Field trip and Addis (twice)

October 24-29, 2014

It has been almost two weeks since my last blog, but that doesn’t mean that all was quiet. On the contrary,  I have been in Addis for my hepatitis B booster, been on field trip to 4 remote Woredas, got sick In Mekelle and two days after I returned from the field trip, I had to fly to Addis again for an Evaluation and Monitoring training by VSO. So let me go into some details now.
Before I begin, I just want tell you about the rain we had three weeks ago. I forgot to write this in my last blog, but because it was so special, it should be mentioned. On Sunday October 5 it rained for almost 3 hours and it was the first time I actually felt cold in Semera.

Even a week ago, there was a flooding in the southern part of Afar where a lot of people and children were effected. I had never realised that this could happen here, because Semera is such a dry and hot area. It felt like a wet summer day in the Netherlands.

As written above,I was in Addis for three days around half October for my booster for Hepatitis B. I stayed with Becky and Margaret, very lovely and hospitable volunteers from the UK, did some shopping and visit the Etymologic museum, where Becky and I got in for Habesha prices (5 birr per person instead of 100 for foreigners). We also had a delicious fruit drink (avocado, guava, banana, pear etc.). A way to get some extra vitamins.

On Tuesday I got back from Addis and on that day we left for the field trip. After I was picked up at the airport, I was brought home and packed new clothes and stuff for the trip and hurried to office to find out we were not leaving before 12 o’ clock. In the end we left at quarter to three, so I could rethink my packing, did, and forgot to pack important items anyway.  At the beginning of the evening we arrived in Teru and slept in some compound. The next day we visited an ABEC (Alternative Basic Education Centre), had a meeting and later a debriefing at the Woreda Office. In total we visited three ABEC’s and four Woredas. This trip made me realise how difficult it is to bring education into a pastoral society, but also how resilient these people are. Next to that they are really involved and actively participate in the educating of their children.  Very beautiful to see. The landscape is harsh and sometimes there aren’t even any roads. One time we even had to walk for around 40 minutes to an ABEC after the car could not go on.

Another thing I have to get used to, is that I have to clean my house every day, although I do not do this always. There is constantly so much sand that brooming is a new hobby of mine. I can even do this multiple times a day and still broom up sand. Also before you eat or drink anything, you should rinse your glass or plate. But I forget sometimes. Luckily eating and drinking sand is not that bad, I believe, since my mother always said: “Zand schuurt de maag.” (translated literally: Sand grinds the stomach).

To end this blog, because people are complaining my blogs are too long ;-), I would like to write about getting vegetables here. Lots of people I spoke and even some volunteers who have been here, said it was impossible to get vegetables here and that I had to eat goats’ meat all the time. Even when you were able to find vegetables it was abused before it reaches you. Well, although it is hard to get vegetables, I have now in my fridge:  cabbage, onions, carrots, tomatoes and potatoes (and yes I know, you should not store some of these vegetables in the fridge, but in Semera it is necessary because of the heat).

For getting the vegetables you just have to know when and where to go. So last Sunday, I went shopping in Logia with Sleshi, a philosophy and ethics teacher at Semera University. Okay, it is not as easy and abundant as it is in the Netherlands, but it is to cook different and interesting meals. I do not even cook meat at home, partly as I do not know where to get it and partly because when you eat out, there is always lots of meat. To prove, I eat vegetables, the picture below is from one of my cooking sessions, where I made a Spanish omelette, so I also know where to get eggs.