Return of the Doro

Why hello internet world. It’s been a long time! Tafach! (Amharic for “you disappeared”, which I hear often when I haven’t seen someone for a while)

I’ve been trying to think of something to write for a while but I guess I’m having writers block. (Or feel that my life here in Ethiopia is “normal” without much to report). Not anymore because I want to share my day with ya’ll. It is a part II story from my last “doro bet” fiasco. So now 3 months later the chickens are alive (minus two), and starting to lay eggs. Last week I bought a dozen big brown eggs from the monastery. A nice full circle feeling. But I was concerned because they are still in the tiny no air or light room that they were originally placed in. The doro bet I was building lay in the same state it was when I left it two months ago. But two weeks ago I devised a simple design using the remaining money I had from my grant to buy a few basic materials (metal roofing and chicken wire). So I got a gari ride from my friend Masai and delivered the materials and talked with the carpenter monk to explain my plan. I’m pretty darn sure he understood with the picture I had drawn what I had planned and by his smiling positive response. I left feeling up beat and that I hadn’t abandoned the project and that the chickens might just survive.

Last week I went back to check up with my new acquaintance Hasan (a Muslim guy who was happy to help the Orthodox Christian church, which was very nice) works for the Agricultural Office with rural co-op groups. Upon arrival I was happy and dismayed to see that they had done a ton of work- but made it to the original 3 x 6 meter size- huge and with lots more expensive roofing. Just when I think I have something figured out it turns out to be completely different from I you thought. Always. But I couldn’t be too frustrated because it was almost finished, mud walls and everything.

Hasan had been talking about building a simple triangle shaped fence system to keep the chickens in during the day while they foraged on grass and bugs and we decided to come back the next week to try to build it, which leads me to today. My dear friend at the monastery Elsabet (who is my exact age but looks over 50) greeted us and helped us get to work by introducing us to the “doro bet” crew- all women who in all truth are the ones who really do the work at the monastery while the men sit around and have visitors kiss their wooden crosses (slightly cynical tone but the truth).  First we had to find some wood which involved going into the woods and cutting down some pole size Eucalyptus trees. I really enjoyed working in the woods again hauling wood and cutting with my fancy ferengi saw.

The four women that worked with us were all very sweet and quickly warmed up to me and we really enjoyed “talking” and interacting. We worked all day, barely pausing for lunch, which on a funny side note shows the generosity of Ethiopians. I mentioned I was hungry then in the next 30 minutes 3 different people showed up with food and we soon had a little feast (of lots of dabi – a bread similar to injera and shiro- chickpea powder and spices). They served me a new type of tea that was made from roasted barley and was delicious! The day went fast and we actually finished building the project just as the sun was setting (beautiful pink clouds against the green fields and distant mountains). Of course we couldn’t leave until they then served us more food with a “desert” of fresh hot milk and sugar from one of their ten dairy cows.

Today was truly a delightful “Peace Corps” day largely because it was not me trying to convince others to work but another Ethiopian (who at one point was grumbling about the lazy work ethic of Ethiopians- ha so it’s not just me!). Now I also have more projects to look forward to in the future – Hasan wants to duplicate the easy doro bet design and teaching it to families in rural areas and who need a steady source of income. He might just be one of those rare people that are truly motivated to work and help other which is invaluable to making a project work here. Praise Allah! 

The chickens have flown the coop!

This post is to document, reflect and capture the steps and lessons learned from my latest endeavor- the doro bet project. It all started with casually mentioning to my kind Ethiopian friend Dr. an idea I had seen for placing a chicken coop over a fish pond. I wrote about this in a past blog but for my own internal processing will lay out what happened. Thank goodness I decided to go with the simple doro bet once recognizing that the science did not support an integrated chicken/fish pond. Probably one of the biggest things that got this project off kilter was me going on the recommendation and advice of my acquaintances to buy the 15 chickens from the Ag office under their improved breed doro program. The day I asked about buying chickens they said, yes today is the only day to buy the chicken, you must do it now. Usually I have run into the opposite- “oh you are too late, that should have happened a month ago, now you have to wait a year”. So by going off my best information at the moment I paid for 15 chickens out of my own money, 1500 birr.

This triggered my needing to apply for a grant to get reimbursed and I quickly filled out a “mini” grant – the smallest and fastest grant available. My second hindsight mistake (ie. lesson learned), was to take the word of Getachew of the NGO Farm Africa seriously in believing he would help pay for the building materials (like roofing and fencing). I estimated the supplies would cost about 2000 birr and submitted the grant. For a few weeks I had been trying to get a hold of Getachew, calling, stalking his office, leaving text messages but to no avail.

The first day back in Goba after being in Addis to pick up Erik (yay, he’s here for a month!) I went to the Ag office and someone casually said “oh the chickens arrived yesterday, you need to pick them up today”. Thank goodness Gobezie saved the day by helping me go buy chicken feed, get some basic building supplies and with the help of a few monks carry the 15 chickens out to the monastery. It was one of those classic unexpected but it all works out kind of days. At one moment I was feeling the high of feeling competent in successfully buying chicken corn from the market and taking a gari out to the monastery, all negotiated by myself in Amharic.

Upon arrival at the monastery I learned that the chickens could be stored in the small class room made for the few kids living at the monastery, a good “temporary” solution. The next day Erik and I showed up ready to bust out a chicken coop. After waiting for an hour to gather some basic tools we started work along with a carpenter and a slew of kids and bystanders. Several hours later we stopped working after a long discussion that digging post holes 60 cm deep was totally unnecessary. But concluded that if they insisted, then they could do it, and we would return the next day to continue building.

Of course the next day the holes were not finished but since the head carpenter wasn’t feeling well we started placing the poles and frame. Despite the huge language barrier we all managed to have fun and to work pretty well together. The kids were fun and helpful and one barefoot monk was thoroughly enjoying watching the scene and chatting.  After five days of work we were ready to put on the roofing…. which is where the project stalled. I had finally managed to talk to Getachew and even after visiting the monastery he is stalling on buying any materials. Now it is a week later, the chickens are in their dark hole of a house and I am again trying to get a hold of Getachew who is playing the frustrating game of not giving a clear answer and being very elusive.

Today I went to the Ag office, prepared to give a training with the help of their chicken experts to several of the monks at Teklehaymanot. Before walking out there (its about a 30 minute walk), we called to reconfirm the training (which I had arranged with the head monk Aba Kenfe last week, repeatedly confirming that the date and time were suitable). And of course Aba Kenfe said the monks were in church and today was not a good day. Fortunately Tesfaye (my ag expert friend) was understanding and agreed to do the training on Saturday, which I wont be able to attend because I will be trekking in the Bale Mountains with Erik.

Tomorrow Erik and I will go back to the monastery, build a very rudimentary but healthy doro bet with the few supplies we have and call it good. It has been a very frustrating project largely due to the communication/language barrier along with many cultural differences and habits. The cultural habit of being polite and agreeing to things then not coming through got in the way several times. I’m glad I had a taste of trying a project but am now humbled by just how difficult and slow things can be. My biggest lesson learned is to do my best, especially with clear, repeated communication but in the end to accept that so many things are out of my hands and control. It’s not just up to me to make a project “successful”. Fortunately next week I am flying to Italy so it’s a lot easier to see the big picture right now.

Thanks for reading my latest endeavor. Ishi baka (ok, enough)!

Bees n' shoes

Oh Ethiopia how I love you right now. I just got home from an extremely productive two hours. A few weeks ago I met the teacher for the “Environment and Tourism” department at the Technical College (which if you remember the Ethiopian school system is where you go if you fail the grade 10 exam). I ended up teaching a class about sustainable tourism and the value of the Bale Mountains to the 18 students, who probably understood about 15% of what I said but were very kind and enthusiastic. Anyway a few days ago I met with Argo the teacher and he introduced me to Merhetu, a local bee keeping expert who has a very good project idea.

Today I sat down with them and worked out the details of the proposal which is to place 8 modern and 2 transitional bee hives in the Bale Mountains at the site of a fancy new tourist lodge.  The site is ideal for bees because it is in the heart of the Harenna forest, lush, pristine and bursting with flowers. Once the hives are established they will start training surrounding community members how to work with the modern hives. This is important because the current “traditional” hives are inefficient and in the process of harvesting the honey the bees are killed. Also establishing a way to make money by protecting the forest is crucial for the sustainable management of this unique forest.

So basically I am helping them to formulate their plan then present it to Frankfurt Zoological Society who helps to coordinate management projects within the national park. It’s so nice to finally work with motivated people who have an idea and want assistance with it rather than me trying to rally up enthusiasm to do a project.

Which I am still trying to do with my “Doro Bet” project with the Tekyelemot Monastery but in a new version. The other day I finally managed to drag my fatigued and head cold ridden self up to the Agriculture office to talk about my plan. One guy I have worked with in the past played the arrogant “know it all” (a common personality type here) and proceeded to shoot down my plan with glee. But in hindsight he addressed some of the concerns I had been mulling over, and swallowing my pride I thanked him and left.  My next stop was the Farm Africa office (a great NGO), where Getachew confirmed my concerns but really supported the idea to just build a chicken coop, even saying he could purchase all the materials. So for now all systems are still a go!

Now onto the reason I started to write in the first place. Early this morning tragedy struck- the new puppy in my compound chewed up my Chaco, which for those who don’t know is the world’s greatest sandal that I wear daily and have had for 8 years. But due to Ethiopians resourcefulness I was able to take it to my favorite shoe shine boy and he sewed it up to a usable state and didn't even charge me! So here’s a big grateful grinning salute to all those kind, motivated, helpful Ethiopians out there- thank you! And of course a big hug and smile to all my family and friends back home who are there cheering me on. I truly appreciate you all.

Kind Reflections

February 2, 2014

Phew another month gone. Where did it go? Well for starters lots of time spent on the bus going to and from Addis. I’m sure getting good and 9 hour bus rides, and for the most part enjoy them. Sometimes I meet the nicest people. This last time I met an older lady who reminded me of Whoopie Goldburg and Alice Walker because of her grey hair and kind eyes. She is a school teacher in Addis who lives alone and is named Kabenish. (Side thought- have I ever mentioned how difficult some of the names are here? At least I’m starting to recognize some of them like Tesfaye, Siefeden, Karkidan, and Mestaowit). Anyway she gave me her phone number and said the next time I am in Addis I am invited to stay with her at her home. So kind.

Another kind Ethiopian I am starting to work with is nicknamed “Dr.” because he is a veterinarian, thank goodness because his real name Endalkachew is a mouthful! Today was one of those rare wonderful days where I feel really excited for a potential project. We took a gari (hose drawn cart) out to one of my favorite places in Goba- the Teklehaymanot Monastery where about 150 monks and nuns live tucked into the forest and streams. I’m starting to take the steps in building a chicken coop over a fish pond (the chicken poo helps fertilize the pond), a cool integrated system that I saw in another town. Everyone is very supportive and   eager to help work, which is great! Plus the site is beautiful, peaceful and the people so very kind. There are several caves where in the past people have lived in and prayed and even one cave where a man lived in for 7 years. It really feels good to finally be doing something.

The weather continues to be perfect, sunny with a few fluffy breezy clouds. Yesterday we had our first rain shower in over 2 months indicating the start of the “short rainy season” which will go for the next few months, until the transition into the “long rainy season”. A few weeks ago I took advantage of the low river and went exploring up the Tagona. It is such a joy to be able to get out and explore, one of my main activities for staying sane. At one beautiful little canyon spot I stopped and wrote some “Lessons from walking the river” which I will share:

-keep focused on the next step but look up often, and sometimes look back

-take time to pause, look, listen and feel frequently

-a stern looking man with a gun can have the most brilliant smile once you say hi

-shy little kids are adorable

-flowing water sooths and restores

-simply saying hi and being yourself has an influence on others, make it a positive one

-I have a very strong urge to do something to contribute, but an equally strong fear in trying

-Life is living everywhere you look- frog eggs, bird nests, lizards, bugs, cows on cliff edges…

-In nature a sense of self doesn’t matter

-Eucalyptus smell lovely

-There are many paths to choose from, all get you up stream

-Not everyone smiles, but most do

Despite the frustration of not doing much work I feel very thankful that I have so much time for reflection, reading and meditating. My latest motto has been to see this experience as a 2 year retreat, a chance I will never have again. Plus I get to see cute donkeys and beautiful kids on a daily basis. One kid that cracks me up is a little two year old that is absolutely terrified of me up close but as soon as I am walking away at a safe distance he will shout my name and say bye until I am out of site. Ah little joys. 

A glimpse of the Bonga travels

They make em big in Wolita area! Beautiful homes!

Gojo bets and banana trees as far as the eye can see for miles and miles

Beautiful old woman selling chickpea snacks outside the bus window.

Buna berries drying in the sun. This is where your coffee comes from! 

A little bit of Christmas

Our Christmas gathering. The Catholic priests even made us a tree!

The lovely waterfall we hung out at

Can you say wow! Tropical jungle beauty!!! 

Swimming in the falls!! Cold but wonderful.

My PCV friends Jill and Meg walking through the neighborhood at the waterfalls...

Another amazing sunset in Hawasa officially my favorite city in Ethiopia. Watching this and drinking a beer doesn't get much better!

And there's tons of amazing birds! (This is one of many Mirabou storks)

A delight on top of our hotel roof! Beautiful Colobus monkey. I guess he was looking for water to drink.

Next time you complain about moving...imagine having to do it with only a donkey cart!

Holiday Travels

Ah the joys of a quiet home after 3 days of travel on hot cramped noisy buses! I just got back from fun holiday adventure to visit my friend Sally in her town of Bonga- home of the “mother” coffee tree. Bonga is in the tropical forest region where a large majority of coffee is grown and it’s beautiful! Steep hills and mountains covered with lush jungle vegetation. My good friends Jill and Devin (who live in the town next to me) accompanied me on this adventure and on the way there we decided to take the “scenic” route- adding an extra day to our travels to bypass going to Addis Ababa. One thing I am learning about Ethiopia- it certainly isn't flat desert. Up, down, twist, turn go the roads in various conditions to brand new pavement to dirt.

Christmas was a fun “ferengi” gathering of 8 PCV’s, and 3 Japanese volunteers (in a program very similar to Peace Corps).  I made a roast and we ate cookies and drank egg nog while looking out at the jungle below from a lovely view at the Catholic Church (where one of the Japanese volunteers was renting a nice house from). The rest of the days were spent exploring the jungle and lounging around a beautiful waterfall that we even got to swim in!

In total we were on buses for 6 days, and spent 4 days in Bonga. Along those many miles (kilometers) of travel I wrote little glimpses of what I was seeing (and experiencing) so imagine you are looking out a window seeing little bits of the following from Ethiopia:

-Red blooming Koso trees

-Low rock walls around grass thatched roofs. How old are they?

-Colorful stream coated in freshly washed fabrics drying in the sun

-Hand pressed cow patties drying to be used for cooking fuel

- Huge piles of hay, hand cut after a good harvest. Food for the cows, donkeys, horses and sheep.

-Tiny barefoot kids herding cattle into dry open fields

-Sunrise hitting tin roofs and old tires, the day awakes from darkness

-Mud homes hidden in banana leaf thickets

-Getting hit in the head with a banana stem by a rude street vendor wanting attention (this was at the bus station).

- Greeting an old woman selling veggies; her kissing my hand in respect.

-Hiding from the sun behind a curtain, waiting, waiting for the bus to leave. (it took 3 hours before full of people)

-Small circular burial plots marked with stone pillars

-Different mud homes (Gojo bets)-  very large and tall with straw thatched roofs and circular bamboo base. Little wood doors and decorative paint lining the entrance.

-Breakfast of fried dough balls dunked in little cups of buna at the bus station, perched on a bench around a little charcoal stove.

-Closing my eyes to do yoga in the morning sun at the bus stations (to ignore the stares), then teaching some young guys so yoga poses.

- Peeing in a water bottle in my cheap no bathroom hotel room.

-Reverse ghost town homes; new and partially finished mud homes with no people around. One of the many mysteries.

- A river lined with green in a sea of dry brown fields, naked men and boys swimming and bathing.

- Muslim girls in a colorful array of headscarf’s walking to school.

- Red bushes of poinsettia, white blooms of plumeria, purple bogenvilla; bursts of color among fields of dry corn stalks and straw.

-Green acacia trees dripping with dangling grass weaver bird nests.

-(Upon arriving in Addis Ababa) Girls wearing traditional Orthodox Christian white headscarf’s with tight jeans and high heels.

-Driving through the Great Rift Valley with endless towers of termite mounds and acacia trees with young boys sitting in their shade.

-A posse of young boys playing soccer; all barefoot and pant less

-The bus stopping by a river so all the Muslim men could wash and pray, facing Mecca.

- Near the end of a four hour ride seeing everyone perk up and look out the windows in hopes of seeing Mountain Nayala and other wildlife as we pass through the grassland part of Bale Mountain National Park.

Ah the joys of getting back to Goba and being greeted by the neighborhood kids and women, and sleeping in my own quiet bed.  

Trees n turkey

Well hello there! I’m now back in Goba after spending over a week in the hectic, bustling, booming city of Addis Ababa. Things sure are changing fast there and they are even building a big train rail system in the heart of the city, which will be great in the future but makes for crazy traffic now. I was in Addis for our “Mid-Service Conference” meaning I am officially half-way through with my service! Yay! It was a week of reflecting, planning and re-inspiring ourselves for the upcoming year. And also a time to feast on yummy ferengi foods.

Thanksgiving was a lovely day where 3 of my fellow PCV’s and I got invited to an American family’s home who work for US Aid at the Embassy. It was like being back in America for 6 hours- crazy! Fancy home with a regular bathroom, kitchen- the works- even a trampoline out front and tons of kids toys all over the place. The family was very kind and having been in the Peace Corps themselves knew how to treat us- delicious food galore! A full on real Thanksgiving dinner- turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin and apple pie oh my! It was really interesting to see their world, and vice versa. They were very eager to hear about life “on the other side”, since they essentially live in a bubble of luxury, completely cut off from real Ethiopian life, even after having lived here for over 2 years. It was a wonderful day but a slight disappointment to come back to reality.

But now that I’m back in Goba I wouldn't trade it at all. This morning I went for another sunrise run and ended up exploring up a river in total peace and quiet. As I wondered my way back to town I felt like I was in a timeless place. Little tree and cactus lined pathways with mud homes and grazing horses and donkeys that could have been the same scene a hundred years ago. It was so peaceful and I felt very content and competent as I asked for directions back to town from the surprised but very friendly locals. I was reminded of cultural differences when I tried to give a little boy “high five” and he flinched in fear at the white person raising her hand at him.  

Back home after making crepes from milk still warm from the cow I spent the day dinking around my garden, and doing chores. I wonder what it is that makes sun dried sheets smell so good? Maybe all the effort it takes to wash them by hand…

After a pretty low, frustrating and depressing week I really enjoyed relaxing and connecting with my neighbors. I also had an inspiring meeting with a local veterinarian called “Doc” who helped me translate and print a flyer about how to care for newly transplanted trees. Sometimes after much frustration and flopped efforts one little success can feel so good. Tomorrow I will hand out the flyers along with supposedly 10,000 tree seedlings. This is a project put on by the Bale Nature Club that I have talked about before and is yet another typical example of good intentions but poor planning. Last Sunday I found a flyer on my door announcing a program to give away trees and I spent this week trying to understand what the “program” was all about.

I guess due to a flood the Agriculture office has to get rid of all of their tree seedlings and called upon the Bale Nature Club to help distribute them to the public. Sadly this is the worst time of year to plant trees- the rains have stopped and it will be dry for the next 3 or 4 months. So that is why I tried to make a flyer instructing people to water their trees. (A new concept). Sorry for the cynicism, I guess that’s what Ethiopia has done to me.

Anyway I am inspired about my new partnership with Doc because he seems to be eager to help and work on different things. Currently we are talking about putting on a training for all of the gari drivers (horse drawn carriages) in Goba about how to properly care for their horses. This was his idea and I’ve learned to go with the flow and work where I can when people are motivated. So here’s to motivated action, let’s see where this gari ride takes me!