Treasures of Zeway

After nearly 4 weeks of having Go Ed students in my life, I said goodbye to them an hour ago at the airport.  It’s been a fun and exausting few weeks.  I thought I’d share a few pictures from Rebecca & Hazel’s last night in Addis.  They’re now on their way back to Uganda for a few days then they’re heading off for a month’s worth of classes in Rwanda.

Ethiopian Dancers at the restaruant

Me with Hazel and Rebecca

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More dancing, this time representative of the north east

These past few weeks have been quite busy.  Food for the Hungry has a program called Go Ed- where students spend a semester abroad study in multiple countries and gaining first had experience in community development work.   For three weeks we have had 2 students here for their practicum experience.  They’ve been leading groups for teen girls at 3 of our sites.

Hazel and Rebecca are Junior social work students, which is quite fun for me since my background is also social work.  At these groups Hazel and Rebecca facilitate the girls learning about various topics such as family, change, health, relationships, etc.  It has been an interesting process seeing these teenage girls progress in their groups, as this is the first time they have experienced group discussions in this manner.  In reality it’s been a learning experience for all of us- the site social workers, the girls, the teenagers, and me as we have learned how groups work best here in this culture and community.

Last weekend we took a trip down to Lake Awassa and had a great relaxing time.

Personally, it was nice to get away from zeway for a little while, but it was also nice to take the girls to a new place.   Unfortunately the hippos were at some distant place,  but we did get in a nice rocky boat ride out to the middle of the lake while wearing these snazzy yellow life vests.

Back when I moved, 3 of my co-workers helped me move.  It simply wouldn’t have been possible without the muscles of these 3 strong guys.  So in the middle of moving, I told them that I’d have to treat them to lunch the next day to say thanks for helping me move. (they also he lped me move the time before this, so I really owed them).  They said no.  I was surprised that they passed on the free lunch but was quickly distracted by moving.

The next day I was working in my office and two of the guys came in and started chatting.  They were goofing around, eating the food out of the drawer where I stash food and just hanging around for a while.  I couldn’t figure out what was going on, but thought they just wanted to say hi.  Then on the way to the back of the compound for lunch I run into one of the ones that was in my room and another one of the ones that helped me move.  They started talking then laughing and walking away.  2 minutes later one of them comes up to me and asked me if I forgot.  I said no– what would I have forgotten?  He said remember yesterday when we were moving you?  What did you say?  I said that I had offered them lunch, but they said no.  he said they didn’t say no.  And I said they did, that they didn’t want lunch.  Well I managed to forget in the chaos of moving that they were just being polite ethiopians– saying no, expecting me to understand that they were really saying yes.  That’s why the guys were hanging out in my office, they were waiting for me to say- ok lets go to lunch, but they wouldn’t bring it up or ask me.  So I told him that I’d take them now, and he said that the other two had already gone home.

The next day I took them out for lunch.

Moral of the story: make sure no means no

Looking through the outside window into my sitting area and kitchen- the picture below is of the reverse– looking to the main door and window.

My bedroom– and this picture is of the outside – two windows and two doors!!