Ababa (meaning "elder") - the guard at the house. Ababa has no family at all and can't read and write. His room fits his bed and little else - literally - he has to sit on the bed to close the door. I wonder what he thinks all day as he sits and stares or holds his head in his hands. He has a "nothinhg" life. I bring him some books from the library and on the first day we spend about an hour going through a National Geographic, looking at the pictures and neither of us speaking the language of the other. But he makes me understand that he knows what the pictures are of, and when he doesn't I manage to make him understand what they are of or I get one of the girls or Koni to translate. He begins to join us for the evening meal and in no time Ababa and I are good friends - I get hugs and smiles and traditional handshakes. I see him writing on his hand and we provide him with some paper. He continues to write something, but as he insists he doesn't know how to read and write I'm not at all sure what it is he writes, but he seems to enjoy doing it. We change his books from the library often and it fills his days, looking at the pictures. Life seems a little better.
Part of the courtyard and the gate and yes, they are gum trees - they are everywhere in Addis. This is where the girls wash their hair and clothes and the only entrance to the property. Ababa's "room" is up the steps on the right.
Ledet and Salem (one of them) dancing in the lounge room
From l to r: Kidist, me, Ledet infront, Koni, Konjit in front
The house is large and in pretty good condition. My room (which I think is usually Yodit's room) has a bathroom with hot water attached. The rats in the ceiling wake me up sometimes at night (and last night I think there was a person on the roof and Koni agrees), and the mice in my room aren’t touching anything much. I am being bitten on the face by something, today we are going to get some spray and give my room a spray to see if we can get rid of whatever it is.
The girls only have cold water. All washing is done by hand in the courtyard as is hair washing. The girls get up at 5.30 am and at 6.00 have devotions (this is a strongly Christian household and organization). They all have many tasks to do before leaving for school at around 7.45 am. When they get home from school there’s a strict regime of washing uniforms, helping prepare dinner (we have Ami, a cook, who doesn’t live in but prepares all the meals with help from the girls), homework, and now an English lesson for an hour as well). They also had 30 minutes reading before bed, but now I read aloud to them in English for that time and bed at 9.00 (or 3.00 here). Ethiopia is the only country in the world that still follows the Julian calendar and a different time system. I am now fine with the time and can talk in Ethiopian time. It is the year 2000 here and so the millennium is being widely celebrated – the actual date was September 11 – that’s the new year.
We’ve finished the business plan for the proposed business to support the library. Later today I will go over the proposal that next week I get to take to Unesco and others to support the library. I have met the wife of the parliamentary speaker and will meet with her again to talk about ideas for assistance to the aged. There is virtually nothing at all at the moment.
Saturday is cleaning day so all around me the girls are cleaning everything. The cupboard has been emptied; all the furniture taken outside and all is being washed and polished. This happens ever Saturday. Kind of puts us to shame.
As yet I have only taken photos with my point and shoot but will one day soon get the good cameras out and get down to some real photos. Ermi has promised to take me out one morning early while all the street children are still in bed and there’s little traffic. As he was once a street boy himself he feels very passionate about helping them however he can. I can take photos then he tells me, that most of them will be fine with that. I figure I can pay for the privilege if I have to. He tells me that as soon as he saw me at the airport he took me to his heart and I am a loved guest. He is very sweet – and an amazingly snappy dresser.
We walk to the boys’ home each day for English classes. It’s about 2 km I guess. And today we’ll walk to Ermi’s boy’s house (older street boys) which is a bit further. At first I used to get very breathless (Addis is about 8000 ft above sea level) but that is improving. The library is the other side of town so that will be by car. I am enjoying teaching English, it’s at a very basic level of course and often what I say has to be interpreted. Koni is usually the one as her English is best. Ermi says some small things. The girls and boys try hard. In high school all their classes are in English but it doesn’t seem to help hugely – I suspect they are better at written English than spoken. Ermi’s boys don’t have the education (often they left home and went onto the street at a young age) so we are beginning at the beginning with them. Yesterday we did the alphabet. All the children except 1 are orphans; some have a brother or sister, or maybe a grandmother. There are 4,000,000 orphans in Ethiopia, mostly orphaned by AIDS.
My room when it was still tidy and you could see the desk
The house is large and in pretty good condition. My room (which I think is usually Yodit's room) has a bathroom with hot water attached. The rats in the ceiling wake me up sometimes at night (and last night I think there was a person on the roof and Koni agrees), and the mice in my room aren’t touching anything much. I am being bitten on the face by something, today we are going to get some spray and give my room a spray to see if we can get rid of whatever it is.
The girls only have cold water. All washing is done by hand in the courtyard as is hair washing. The girls get up at 5.30 am and at 6.00 have devotions (this is a strongly Christian household and organization). They all have many tasks to do before leaving for school at around 7.45 am. When they get home from school there’s a strict regime of washing uniforms, helping prepare dinner (we have Ami, a cook, who doesn’t live in but prepares all the meals with help from the girls), homework, and now an English lesson for an hour as well). They also had 30 minutes reading before bed, but now I read aloud to them in English for that time and bed at 9.00 (or 3.00 here). Ethiopia is the only country in the world that still follows the Julian calendar and a different time system. I am now fine with the time and can talk in Ethiopian time. It is the year 2000 here and so the millennium is being widely celebrated – the actual date was September 11 – that’s the new year.
We’ve finished the business plan for the proposed business to support the library. Later today I will go over the proposal that next week I get to take to Unesco and others to support the library. I have met the wife of the parliamentary speaker and will meet with her again to talk about ideas for assistance to the aged. There is virtually nothing at all at the moment.
Saturday is cleaning day so all around me the girls are cleaning everything. The cupboard has been emptied; all the furniture taken outside and all is being washed and polished. This happens ever Saturday. Kind of puts us to shame.
As yet I have only taken photos with my point and shoot but will one day soon get the good cameras out and get down to some real photos. Ermi has promised to take me out one morning early while all the street children are still in bed and there’s little traffic. As he was once a street boy himself he feels very passionate about helping them however he can. I can take photos then he tells me, that most of them will be fine with that. I figure I can pay for the privilege if I have to. He tells me that as soon as he saw me at the airport he took me to his heart and I am a loved guest. He is very sweet – and an amazingly snappy dresser.
Ermi
Next weekend we are getting a bus and we are taking all the kids away for the weekend out of Addis. The level of excitement is intense – it should be a great weekend.
Anyway, must go – Ermi will be here soon and then it’s English 101 for an hour and an afternoon with the kids at the library. Henok and Eden who look after the library are also beautiful people (many of them are stunningly beautiful to look at) – Henok lives at the library as well – he’s so quiet and gorgeous – he works for no salary, only sometimes what Koni shares with him from what she receives.
This trip is making me so grateful for what we all have as well as making me really question what I do at home (which pretty much anyone could do) and yet any idea I have here is something that can make a real difference in people’s lives. I have found that is what they are most grateful for – just ideas.
Anyway, must go – Ermi will be here soon and then it’s English 101 for an hour and an afternoon with the kids at the library. Henok and Eden who look after the library are also beautiful people (many of them are stunningly beautiful to look at) – Henok lives at the library as well – he’s so quiet and gorgeous – he works for no salary, only sometimes what Koni shares with him from what she receives.
This trip is making me so grateful for what we all have as well as making me really question what I do at home (which pretty much anyone could do) and yet any idea I have here is something that can make a real difference in people’s lives. I have found that is what they are most grateful for – just ideas.
More on Ethiopia shortly (remember I actually wrote this several weeks ago now, but the photos were taken at all different times).
Love to everyone
Lyndall
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