The Countryside

One of my favorite activities is to visit the countryside around Debre Markos. Evey day I ride my bicycle on the main road, which was paved 10 years ago. Since I was here last in 2008, many of the roads in Ethiopia have been paved, which cuts travel time by 2/3. What used to take 6 hours may now take only 2 hours. There are few differences in rural life between Oromia region and Amhara region. Most are subsistence farmers. That means that the crops they grow are only enough for their family, There is not enough to sell for cash. Getting cash is not easy. I visited one farmer last weekend whose only source of cash was selling cow manure. A huge basket of dried manure, mainly used for cooking, costs 3-5 Ethiopian Birr. A Coke costs 7 birr, so you get some idea at how little that is. If a farmer sells 10 baskets a month, that is only 50-70 birr, about $2.50 0r $3.00. Some professions have more social status than others. Artisans such as potters and weavers have the  lowest social status, in spite of their importance in traditional culture. A jabana, used to boil coffee during a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, is made by potters who in some areas are not even allowed to marry outside their community. Weavers, who make gabis, a traditional cloth that men wear, also have little recognition, in spite of the importance of their wares. Here in Gojam, basketmakers spend 1/2 day weaving large baskets that all the rural women use to carry firewood, leaves, dung, and other goods, sell for only 6 or 7 Ethiopian birr. Remember that the price of a Coke is 7 -10 birr, so you can imagine how little these artists earn.

In the countryside I also found talented musicians. The washint is a flute made from bamboo or metal. They look easy to play but when I blow on them, there is no sound! The shepherds play them mostly to pass the time, but they send messages of their feelings as well.

The croqueted items I am holding in my hands are something like muzzles for the cows so they don't eat the crops. The bags that grain are carried in are unraveled and twisted into these muzzles as well as the whips the shepherds use to move the animals along. Nothing is wasted. It's truly amazing how resourceful Ethiopians are.

Back in Ethiopia

This is not the first time I have been in Ethiopia. I can't remember how many times I've step foot here. Six, maybe seven. But this is the second time I have been here as a teacher. The first time was in 2007. I was co-director of the English Language Improvement Center at Adama University in the Oromo region, giving teacher training and organizing English clubs. I came to Ethiopia through IFESH, an NGO based in the U.S. I am back in Ethiopia under a fellowship through the State Department. My new post is in Debre Markos, in northern Ethiopia. Being here is like being in Ethiopia for the first time. When I was in Oromia, I could easily communicate because I speak the language, Afaan Oromo. I knew the culture well. But here in Amhara region, there have been countless times when I could not say more than a few words in Amharic, unable to express myself or take in the feelings and ideas of others. Learning Amharic is challenging. The alphabet (fidal) is made up of 238 letters which are represented by symbols a bit like Hebrew or Arabic. All are Semitic languages.

In addition to teaching classes at Debre Markos University, I am also organizing activities at the English Language Improvement Center. Our first program is English Clubs: drama, journalism, debate, and music. We will host 3 talent shows a year and the winners will get some prize money. Whatever they do has to be in English.

I also do teacher training and student workshops through the American Embassy. My first job was at St. Mary's College in Addis Ababa teaching English to high school students through a program called ACCESS. It is hosted by the Cultural Affairs office in the State Department. These students come every Saturday to St. Mary's for English classes and to learn about American culture. Bertram (another teacher in my program) and I team taught about International Day of Non-Violence, which I didn't know existed. We showed a Michael Jackson video as a listening activity, did role play, dictation, scrambled sentences, and as much oral practice as we could squeeze in. The biggest weakness here n Ethiopia is speaking skills. Most English classes focus on grammar and rote learning taught by lecture. Although there may be some parroting in the classroom, authentic conversation is mostly absent.