I am not forget until the end of my life

I walked towards the center of town to meet my two campers feeling the weight of my heavy backpack and the weight of responsibility on my shoulders. I assured the camper’s parents that everything would be alright one last time as we hopped aboard a mini bus headed for Bahir Dar. I realized the campers must be feeling nervous too so I talked to them in basic English for a short while but then we sat for the remainder of the ride in silence, although my head was buzzing with thoughts of things to come.

We met the other campers in Bahir Dar and then loaded aboard our camp bus destined for Gondar where we would be staying for the next 6 nights. I felt a weight lifted as I met up with the other Peace Corps volunteers knowing we were all in this together; it wasn’t just me and the teenagers! But I watched around me as the campers sat quietly next to strangers knowing their nervousness still sat upon their shoulders.

The bus full of campers heading towards Gondar.

Five nights later I watched the same group of campers circle around to decide how to keep their friendships strong after they departed from camp and I watched tears roll down their faces as they hugged goodbye. I’m not sure if the 16 of us volunteers will ever fully grasp what kind of impact we had on those 29 students in five short days, but we won’t soon forget the experience.

Logistically things went about as smoothly as we could have hoped for the first summer camp any of us had organized from scratch. The five full days of camp were divided by theme: Independence Day, Gender Day, Leadership Day, Health Day and Lifeskills Day. Labor was divided as well and we all jumped in to help where we could. Each morning started off with yoga at 7am which was a new type of exercise for the campers but they really loved it. Sessions throughout the day were split between classroom activities and more lively activities to keep them energized. Every night a few counselors (PCVs) were “on duty” until midnight to check for lights off (and make sure campers were in their own rooms!). Overall, the days were long and by the end we were all exhausted!

All of the campers and Peace Corps volunteers.

I could write an entire blog entry for each day but I won’t bore you with the details. I'm hoping these pictures can show you a piece of summer camp, which will tell you more than my blog ever could. I can only accurately account for that week with a cliché: it was life-changing. I know that 29 young Ethiopians never forget how to “peel the banana” (if you don’t know, don’t ask) or give out “firecrackers” or do mountain pose, but I pray they’ll never forget that they can be leaders, and that men and women are equal, and that they can never say “I can’t.” I’ll leave you with my favorite quote from camper evaluations: “I love you more than me the American Peace Court; I am sorry because you are leave me tomorrow; I am not forget until the end of my life.”

Me with my campers from Dangila.

 

Welcome To Dangila

This past month I had the privilege of hosting my mom, dad and brother in Dangila for three days.  When I was planning our Ethiopia-section of their time in Africa, I thought about all the historical places I wanted them to see- Lalibela, Gondar, Bahir Dar.  But when it really came down to booking how many days I wanted to spend in each place, I immediately knew I wanted them to spend the most time in Dangila.  Not only did I want them to experience my home, and way-of-life, but I wanted them to meet all my friends and drink more coffee than they could handle, just as I did when I first arrived!

Our time spent in Lalibela, Gondar, and Bahir Dar was fabulous.  The sites in Ethiopia are spectacular and one-of-a-kind, but my favorite part of having them here was the hospitality received in Dangila.  I knew I had some wonderful friends here, but the warm welcome they gave my family was so special and unrivaled.  The first night in Dangila, we were invited over to Ali and Billie’s house.

They used to live in my compound, but moved out a few months ago into a bigger house nearby.  We all sat in their living room and spoke in broken English, while I translated the rest of the details back and forth.  They served us a plateful of injera and wat; some of the best I’ve had in Ethiopia!  I was a little nervous about having my family taste Ethiopian food in a restaurant the first time, but at least there, you can openly say something doesn’t taste great.  At a friend’s home, it is a bit harder to reject the food!  Luckily, the food was well received by my family.  Thanks for being troopers family.   Then, as we were putting our plates down, satisfied by the delicious food, another round of plates came out!  That’s right, another plateful, but this time it was western food! Spaghetti, tomato sauce (with burbere spices of course) and bread; we all looked at each other with wide eyes.  We graciously accepted the second dinner and followed it by a coffee ceremony, although there was quite a bit of food left over.

The next night we had yet another two-course meal, featuring almost all the same foods! It was amazingly thoughtful how all my Ethiopian friends catered to our needs and welcomed us into their homes.  My favorite part of coming to my town was the night we first arrived, after the first marathon meal, my friends Tigist and Tewelde awaited us back near my house.  They were so excited about meeting my family, and they came bearing gifts.

They had an “Ethiopian” beaded bracelet for each of them, freshly made local bread, local-made potato chips, and Christmas cards for us!  It was the nicest thing.  Then they escorted my family back to their hotel on the main road.

It truly brought tears to my eyes.  The hospitality here and love I receive from all my Ethiopian friends is truly the reason I am still here.  They teach me something new every day about selflessness and generosity.

People Who Live In Mud Houses…

The view over Gondar, Ethiopia

Today I returned home after a weekend in Gondar, where I had visited to finish a Peace Corps project with a couple other volunteers. Just over a week ago after returning from previous travels and training, I found myself in just about the complete opposite mood that I now find myself in, elated to be in Africa. This post will be a testimony to the real ups and downs of Peace Corps.

Last week I arrived back in Dangila after a fight with the airlines at 6am and continued problems with transportation as the day continued. The one-hour minibus ride back to Dangila from the airport in Bahir Dar was just about the worst event I’ve witnesses in Ethiopia so far. A fight between the man who takes money and a passenger broke out on the side of the road in a rural area which ended in stones being thrown and a window two seats away form me being shattered as we erratically pulled away from the fight. Shaken up already, I arrived back in Dangila to find gray skies, green grass and streets full of mud. I didn’t feel like I even recognized the town; it didn’t feel like the home I had been looking forward to returning to. Not to mention the layers of dust on everything in my house and the pile of dirt in my bedroom from the hole my dog dug in my mud walls. I guess people in mud houses… shouldn’t raise dogs?

The pile of dirt my dog had dug out of the wall.

Today the circumstances haven’t made the day seem any more bearable. On the bus ride I encountered the worst rain storm I’ve seen in a long time. All the phone lines were literally broken in half for several kilometers, trees were blown down, and rivers replaced the normal drainage ditches. Hail pounded down on the bus as the driver pulled full speed through flooded roads. At one point, the minibus (which I thought slowed down for nothing) actually came to a stop on the side of the road with several other buses. I asked in Amharic, “Is this normal for rainy season.”

He replied, “It is not,” with a slightly scared look on his face. Somehow pulling into Dangila the rain slowed down, and I enjoyed a cool walk home in the sprinkling rain. Shop owners and children yelled my name and asked me where I had been. I didn’t have a single person yell “ferengi,” and I suddenly remembered why I loved my town so much. I arrived just in time to run into the post office before it closed to find several wonderful letters from America, and on the walk home, I had a great conversation in Amharic with the children who hold my hands and walk me home. The kids who live in my compound anxiously greeted me and had many questions, which I happily answered. 

Then I actually had a moment of quiet to read the wonderful notes from home, which brought a tear to my eye. I could not ask for a better support system. Every postcard, letter and package brightens my day. Even email, when I am able to access the internet, is a wonderful connection to home. I am so happy and content with life right now. I am so blessed. Thank you for your mail, support and prayers. I am looking forward to settling down to spend some quality time in Dangila figuring out what exactly I can do to help. I couldn’t be happier. 

My dirty but loving dog.