bath house clergy were chanting, the low and guttural, in the ancient language of Ge'ez, the predecessor of Amharic. The noise reverberated in the crowd, and the pilgrims swayed with the prayers. After making our way through the throngs, we found spots on the rickety, wooden bleachers surrounding the bath. It was packed; I could hardly move an inch. I had to rest my hands on the shoulders of the woman in front of me. Many children and young men scampered up the sides of the bleachers or perched themselves in trees to get the best view.

Shortly after the crown had squeezed onto the bleacher, the clergy entered and arranged themselves along the pool. They were dressed in fantastic, lush robes of vivid hues with umbrellas, large wooden and gold crosses, and other Ethiopian Orthodox regalia. Some were old with wrinkles and long graying beards while others were surprisingly young. The clergy continued the ceremony, chanting and preaching for roughly two hours. The crowd stood mesmerized, singing along for brief interludes and nodding knowingly. As the service was wrapping up, numerous men appeared by the poolside and began to strip down to their boxers. They kept edging closer and closer to the water. Finally, an elderly priest blessed the water, and the reenactment of the baptism commenced. The somber spell was broken and gave way to revelry. The men jumped in to the cold water, and swam around joyfully. The crowd clapped vigorously and cheered. For good luck, the swimmers splashed the consecrated water into the crowd.

Following the ritual baptism, there was a process outside Fasiladas' Bath. The clergy came out carrying the Tabot, a replica of the Ark of the Covenant. The Tabot is a chest holding stone tablets with the Ten Commandments inscribed. Drummers accompanied the clergy, and onlookers sang along and danced. Similar parades took place throughout Gonder and the rest of Ethiopia during Timkat. It is an opportunity for the greater public to see the Tabot, which is normally kept on church altars and not showcased. After viewing the procession and chatting with some friendly children, who all wanted to know exactly what we thought of Timkat, we headed home exhausted. Luckily, our water was back! It had been turned off for days prior to Timkat in order to redirect water to hotels and the Piazza. So in the spirit of Timkat, I too had a ritual baptism and took a shower.

Festivities at Fasiladas' Bath

Entering Fasiladas' Bath early in the morning

Men scampering up the bleachers to see the ceremony

Priests and bystanders watching the ritual baptism

Swimmers in front of the bath house

Leaving Fasiladas' Bath

Procession of Clergy with the Ark of the Covenant

Rolling out the red carpet for the procession

Priest carrying a covered Tabot on his head

Melkam Timkat!