A Heart Full of Happy

back in Denver

2010-08-26T17:27:00.000-07:00

We covered three continents the past four days: left Gimbie at 5:30 AM Monday morning. Two of the girls staying with the Sisters wanted to ride in the pick up with us to Nekempt and Dawit wanted to ride in the bed because he "loved us and knew we loved him". Once in Nekempt we found our promised ride to Addis Ababba had changed his mind and wasn't going until Thursday. To use Sister Mati's favorite expression, "What to do?" We finally hired a driver and van to take us and paid a ridiculous price for the privilege. Once we contracted for the ride, the driver began to pick up extra passengers as a way of making a bit of gravy until I started squawking. I had visions of Ryan and me plus fifteen other passengers, chickens, sheep, and produce slogging toward Addis. I have one meltdown per trip and this was it. We finally got to Addis after being on the road for fourteen hours.

I took four hot showers while in Addis Tuesday and the white towel was red with Gimbie mud after every shower. The flights home were long, tedious, and uneventful. It's good to be home in the land of hot water but was tough leaving everyone in Gimbie again. Five kids are going to boarding school this year, thanks to everyone who helped me, and four more boys are promised "dormitory" next year if they do well this year. Ryan took incredible photos and recorded hours of music and conversation. I can't wait for his film to materialize. The name is no longer She Has a Name but the focus is still on gender equality and observations of life in Ethiopia.

I've been told I shouldn't include my amazing machine gun addition to the closing prayer
at our going away party Sunday evening but will note that two weeks of cabbage and lentils do have an affect on the elderly.

Thanks for following my 7th last trip to Gimbie and thanks for all the support from all of you again.

Sue, who doesn't speak French or walk

Sunday, August 22

2010-08-22T03:56:00.000-07:00

All the boys were lined up at the gate yesterday because they thought it was our last day. Each had a request: books, uniforms, food, but all wanted to go to boarding school or 'dormitory". Girma again broke down in tears...he's wiling to repeat grades nine and ten so he can take the grade ten exam again, then he can go to grades 11 and 12 and have a chance for free university. No way could I tell him no when he was in such obvious pain. He can attend Dongoro school for $500 this year so I'll find the funds............anyone want to feed me this year?

Visited the widow with four kids whom we met last year. She bought two donkeys with the money we left and was soooo happy. She uses them to carry wood to market and also rents them to other farmers. Capitalism at work! The father with four girls bought the cow last year, they have milk and also have a calf that stays inside with them!

Jesus still hasn't inspected the outhouses at the school but Suzy was telling us that two boys were inside dancing one time and the floor collapsed...........one kid fell in and landed in the bottom of the pit which was teeming with red ants, and the other ran for help. Someone got a pole and hoisted him out. The kid walked on his knees to the altar at mass the next Sunday thanking God for saving him from a drowning in the outhouse.

Friday, August 20

2010-08-21T04:25:00.000-07:00

SCL I'm sitting on a wet mossy wall surreptitiously using the hospital's wireless. Hate Windows and not fond of the net book either but at least I'm online. Three of my tough street orphans have cried the past two days. Dawit was overcome with joy at being able to attend boarding school. He's there today registering. Getenet burst into tears when I asked where he sleeps. "Nowhere." He ran out of Jimi Juice in tears and had to be coaxed back in. I feel like an insensitive idiot. Germa cried when he talked to me about school. He did not pass the tenth grade exam and is doomed without further education. He told me he has lost hope. Busy today saying goodbye to everyone and dividing the money to leave. Ryan is quite busy with the Catholic sisters who are thoroughly enjoying his talents- electric, plumbing, building inspector, computer expert. me.............I just don't walk far....the kids hold my arms as though I'm one hundred years old. Sister Mati told of listening to a poor woman suffering with an impossible husband. Mati said there is no solution, let's pray to God that he be taken soon. He had a heart attack! We told her not to pray for us!

August 17th

2010-08-17T03:24:00.000-07:00

In France last year I was introduced as Sue who doesn't speak a word of French. Here I am introduced as Sue who can't walk. Now we're talking 40 kilometers that I cant walk! I've hauled my body at least 5 kilometers a day and am sleeping quite well.

Went to Abinet's house yesterday and was given six eggs and tons of unprocessed coffee. Great visit.

Every time we walk Gimbie's main road we encounter mentally ill. One hurls rocks at object, people, random. Another yells at me but the boys won't tell me what she says. Others lurch about and bet. Quite sad and also a bit frightening.

Love hot bucket showers.......feels just like home. Etenesh heats the water on the wood fire each morning for the sissy white lady.

Bulte

2010-08-14T05:41:00.000-07:00

I usually start the day asking Ryan, "What will Jesus do today?"

A frantic Bulte came to the door yesterday wanting me. He overheard the other boys talking about going to boarding school with me footing the bill. He wanted to go, too. It took four of us to converse........he spoke in Oroma to Hawi who spoke in Amharic to Etensesh who told me in English. We got so tickled we could hardly stand up but Bulte didn't see the humor. When I told him the rumor wasn't true because I didn't have that much money, he said maybe Ryan did! Didn't convince him that was a rumor and he left with tears in his eyes.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

2010-08-11T07:31:00.000-07:00

In Gimbie and teaching. Ryan went with Sister Mati to the HIV/AIDS program.........the kids were thrilled because they thought he was Jesus. One litle boy was certain because h'ed seen a photograph of Jesus and he said Ryan looked just like him. They were so happy he was smiling and had gotten off the cross.

Drove through a town with a sign that displayed "Defecation Free Town." Still trying to figure that one out.

2010-08-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

Thursday, August 5, 2010

As we scooted down the muddy bank to the first water project, Teferi stopped and asked me if I had any heart problems. I made it down and back and then we hit three more on the way to Dembi. At the reforestation project he told us the tall grass encouraged antelope which encouraged pythons who fed on them. I now know exactly how pythons consume antelopes as well as humans and was very careful when I made my bush stop.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Our hosts were aghast when I told them Ryan had gone back to the guest house to change his pants because he was so hot! Later they told us that the term 'pants' refers to underpants and they NEVER even say that word.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Great filming today of church, water lines, and a grandmother who cares for five grandchildren because their parents have died of AIDS.
Finished the interview in tears and amazement.

Arrival in Addis

2010-08-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

Made it to Addis in one piece although the Frankfurt desk said the connecting flight had been waiting for us. Airport arrival was tedious, as usual, and we were met by two people from different hotels. Sorted that out and crashed after a tepid shower.

Today was 300k forward and 200 up, down and sideways so we're spending the night in Nekemte. Two rooms, Ryan, me, Tekife, and the driver. After much negotiation, I'm sleeping alone without a hot shower or my suitcase, Tekife and Ryan are sharing a room and the driver is somewhere else. Our luggage is under five tarps and numerous ropes so I got to the room empty-handed rather than digging out my p.j.s and make-up. Eeeeek.

Spent the day apologizing for the hotel arrangement mix up. Tomorrow we head on to Gimbie and then Dembi Dolo.
It is freezing cold and wet here.
--
SCL

Ethiopia 2010

2010-07-30T08:58:00.000-07:00

I leave for trip #7 to Gimbie next week. I'm leaving with lesson plans, games, books, prizes, pens, and chalk for the teachers. I'm taking shoes, shirts, shorts, slacks, and stuff for the Gimbie kids. I'm taking medical supplies to Dembi Dolo and I'm taking yarn, vitamins, books, and clothes for the Sisters.

The BIG difference this year is Ryan, a senior at UCD, who is going to film our documentary, She Has a Voice. This is Ryan's first trip to Africa and his first trip with his professor's mother. Ryan is a brave soul and I can't wait to see Africa through his eyes with his camera.

JIMI JUICE JOY

2009-10-03T09:00:00.001-07:00

Ellen with the boys at Jimi Juice. Getenet in the gray jacket.

Baby Blankets

2009-09-11T15:16:00.000-07:00

An amazing volunteer in Gimbie, Monica Barlow, stayed in Ethiopia after her six months was finished because she is adopting two babies from Gimbie. Monica now has six infants in her home which is easy to locate on the compound because it is surrounded by baby clothes flapping on the clothesline, baby equipment on the porch, and other volunteers inside holding happy babies. Monica not only has a house full of abandoned infants, she and Sister Suzi have started day care for older street children. At least a dozen HIV positive street kids spend the mornings with a teacher at the Women's Center and they receive one meal a day there as well. Monica is working with an orphanage in Addis Ababa to find homes for the infants as well as working on the red tape needed to bring her own Hawi and Sammy to the U.S. We took several dozen baby blankets to Gimbie for Monica's babies.

The Widow

2009-09-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

Her husband died three months ago after years of illness and she is still in mourning. She can't be more than twenty five years old and she has no skills, no education, and no means of supporting herself and her children. Right now she lives on hand outs from relatives and friends and she cries when she thinks of her future. We left birr with Sister Suzi and asked her to help somehow. A possible plan to earn money that we could seed? This one is difficult.

Deborah

2009-08-28T20:07:00.000-07:00

Diborah asked me to find her a sponsor so she can go to boarding school next year. She is in the eighth grade and wants a better education than is offered in Gimbie. Both of her parents work at the hospital and their combined monthly salaries are less than $100. Boarding school costs $1000 per year so finding a sponsor is her only choice. Diborah has wanted to be a doctor since she was quite young and I would so like to help her. Anyone interested?

Marianitas Sisters from Ecuador

2009-08-28T19:54:00.001-07:00

It is impossible to describe these women. They are selfless, professional, compassionate, tough, pragmatic, realistic, and optomistic in the midst of extreme suffering and poverty. Sisters Suzi, Mati, Johni, and Consuela work with the poorest of the poor in Gimbie with such grace, dignity, and energy that the rest of us are left in their dust.

We took yarn for the knitting projects they have begun, we taught their teachers, and we left funds for them to use any way they wish. A program for very young street children has just begun in their Women's Center in Gimbie and my guess is the money will be used here. These young children live on the streets, many are HIV, and all are throw away children. The Sisters provide one meal a day for them, a teacher, and love.

Once I asked Sister Suzi how many of the people they helped are Catholic and she laughed, "Not many because there are so few Catholics here. We don't care what religion people are, we just want to show them God's love."

I am in awe of these women.

Gamachis, Dawit, and Mitiku

2009-08-28T06:35:00.000-07:00

Dawit called himself "Fungis" when I first met him; later he corrected anyone who dared use that name for him. These three have been orphaned for years and Gamachis, as the oldest, has taken the responsiblity to raise them. Gamachis and Dawit sold injera for years which earned them 10 cents per day at best. All three boys are intelligent and know that an education is their only hope. Mitiku, the youngest, loves art and has always been quiet, sweet, and studious. Dawit has had a rougher time; for awhile he would sit under a tree studying while the rest of his friends harassed ferengis at the hospital. Later, his frustration at having to beg for everything turned to anger and he tried "bad boy behavior". Gamachis worries about his brothers and he dreams of more education for himself. He also wants to bring their sister home from Nekempt where she earns $5.00 a month as a live in maid.

This visit to Gimbie found the boys doing well. Gamachis works at the hospital and earns $40 a month which is a fortune to them. He is paying for Dawit to take English lessons this summer and he delights in Mitiku's art skills. Gamachis opened a bank account so we added funds to that account for education and food. Their future finally has a glimmer of hope.

The tailor

2009-08-27T07:59:00.000-07:00

Most Ethiopians have no idea of their age and the tailor was no exception, but since we both had gray hair we decided we were the same age. His shop was under the corrugated tin roof of his porch and he sat behind his treddle sewing machine every day but Sunday. He hemmed my pants once and wouldn't let me pay him because I had taken his photo. After that I always got a warm hug from him and his wife when I stopped on my walk down the main street of Gimbie. This year I got my usual welcoming hug from both, smiles and gestures toward heaven in thanks for my safe return to Gimbie. On my last evening in Gimbie I stopped by to say good bye. His wife pulled me inside their small, dark home, managed to say "hospital", and led me toward the bed where he was dying.

After we stumbled outside I asked Sirika if I should leave money for the wife. Sirika told me she was going to have a very hard time now and I should, so he ran back inside with birr. The only conversations he and I ever had were non-verbal or through an interpreter. I've lost a dear friend and Gimbie has lost the tailor who always had a smile for everyone.

Stuck in the Mud

2009-08-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

DuckHead Shoes of Lynchburg, VA donated 100 pairs of shoes to us and Corie stuffed all of them in a huge duffel bag to get them from Virginia to Gimbie. Everyone needs shoes there because of jiggers so we contemplated just where they would do the most good. After giving all of our boys a pair we decided to take the rest to a remote village about five miles outside of Gimbie that Benyam knew. He assured me that I could make the twenty minute hike off road easily so Corie, Ellen, and Benyam, and I all loaded back packs full of shoes and headed out. The hike started easily but then the path became a swamp and the dirt became slippery, slimy mud. I sunk to my knees in red clay more than once and my shoes stayed there when I managed to get my feet out of the muck. Benyam valiantly tugged me out of the mud, guided me through heavy brush, and kept an eye out for snakes.......I think he said pythons! Once we arrived at the designated area there were no people, no houses, and silence.....just a large group of baboons watching us warily. Not to worry, once someone knew we were there we would have a crowd. And we did. At least fifty children showed up, then adults of all ages found us. We quickly ran out of shoes but people kept coming, smiling, and thanking us. It was bedlam but it was joyous and we had an escort of fifteen or twenty kids back to our truck. Again, they thanked us for coming as we headed back to town covered with mud but plotting our next trip......maybe 200 pairs next time?

Bulte

2009-08-26T10:17:00.000-07:00

Bulte is truly on his own. He is an orphan with no family and most people are afraid of him because he has seizures, so he is alone. He's artistic, he's sensitive, and he's hungry. He ate three meals a day with us while we were in Gimbie because he can't take his medication without food. He learned the joys of peanut butter while with us and took our huge jar of Jif to his house when we left. We made plans for him to have one meal a day for at least a year. I just heard that both Bulte and Sarika are getting two meals a day with the funds we left for them! Thanks to all of you.

and a donkey

2009-08-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

Her only means of support for herself and four children is to gather and carry firewood each day which is not only back breaking work, it pays 25 cents a day at best. So this family now has a donkey, thanks to your contributions.

Abinet

2009-08-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

Abinet's tuition for boarding school is paid for another year. She is in college now, which is the eleventh grade, and she remains a serious student. The first time I met Abinet she told me she dreams of becoming a doctor. Seven years later that is still her goal. Her English is excellent now so she interprets for me; her demeanor has changed so that the people of Gimbie think she is a ferengi (foreigner) and they beg her for money. She assures me that she will take care of me in my old age once she becomes a doctor.

Caps, Cows, and Corn

2009-08-25T13:35:00.000-07:00

Only one of the four little girls was home when we arrived, on foot, hot, panting and puffing from the hike. Always before the girls have been shy and would watch us solemnly but this time was different: Jaratu bounced up and down with joy when she spotted us. We had shoes for them......she hesitated to try hers on because her feet were dirty.......we had a new dress for each so she happily tried on all of them. We interviewed her and her father and learned that her happiest day was when she got new shoes. Her saddest was when she couldn't go to school because there was no money for a $.40 notebook. Her dad's happiest day is when he harvests the corn and they will have that to eat during the dry season. His saddest thoughts are of not being able to help his daughters have a better life than his. His anger is not being able to have any of the manure from his neighbor's cow.

They are getting a new cow and the girls are going to school, thanks to all of you who sent cash with us. They also got hand knitted caps meant for Nepal but now proudly adorning four beautiful little girls in Ethiopia. Thanks, Dugan.

Sarika

2009-08-25T07:36:00.000-07:00

He asked me about people who had supported him in the past and I had to tell him I didn't know where they were now. Sarika smiled and said, "that's OK, Sue. I have you."

Sarika was about six when I met him on my first trip. He was so scrawny, so dirty, and so pitiful. He screamed at the top of his lungs everytime he saw me......"very hungry, no father, give me pen, give me book, give me food." His mother died shortly after I left that year and he's been special to me ever since. He is my self appointed guard in Gimbie now and he shows up no matter where I am. He loves to translate for me and he gives me advice, teases me, and pushes me up hills. He is still scrawny, a bit dirty, but always smiling and we made plans for him to have one meal a day for at least a year.

Seven Stuffed Suitcases

2009-08-23T16:21:00.000-07:00

Friends, family, and casual strangers sent us with hospital gear, books, baby blankets, yarn, shoes and dollars. Deciding how to distribute all this was daunting but also exciting. We carried dollars in money belts, backpacks, pockets, and suitcases. Converting it to Ethiopian birr exploded the bulk of cash on hand since the largest bill is worth about eight dollars. Here's how we distributed our fists' full of birr:

Germa and Ibraham completed tenth grade this year which is the last year of schooling that is free in Ethiopia. Both are anxiously awaiting results of the exam that will allow them to attend eleventh and twelfth grade. Without these two grades there is no hope at all for their futures. Both boys are working as shoeshine boys this summer making a dollar a day on good days. We left money for books, fees, and food. They reminded me that I had promised New Oxford Dictionaries on my last trip and had forgotten to send them. Ouch.

Summer 2009

2009-08-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

A successful trip to Ethiopia is one where I don't fall down, get my pocket picked, or acquire any exotic diseases. My sixth trip to Gimbie was even better than that. Corie, from Lynchburg, got us organized and Ellen, my granddaughter, decided to join us. We stayed in the surgeon's house on the Gimbie Adventist Hospital grounds.......great accomodations even with sporadic electricity and water. Best trip yet.

My brain was sorely tested as I taught English grammar for Sister Suzi and her staff but I loved it. I don't remember ever studying continuing past perfect particles but I taught them anyway! My class grew each day and the students clamored for more time in class! We talked about cultural differences, we did a lot of creative writing, and we plodded through gerunds, infinitives, and tenses. Corie helped me with all my spelling blunders and Ellen taught a class on safety. One day I brought out the wire, pliers, and beads sent my my daughter, Karen, and we all spoke English as we made bracelets. Even the male teachers enjoyed making bracelets as much as the rest of us.

Four motherless girls of Gimbie

2008-11-20T17:30:00.000-08:00

Sister Suzi wrote today that she'd be happy to get my package of clothes to the girls. Since they don't have water, much less soap, I know the clothes I'm sending will soon be dingy but if those girls feel special with new dresses for even an hour I'll be pleased.

I keep getting urged to come back to teach teachers, work with students, just spend some time. Anyone out there want to go to Ethiopia?

My "boys" in Gimbie

2008-11-01T15:18:00.001-07:00

Suri children

2008-10-31T13:54:00.000-07:00

Pastor Joe

2008-10-30T05:17:00.000-07:00

I learned that the man who called the Guest House every night asking for Pastor Joe and then telling me how badly he needed money is a scam artist! Seems his desperate need for money every evening changes with whomever answers the phone. His stories range from being thrown out by his landlord to breaking his bones in a terrible accident to obtaining a new job with a church outside of Addis and needing transportation money. When told to bring in documentation by one of the men who talked to him at the guest house he screamed, "What are you? The CIA?"

So be warned if you get a call asking for Pastor Joe!

Still thinking about the Suri

2008-10-29T15:40:00.000-07:00

The "old man" who was in Addis having both cataracts removed was amazed with his new sight. He kept telling people "You're a man! You're a woman!" He'd been blind for seven years. He called his sunglasses his "black eyes."

Ulrike is an attractive, slender woman with gorgeous curly hair. Once when she returned to Tulgit with a new style they told her she looked like a goat and to go back to Addis and have it changed! Brutally honest, I'd say.

They all asked me my age and when I told them they were astonished. They told me I was doing quite well for such an ancient person.

The Hilton Wedding

2008-10-28T12:53:00.000-07:00

The big wedding I blundered in to at the Hilton was that of two of the Olympic track stars from Ethiopia. So that explains all the cameras, pomp, and prestige. The meat was explained first as a symbol of money but secondly because Ethiopians love raw meat so they choose a choice bit and it gets whacked off right there for them to enjoy.

Glad I'm short because I understand the wedding was on TV that night and I'm sure I would not have added a thing to the festivities had I been in camera range.

Home Again

2008-10-28T12:12:00.000-07:00

It was a grueling trip but I made it home last night and my luggage made it this morning.

Thanks for all the comments on my blog. What fun to read them now. I had so much trouble with email over there so want to fill in a few gaps. Many times I would write and then the computer would refuse to send so I apologize for the vagueness of some of my thoughts.

The Suri people were so fascinating and I am still absorbing all that I saw and heard. The Suri are a semi-nomadic tribe in the remote southwestern part of Ethiopia who still have a distinct culture that has scarcely been influenced by the modern world. Their culture revolves around cattle and their herds are beautiful. They do not sell, trade, or slaughter the cattle but a man's wealth and stature revolves around his herd as they are used to buy a bride, settle an injustice, or slaughtered when a family member is near death and needs the nourishment. The men spend days with their herds.

Ulrike Bayer, a German woman, lives with the Suri and is deeply involved in literacy for them. The Ethiopian government has built schools and is attempting to educate the Suri but in a language they do not know, Amharic. Ulrike has translated the Amharic text and lessons into Suri and she has recruited and trained a few Suri in several villages as teachers.

Professional photographers have come to the area and paid outrageous fees to document the Suri and this has caused big time trouble. Tourist also come on occasion with the sole intent of taking photos. The Suri resent being viewed as freaks and demand money for any photos taken as a result. So, I cautiously used my camera there and always with friendly Suri.

When a girl decides she is ready to get married she begins the process of slitting her lip and stretching it so she can use the lip plate. This is a very painful process but an important one to the Suri. She can wear the lip plate once she marries and is signifies her respect for her husband. Most also have their upper and lower front teeth removed so the plate will not press against the teeth and cause pain. Since I couldnt' understand anyone with or without the lip plate I don't know how it affected speech. Most removed the plate to eat but then the lip hangs loosely and looks almost as strange as the plated lip.

When a boy is ready to marry he engages in stick fighting which is a brutal ritual where two young man whack the daylights out of each other with sticks. The winner, bloody and usually with a few broken bones, then gets chosen as someone's prospective husband. The spectators are known to drink beer during the festivities, shoot their AK 47s and avenge past problems. For obvious reasons, I didn't go to a stick fight!

One Suri woman who was in a car for the first time looked out the window, then covered her eyes and lowered her head and yelled, "The trees are running, the trees are running!" Their name for tires on a car is feet and when the car has a flat it has a broken foot. The soul of the body is in the stomach and when one needs patience he is said to be swallowing his words.

The amazing aspect of my visit there is that I enjoyed these people even though I'm sure they thought I was freakish in my clothing, my camera and audio equipment and make up rather than paint. They were hospitable, funny, and showed the same humor, curiosity, caring and intelligence just like everyone else I know. .

Weddings

2008-10-26T04:47:00.000-07:00

Cold and rainy day here in ADdis so I decided to hang out at the Hilton. Found myself in the middle of another wedding but this was very elaborate. Six bridesmaids descended to the lobby via elevator followed by the bride in a second. They all then processed to the reception with live music blaring. Reception had about twenty tables loaded with food and four large meat racks hanging newly butchered lamb. Obviously something about meat here that i dont understand.

So now I've been to a wedding in Tulgit where the guests were munching on raw intestines, the wedding we crashed in Gimbie where other guests were shoved aside to welcome us, and this one at the Hilton. At least fifteen cars waited outside the hotel decorated with flowers, a streeeeeeeeeetch limo being the lead car. I do wonder how big a bride price this groom had to pay.

Libraries

2008-10-25T03:51:00.000-07:00

Precision isn't a priority over here. Houses are not square, furniture is not level and is rickety even when new, even the best hotels don't trim out the doors, streets are full of potholes, sidewalks have deep three foot gaps in them over sewage, and nothing is timely. However, Ethiopia Reads libraries are built to exact standards and they are beautiful. The furniture doesn't rock, shelves don't fall down, there is ventilation and natural light. ER is a first class operation and is filling a desperately needed gap in the culture. The libraries are something to be rpoud of.

Thought I was through seeing naked men but walked past one bathing in a vacant lot and then nearly walked over one sleeping on the sidewalk. Enough!

Back to Addis

2008-10-24T15:28:00.000-07:00

Five hour drive back to Addis was uneventful but exhausting. Passed men selling gorgeous wedges of honey on big platters on the side of the road and they were covered with blowing dust and exhaust fumes. Passed men carrying flattened goats to the market and finally figured out they had removed the goat and were selling the hide. Passed huge greenhouses that export roses that were rather sinister with all the security surrounding them. Could also smell the pesticides they use. passed the Robber Rural Drug Store but my favorite now is the Caustic Soda Shop.........so edgy. Passed a lot of great photo ops but couldn't get the driver to stop. He always said next time we saw the same! Driver is Orthodox so every time we passed a church he would cross himself several times. Wasn't easy with the cell phone in one hand and the gear stick in the other! Glad I"m finsihed with drivers for this trip.

Abinet's school was right on the highway so I stopped and got her out of class. She looks great and seems happy. Told me I am a very STRONG Mother...........think that overrides RUGGED?

Good Morning Teacher

2008-10-24T03:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I couldn't get breakfast at my hotel coffee shop. Don't know if it was because I'm not male, was not with a male, or had a lousy waiter. When Yohannes heard this he raised cain and this morning I had service. I was ready to stomp and scream yesterday. I visited two rural schools, each with over 3000 elementary students, every class had over 80 students crammed into the benches and desks. Both schools have rooms set aside for new libraries funded by Ethiopia Reads. Amazing how Yohannes is enfocing American standards on these schools and it's working. The one that had a few books had yellowed, brittle books published in 1966. Other had none at all.
All the schools here have split sessions so they accomodate the kids in only a few classrooms. There were kids bigger than I in the first grade but all jumped up and said Good Morning Teacher and I love that.
My extra treat for the day wqas a visit to the local park which is full of monkeys and birds. Birds were as big as I am and as loud as I was ready to be at breakfast this morning. Leave for Addis this morning and dread the drive. I know I've been subjected to the worse vehicles and drivers that Ethiopia has to offer. This one is on his cell phone constantly which isn't really a problem because the extra passengers are also screaming on theirs in the back seat. Maybe ear plugs would help?

Ethiopia Reads

2008-10-21T16:04:00.000-07:00

Got to Ethiopia Reads office and library with great effort this morning but it was well worth the trouble. They have an impressive library there and the kids were amazing. Another group of visitors were due and they pulled up as I was leaving. One really looked like Clay Aiken...........think I've completely lost it?

Walked out of the compound about a block to lunch. On my way I passed three Moslem women covered from head to toe in gorgeous red and white sequined attire. Next I watched a bundle of rags on the ground move and realized it was a person. A tall, thin man walked down the street toward me attired in nothing but a hat and stole around his shoulders. No shoes either.

I ordered injera and doro wat for lunch. I'm really getting acclimated now. Tomorrow I go to Awassa and do hope it's worth the expense and trouble. Hope to see Abinet on my way but am not sure where her school is other than on the highway between here and there.

Clothing Thoughts

2008-10-21T15:57:00.000-07:00

I've observed so many diverse cultures and religions here this month. Most define themselves by what they don't wear, what they don't eat, and what they don't drink. And many of them are absurd. So far, I give points to the nuns, Ulrike, and the Suri. The Suri feel no need for clothes and that makes much more sense than the tattered, dirty rags many other Ethiopians wear. Don' t think I"ll follow suit there but it certainly would save a lot of money!

Leaving Gimbie

2008-10-20T16:14:00.000-07:00

Left Gimbie at 6AM this morning....the town of Pepto Bismol Pink uniforms. All the kids were at the Mission to tell me goodbye. Sirika showed me the holes in his shoes again and Dawit kept reminding me he needs a dictionary. I still can't keep all their names straight because they've grown so much. And because I'm such a dimwit. Yesterday I went to Hawi's house for coffee and then we went next door to Chala's for photos. The kids all posed for numerous photos, glamour shots no less, then shots with me where I looked like a ghost next to them. We also had coffee with Markabee, so by the time I got back to the mission I was wired! At least I got my cold shower done without pain. Maybe two more weeks and I could plunge under that ice water without a second thought.

On the way out we went through the town with Slime Green uniforms and then the one with Baby Poop Brown so I knew I was on the right road. I rode back with Ashibur in the hospital vehicle.....best driver in Ethiopia for sure.

So Hard to be Humble

2008-10-20T16:07:00.000-07:00

I am called Mother of the Hospital in Gimbie and that's pretty heady. Then the kids around the Catholic Mission have all started calling me Sister as in Seeeeeeeeester. But yesterday, as the boys all walked me back to the mission after coffee ceremonies, home visits, and hospital hugs, they told me I was just like Jesus with dozens of kids trailing along behind me.....Jesus Sue, no less. Now, I ask you, can I really come home to Denver and be just Plain Sue?

Another Day in Gimbie

2008-10-19T04:27:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting in half a metal shipping container using this internet....sweating hot. They are blacktopping Gimbies main road and pray that I don't get squashed by a steam roller because the kids keep running me behind and in front of it as we do our errands this afternoon. On my way to Hawis house for coffee next.

Give Me Birr!

2008-10-19T04:24:00.000-07:00

I'm being bombarded with requests now. Send me to school, pay my child's tuition, send my cousin to school, feed me, money....you name it. It is very exhausting to keep saying no and to keep trying to avoid the lines. I think feeding hungry kids has to be a priority and school for the same kids the next priority.

The Boys

2008-10-19T04:15:00.000-07:00

The boys all came to the catholic mission and waited quietly for me to appear. Then they sang their hearts out for my audio recorder and I think they prayed as well. We got thirty minutes of them. They then told me that nine children need food desperately because none have either parent. We made a list of those nine and then we added another fourteen who are verrrrrrrrrry hungry. I can pay for them to get one meal a day at the hospital for fifty cents but even that times 23 doesn't go very. They are no longer onery but very respectful young men. I loved being with them.

Ethiopian Law

2008-10-19T04:12:00.000-07:00

One of the nuns had an accident in Nekempte this week and a child was killed. The nun was put in jail according to Ethiopian law. The prison is a ten by ten room with no water, toilet, bed, chair, or food. Nothing is provided until the prisoner sees the judge days later. The sister is so frightened because a prison sentence can be up to seventeen years even though she was not at fault.

Adapting

2008-10-19T03:53:00.000-07:00

Last night we were without electricity for three and a half hours so I finally took my ice cold shower with candlelight. Then I polished off the rest of the wine by drinking it straight out of the box. I'm learning to sleep at a 30 degree slant....am I going with the flow or have I slipped over the edge?

School

2008-10-17T03:53:00.000-07:00

Spent the morning at the Catholic mission school outside of town. Did vocabulary and the students did fine except the teachers stood in the back and whispered the answers before the kids could answer me. Had do much fun and wish I could stay longer.

Yesterday I paid Hawi's tuition for the year when I learned she wasn't going to school at all. At least two dozen kids crammed into the office with me, watched me drag the money out from my various pockets, then told the director that I had promised through an interpreter the other night to pay for five more kids tuition for the year. Only $50 a year but I didn't bring that much money. I felt terrible and they were so disappointed. I was stunned. Got at least fifteen notes yesterday asking for money, help, sponsorship, whatever. And I can't run because I'm so obvious being the only old white lady in Gimbie.

1st Week Back in Gimbie

2008-10-16T15:06:00.000-07:00

Sister Suzy and I walked to see the four little girls who live in a hut with their father who has some neurological problems. I took photos of them last year. Their mother died six months ago. They broke my heart. They just wanted me to touch them, hold them, hug them. Father begged me to take two of them home with me. I'm leaving funds for food with a relative that Sister Suzy says is very responsible.

All the boys were waiting outside the hospital when I came Tuesday evening. Hawi just sobbed when she hugged me. Found out today that she's not in school because of money so I'm paying her tuition for the year. Also gave her a few clothes and she was thrilled. She is a beautiful child.

Boys were all so happy to see me. Sirika doesn't look good....he's so thin. I'm going to spend some time with him and see what I can do.

I'm doing my own laundry in a bucket of cold water. Aren't you glad you don't have to look at me? I'm also taking cold showers such as they are. Love being with the Sisters... It is so peaceful here and quiet.

When I was at the Guest House in Addis a man called several times and asked for Pastor Joseph. WHen I told him he wasn't there and that I didn't know him, the man then told me how much he needed money and would I give him some! If anyone else answered he didn't ask for them for money. Is it in my voice?

Oh yes, yesterday the Sisters and I rode a ratty mini-bus to town, then got in a motorized tricycle and rode east of town. The driver went down the middle of the road....scary but air conditioned! To get back we hitched a ride in a huge truck. Ever seen two nuns hop straight up to get into a seat? The night before we stayed out too late and the mini-buses had stopped so we walked about two miles back to the convent. Than was an experience as well. I've been teaching all week and having a blast. I am also sleeping very very well.

Gimbie

2008-10-14T17:02:00.000-07:00

I'm in Gimbie finally.....rode with the worst driver in all of Ethiopia. The car had no rubber on the accelerator or brakes and that was my first clue. We rode braking for every curve with a screech while accelerating on every straight bit. Lurching to Gimbie is a better word.

Back to rugged again. Cold shower, no toilet seat, pillow like a rock but it is good to be with Sister Suzy. I spent two hours waiting for the computer because the electricity was out. We're on our way to the hospital next.

Forgot to mention, I passed the Armageddon Clinic near Mizan.........not many patients.

The new men's fashion in shoes is a very long point that wraps upward. I feel I'm in a room full of quiet elves.

Roadside Assist

2008-10-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

One never leaves on a trip without prayer being said in the car. Now I know why. We had a flat tire on the way to Mizan, the clutch went out in Tulgit, the springs broke in Jimma and the battery went dead more than once. Sister Suzi and I leave for Ghimbi Monday morning in a rented mini-van so pray for us!

2008-10-11T04:15:00.000-07:00

My name in Suri means sun so the people down there called me Mrs. Sun. How about that?

The men have several wives there. In fact, it's a sign of wealth that one can pay the bride price for more than one. They find our practice of monogamy very difficult to understand. Why would a man want to be with only one woman all the time? Live there each day, eat there, sleep there......very, very strange.

Latest Dispatch

2008-10-09T12:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I tried to paraphrase Mom's email, but really I think it is best to just cut and paste:

"Learned to eat with my hands, went to a wedding celebration where they were eating intestines, got propositioned daily, am having a wonderful time. back in addis and just saw sister suzy. she is so disappointed that i can only stay a week. ride was so interesting but sooooooooooobumpy. i'm invited back to teach and haven't fallen down yet. can you update my blog? man who took me to the wedding carried an ak 47 and wore little else"

Can't wait to hear what Mom writes when she is back and to also hear her recordings and photos!

All the way to the edge of the world...

2008-10-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

The trip down had the most gorgeous scenery in the world. Once there, most of the men carried AK47's which was a bit disconcerting. However they only fired them at weddings, stick fights, and occasional feuds. Women would feel my boobs....don't know if they wanted to know why I didn't flop wildly or if I had any. They think nothing at all of bare skin although the women cover themselves from the waist down. Kids either screamed in terror at my white face or wanted to feel my skin. While I was there I went to two other villages, one church service, three faculty meetings, and one pot luck. Oh, and I now know how to take a shower in a bucket with hot water from a wood fire.

Beautiful, Bizarre and Breathtaking

2008-10-01T19:25:00.000-07:00

Not sure what that means, but it sounds good! I am posting on behalf of my Mom, Sue, who is en route to Suri country in Ethiopia. Her plan was to post to her blog and keep up via email, but it sound like it has been difficult to get a good connection so I have just received bits and pieces via email from her.

Right now she has made it to Mizan, , and I think the plan is to continue West.

View Larger Map

She has a driver named Asafa, who reports everything that she eats, drinks and looks at to Ulrike each evening. Ulrike is happy with Karen's illustrations and is eager to see more. So far, the area she is in is the most beautiful in the world and she can't wait to get to Suri country even though it will be more arid and hot.

Mom hasn't had any problems at all so far, and she has not "embarrassed" herself yet. There's still plenty of time, though!

I hope this helps to keep people informed and I know mom really appreciates all the support she has gotten from the people here in Denver and beyond that are helping her on this trip. I will post more information as I get it.

- Bryan

Made it!

2008-09-25T23:14:00.000-07:00

Unimaginable joy at finding my luggage on the conveyer belt in Addis after thirty minutes of watching .............then seeing a sign with my name on it as we entered the crowds waiting. The taxi driver really didn't want to bring me to the Guest House, he kept telling me it was much cheaper and easier to stay in a hotel near the airport but my Ethiopia Reads escort was just as adamant and I made it to the Bethel Synod Guest House and got a good night's sleep. Begged a cup of coffee this morning because I have no birr. Now I'm ready to get going! Money changer, grocery store, and whatever else ................maybe food?

Letter from Germa and Ibrahim in 2006

2008-09-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

From Girma and Ibrahim the year after we bought a donkey for each of their mothers. No way can I make up this email!

First of all we want to ask you greeting. How are you? Please Sue, we like to say thank you because of you helped us, always we are thinking about you. When we say this we didn’t see still now like you polite helper and kindful. The donkey that you bought for us she laid a female donkey. Now we have another donkey no need of explain. Yesterday we email for you through your email is reaches you. Just on this email we want explain about our donkey only please email back for us. Please say hello for all your daughters.

Girma and Ibraham

The "daughters" they mention are Ellen, my granddaughter, Caroline, my neighbor, and Corie who is Caroline's best friend. All were nineteen and the boys could not understand our connection......."daughters" works fine for Uncle Sue.

Ethiopia Reads

2008-09-23T11:23:00.000-07:00

I visited many public schools in Gimbie last year and did not see a single book in any of the schools. The classrooms I saw had no windows or doors and no desks; the students sat on benches and wrote with their notebooks on their laps. Some classes had eighty to ninety students there who sat quietly and were eager to learn. Their thirst for an education is amazing so I can't wait to see the fortunate children who get to use Ethiopia Reads libraries.

Ethiopia Reads mission is "to develop a reading culture in Ethiopia by connecting children with books". They have built the first public library in Ethiopia, published books in local languages, and they have a traveling library that is pulled by a donkey!

Getting to actually see the libraries there will be the third leg of my trip and I can't imagine how excited the children must be to have books.

Gimbie children

2008-09-18T08:28:00.000-07:00

The sad little boy we called Torn Shorts lost his mother shortly after my first trip to Gimbie. His father had died years earlier. His name is Sirika and he speaks English now, stays in school, and lives with an older brother and sister.

Dawit called himself Fungus because of a skin condition on that trip but he now corrects anyone who uses that name. He has been an orphan since I've known him and he struggles but stays in school and studies.

Germa and Abraham both have mothers who gather wood each day and sell it for 25 cents. The children at Peakland bought both families a donkey to carry that load and also built a house for each. Their lives have improved and they proudly invite me for coffee when I come.

Getenet is a ball of mud until I take him clean clothes and arrange a cold shower; then he is incredibly handsome. One year he conned a bus driver into taking him to Addis and spent months on the streets there looking for his father. He sleeps outside every night and hates school. Getenet calls me Mom and he breaks my heart.

Abinet is in boarding school now and still the best student in her class. Her family received a donkey from the students at Lambertville Public School and that donkey has produced two more so their lives have improved significantly.

Dawit, the orphan who shined shoes, has finished high school and is working with computers.

Bulte is an orphan who has seizures, sleeps in the church and has incredible artistic talent. No one will let him live with them because they are afraid his seizures are contagious.

And there is Hawe, Mitiku, all the Gamachis, and others whose names tangle my tongue. They will all be waiting for me at the hospital gate when I finally get to Gimbie and want to know what took me so long.

2008-09-13T07:44:00.000-07:00

When I went to Gimbie the first time I was overwhelmed. The lack of basic needs was a shock and the constant begging by almost everyone I met was debilitating. Women carried jerry cans of water to their homes from the river where people bathed, scrubbed clothes and washed the occasional car. Variety of food was scarce and everything stopped at dusk because no one had electricity. Children hung outside the hospital compound chain link fence all day and would cry "no mother, no father, very hungry" every time I stepped outside. It was tempting to stay inside and pretend none of this existed but that was also boring so as I tentatively stepped outside the hospital compound I began to see individual Gimbians with all facets of personality found anywhere.

I met a shoeshine boy named Dawit who swept floors at school for his tuition. I met Yemane who had a college degree in art and spent his days painting impassioned scenes of Ethiopia. I met the two Catholic nuns from Ecuador who worked from dawn until dusk with the most desperate of Gimbie. I learned the boys who shouted at me everyday had names and beautiful smiles. And I met Abinet, a fourth grader, who was carrying water home for her sister.

Abinet managed to say hello to me in English and then asked if she could write a letter which she then gave me the next day. Her first letter told me that she was number one in her class at school, her mother was blind, and that she wanted to become a doctor. Since my background is education, I replied to her in written form thinking this a great chance to work on her English and her writing skills. Her second letter thanked me profusely for writing to her and she stated, "My heart is full of happy." I might add she addressed me as Charlie's Uncle since she couldn't understand the concept of Charlie being my cousin. So I am still Uncle Sue to many in Gimbie.