Joanne In Ethiopia

Wednesday, 2 December 2009

Hi All

Dear All

I am now ten days into my grand tour of Ethiopia. So far it has been an amazing experience - seen herds nad herds of camels, baboons with pink bottoms, ibexes, strange houses, strange people and amazing countryside, from desert to driving through clouds. Ethiopia is so green and lucios, nothing like the pictures on the telly. I am so lucky to have a chance to see all this.

On the other hand I am ready to hand in my resignation at the Ministry or kill my colleague. He is proving to be a real trial to work and travel with. I just want to get back to my home in Addis and for the first time I am really missing home and all my friends and family. I will email you all when I get back around the 9th of Dec.

I will blog the more interesting things later when I get baack to my office, but am thinking of you all and can't believ it is December already and talking about Christmas!!!!!!!

Lots of love for now

Joanne xxx

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Friday, 20 November 2009

A Plea

Dear all, just back in the office after a most frustrating day. Left the office at 2pm to go to the bank to cash the cheque for our expenses for our trip. Sat in the car for 45 mins while my colleague ranted about something other – it was all in Amharic, but raised voices mean the same thing in any culture. The driver and I had a lovely chat – with him having no English and me with no Amharic. But I did discover he had 3 children, one of who was in Beirut and he has a grandchild. I even saw photos from his wallet!!!! I managed to tell him my mum had 13 grandchildren – he was most amazed and I desperately wanted to show him some photos (hint, huge hint to my family – I am still waiting!) but all I had was a photo when Martin was about four and Maria two. But we had fun trying to work out what the other was saying. Normally conversations revolve around football but when I said football he had no idea what I was talking about – which was refreshing. Finally went off to the bank who confiscated my cd, full of boring work things. We went to cash our cheques only to be told this wouldn't happen as they were not purple stamped. EVERYTHING official here needs a purple stamp. So I waited at the bank while Tsegaw returned to the ministry to get the purple stamps. I used the time to call a colleague and finalise plans for our joint workshop. Tsegaw returned half an hour later thinking I was sitting in the long snaking queue keeping us a place. Oooppsss. Needed to be outside to get a reception on the phone. Finally got through the queue. When we got to the first desk Tsegaw asked me to produce my id. 'Id?' I said. He looked strangely at me. I did consider telling him I didn't have it (he never asked me to bring it!) but Ethiopians don't have the same humour and I really think he may have had a heart attack. So I produced my Ethiopian id and got a token to collect my money (after passing go and getting out of jail free!) It turns out Tsegaw needed photocopies of his id to get a token, which of course he didn't have. Another panic and another ten minutes while he ranted at bank staff, who have huge security guards with guns on their side, producing no results. He had to return with photocopies, 20 minutes later, then receive his token. Finally we got our money and off we set for the ministry. But alas, alack no I was to be abandoned miles form the ministry and find a line taxi back to work as he sped on to do something else somewhere else. I got back to the ministry at 5pm. We started this journey at 2pm and all I had to show for it was 1,200 Birr for expenses – that's about £50! Phew a very frustrating afternoon – but there is no getting to know beuraucracy like experiencing it!!!! Helps me to know more about about life and culture here.

THE PLEA

But on the other side of things I visited one of my schools who is setting up an ELIC. I have told you about them and more to come – its 5.30pm and I want to get home. These are amazing guys who want to set up English clubs in their school – but they have absolutely no resources. So here comes the plea: Can I please ask you to send stuff to me. And I thought what would be a good and quick start was if everyone could gather together all the free posters and free cds you get in newspapers and send them to me. They will be flat, easy to package and post and quite light. It wont matter if I get duplicates and it will only cost you the postage. And it should get here relatively quickly. This will be a great start and a great support to them. Obviously if you want to do more and send books or anything else that would be great. Sorry I can't remember the address right now, but my mum has it. This could be your Christmas present to me. We throw away so much and these guys would use this material in such a brilliant way. I am really excited by their work and I have already established a good contact with them, even tried explaining what haggis was! You could be a part of that. It would be wonderful. I'll post the address when I have it, but please start collecting now. Many Thanks, Joanne. Don't forget my email address is joanneecairns@hotmail.com

Sorry have to dash now. Also, I am off on an 18 day trip touring the country as part of my Ministerial duties – wow how lucky can a girl get. Its all by car and our first destination is an 18 hour drive!!! But just imagine what I'll see. And through this blog you'll get to see it too. Not sure how much electricity and internet connection there will be so don't worry if you don't here from me, I'll be back blogging (and bragging) before you know it.

I hope everyone is well and I take a part of each of you with me.

Much love as always

Joanne X

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Friday, 13 November 2009

Friends in Addis

Quite a few people have asked whether I have made any friends here in Addis. I can't believe I haven't mentioned them, but I guess they have become part of my life here so quickly I almost feel that you know them as well as I do. First and foremost I am very lucky to have met David and Maureen. They both work here at the ministry in the department of HDP and CPD. We have lunch together almost every day and we socialise all the time. David and Maureen are retired but spend the last two and a half years running a school in a place called Ladac in north India. We all get on so well I can't believe how luck I am. David and I are going in search of tennis and squash courts tomorrow, possibly at the Greek Club!!!!! Also at the ministry are Simon and Isobel in the same department as David and Maureen. We all get on really well. I am also friends with other VSOs here in Addis; Nancy, Doreen, Catherine and Helen and of course my flatmate Kellie. We are finding plenty to do and are putting together an ever-growing list of things to do in Addis which will fill our weekends for quite some time.

Out of Addis are Jamie and Mary and Tara who live close by. In fact Jamie and Mary are almost part of the family, and come into Addis so much and often stay with me that I got an extra set of keys to my house cut for them! Just don't tell Kellie!!!!! Jamie, Mary and Tara have entertained us in Sabeta and Ambo, all for another blog. I don't think I have met anyone here so far (except a certain Canadian - nothing against Canadians – Nina is especially a lovely Canadian person) that I haven't got on with. I guess those people who travel or do VSO type work have similar outlooks in life.

Then further afield I have many VSO friends I stay in contact with such as Richard and Emilie, Vicky and Hazel and many others. WE all stay in contact through email, phoning and texting. But being in Addis is such an advantage as people from the regions will come down to Addis for various reason and we all go out and catch up with one another. It is a familial community and we all look out for each other, but more importantly we have a great laugh together. It is a great community of people from all ages. Nancy will be 29 on Wednesday and a whole group of us are going up to the hills surrounding Addis for a picnic. No-one cares who is what age, its brilliant. So I have a healthy and happy social life with a wide variety of interesting people. I couldn't be luckier.

As for Ethiopian friends, that will have to wait for another blog. Its 5.30 and the building is closing up. Also Ethiopian friends are a little more complicated. I was approached by a young man the other day shouting at me 'ferengi, ferengi, you, you' asking if I wanted a 'special boy' for my time in Addis. I declined politely and gave him a quick lesson on how rude it was to use the terms ferengi and you when trying to get someones attention!!!!!

Next time Ethiopian friends and social life in Addis, including my attempt at the 10K Great Ethiopian Run!!!!!!! Stop laughing Carole, I am still picturing you on the bike down Kings Park Drive!!!!!

Love to you all

Joanne x

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Wednesday, 4 November 2009

Biting the Dust!

Rock Star in Addis

As you know I have been busy at the Ministry with Oh-so-important-work for the country. But I am also getting to see real life in Ethiopian schools. 2 young teachers literally came knocking at my ministry door seeking help for their primary school. They want to set up an ELIC in their school. Now all ELICs at present are based in Universities and Colleges so this is a pioneering idea to set one up in a primary school. I suppose it is a bit like having an English Club but more specialised and formalised. I was very excited by the idea and was invited to visit the schools and see what their plans are. As the school is so far away one of the teachers came yesterday to show me how to get to his school. When we got there he showed me round the school and introduced me to the staff. At break time all the students wanted to shake my hand. They kept coming up to me and shook my hand, I could hardly get to the cafeteria they crowede me so much. My only glimpse of what a rock star may feel like. I was then officially invited as the Ministry Representative to their flag ceremony and ELIC launch this morning. I got up early and put on my best Ministerial suit, looking all official. I successfully negotiated the three line taxis to get there – it is on the edge of the city in a very quiet almost rural setting – beautiful. So I was feeling all pumped up in my good suit and positive about getting there on my own. I made my way down the last dirt track to the school thinking about what I would say in my address to the 2,000 pupils when I managed to slip on the only puddle in the street (remember there is a drought here!). So I arrived in less than Ministry or Rock Star style covered in mud, with ripped trousers and a bloodied knee. Oh, how the Lord likes to keep us humble. I even had to address the students and staff with one trouser leg rolled up to 'air' my bloodied knee. But the staff couldn't have been nicer and tended to my wounds, though I was stared at and laughed at by many of the children. I know now how to keep my place – with my feet well and truly planted on the ground!! Also the conditions of the school opened my eyes to the true challenges facing education in Ethiopia. I only I hope I can do my small bit to support these amazing and enthusiastic teachers who are doing their best in pretty dire circumstances. So, Clare, Claire, Fraser et al at Lourdes, if you are reading this I have a possible project for you if you are interested.

Love to you all and hope there are still some leaves left on the trees to cheer your day. Just remember this, when a student was asked today what he didn't like about the school he said that he liked the IT club but was disappointed it only had four computers (with no internet). This for a school with 2,000!! The lack of books, cracked blackboards, lack of free school meals for the poorest kids….. all for another day.

Love Joanne x

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Friday, 30 October 2009

Adopting small children!

School Children

On the walk to work I pass loads of school kids walking to school. There seems to be a uniform uniform, only in different colours. The girls wear a long skirt of a particular colour, aquamarine and burgundy are the most common, but often with trousers underneath. The boys wear trousers of the same colour. They all wear a white shirt (no tie!) and a waistcoat of the same colour as the skirt. It is simple but nice and looks comfortable. What is great about seeing the school kids is that they are the same wherever you go. Boys wearing football tops under their shirts, girls with spangly cardigans over their waistcoats for which they are definitely going to get a talking to, boys carrying books but not using a bag, boys getting girls to carry their books for them, girls with fancy things in their hair etc. It is obvious that many of these uniforms have been sewn together by mothers with little money, many are dirty and ripped. It can often be difficult to keep anything clean here when the water supply goes out, and you can see from the state of the houses many will not have running water in the house but use a standpipe in their area. Nevertheless all the kids wear the uniform and are pleased to be going to school. We all walk at the side of the road as there are no pavements. Buses and cars beep to let us know they are coming up behind us, but the pedestrians are about 6-8 deep at the side of the road. The embassy road is about 6 lanes wide both sides. One of the things that cheers me up the most going to work is the number of smiles and hellos I get along the way. A foreigner or ferengi as we are known is still something of a novelty. In particular children of four years and under love to say hello and shake your hand. It is almost like you are a lucky talisman and if you shake a ferengi's hand you will have good luck. But their smiles are gorgeous. The Ethiopian people in general smile a lot and they are so beautiful when they smile. However, some children are quite afraid of ferengis and get scared if I hold out my hand to them, they hide behind their mother's skirt. But generally it cheers me up to say hello to these smiling children. As I take the same road to work I have been adopted by two girls on their way to school. Their names are Reesa and Fadeela. They just came up to me one morning and told me my hair was lovely (the following Thursday they said 'every day you are beautiful' – who can resist that?) and we got chatting in English. They are in grades 5 and 6 so about 11 or 12 years old. Now whenever I see them we walk to school together (its on my way to work). The other morning we had a heated discussion about whether Chris Brown or Rhianna was a better singer. Fadeela and I both agreed that Chris Brown was bad for having hit Rhianna but Reessa still thought Rhianna was better. This morning I was listening to my MP3 player when I met them and for the rest of the journey they listened to Abba's Mama Mia and we sang along together. So hopefully I can help them with English. They tell me words in Amharic, but I always forget them, so when I left them at school last week they said don't forget our names – but how could I? (Fran tell Hannah: This morning I met another girl called Hannah and she met her friend called Danny, who I suppose is called Daniel. I wonder if she has a goat at home!) I see so many wonderful things on the way to work. A new bridge is currently under construction too – built with Chinese money. But the hard labour is done by the locals, chipping at huge rocks with pick axes – in the hot sun – for about 10 birr a day – that's 5pence!!!! But the progress they make is amazing!! I enjoy walking as it is always sunny in the morning and it is the only exercise I get at the moment – 45 mins walk in the sun! Not bad. There is a major junction on my way and it often gets clogged by blue line taxis (mini buses we travel in) with guys shouting out the window their destinations. You can just flag one done if I can understand where they are going. It took me a week and a half and a long walk home one evening before I learned the word for stop please so I could get off. There are always goats who accompany me on the way to work too, and I pass lots of people with their wares of tomatoes, potatoes and green beans (I am already sick of green beans) laid out in the street! I buy my bananas for the week from a stall close to the ministry and my water from a young boy at a stall – who should be at school! But he recognises me now and has my water ready. Its not the same as cycling through Pollok Park but I love it.

Love to you all, Joanne x

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Monday, 19 October 2009

Walking to Work

Walking to Work in Addis

Hello folks. Hope everyone is well. If you read my last blog then you'll know how busy work has been. But I am enjoying it so far. I also enjoy the walk to work. It is about 45 mins and quite different to the cycle I had through Pollok Park to Lourdes. I do miss the bike. I have seen a few cyclists here, but it is more dangerous than London, I reckon. Also a lot of my walk is uphill, which is good as I haven't yet worked out how to get some proper exercise here. Apparently the British Embassy has a tennis court, but a tree fell on it last year and it hasn't been cleared since – so not many tennis lovers there. I leave my compound (that's just really my house behind a big wall and 'don't-come-near-me' gate) at 7.45. I turn down my dusty dirt track, trying to avoid the many stray dogs which bark constantly during the night, onto a larger road which has tarmac on it and head up towards what we call the embassy road. I have no idea of its real name. Roads here don't have sign posts. I did see a sign post once, Queen Elizabeth II Road, but it had fallen over and was lying in the dirt. We call the main road Embassy Road as the British embassy is on it, and right next door is the brand new British Council building. It is a gorgeous building, all wood panelled and glass. Needless to say both buildings have huge security gates. The British embassy has 88 acres of land which includes an 8 hole golf course and a vast forest out of which leopards apparently roam. What strikes me most about these two buildings is they are directly across the road from where the real people of Addis live, in mud huts and corrugated iron roofs. It looks like what you would call a shanty town. I don't think I could live and work in the embassy and see that across the road every morning. But it does cross my mind how soon I may become 'accustomed' to seeing the poverty around me every day. The poverty and simplicity and basic way of living here is a fact of life and a fact of the city. Unlike Lima where you could avoid the poorer slum areas in Addis it is all around you. All people of Addis, rich and poor, live check by jowl, almost literally. It is quite humbling really. I can safely hide away behind my big walls and gate and not see, hear or smell the 'real' Addis. For the moment I try to take in all the scenes around me each morning and be aware of the people and lives I walk past every day.

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Monday, 12 October 2009

Working in Addis

Hello everyone, I hope you are all well and enjoying the October break. I hope the weather is kind to you. We have been having rain for the past four days. Real proper thundery rain. The streets are rivers of mud. But it is good for Ethiopia and it is good for continued electricity supply. So actually I am happy to see the rain. I have been working at the Ministry of Education now for three weeks. I am officially a 'suit'. Aaarrgghh! But although it is called the Ministry it is more like what I imagine working at Wheatley House is like – lots of people looking busy, wandering around endlessly with bits of 'important-looking' bits of paper, telling everyone they are 'soooo busy' and completely disorganised and not getting much done. But that is harsh on my Ethiopian colleagues. They do work hard, but are completely disorganised. No filing system or recording system. Meetings are plentiful but no minutes are ever recorded. Also meetings are very often cancelled as people simply do not turn up. Phones go off and are answered during meetings and it is quite humorous to see grown men crouching under a desk and whispering into their phone, all simply because 'that call' could not go unanswered. My colleague Solomon is particularly guilty of this. Every day he says to me, 'Can I answer this? It is very important. I get a lot of important calls.' I reply 'does it make a difference what I say?' and he just laughs.

I have quite a good team. They don't call themselves a department, not sure why. The whole department I am working in is called a Core Process, headed by the core process owner, then we have the sub-process headed by the sub-process owner, but no mention of a department. My three colleagues (also known as counter-parts for VSO) are Solomon, Tsegaw and Hamid. Together we are in charge of ELQIP – English Language Quality Improvement Programme. (I officially got my name on my door on Friday!) Within that I am involved in ELTIP – English Language Teachers Improvement Programme. This involves several things. First I co-ordinate the ELICs nationwide - English Language Improvement Centres. There are around 30 ELICs in the country which provide courses or clubs or anything else relevant to support the students and staff in colleges and universities to improve their English. All subjects are taught in English from secondary school onwards. But there are major gaps in teachers English. It is my job to ensure that ELICs are running smoothly and they get what resources they need – which looks like it is going to be a difficult task. At the moment I am conducting a census of what centres we have as Tsegaw does not have an up-to-date list of centres and their co-ordinators. Also it is hoped that in the next month I will have to monitor and evaluate quite a number of centres which means a field trip – yippee. I get to leave Addis and travel the length of the country. I am so looking forward to that. But that trip has been suspended (lots of suspension here, though not in the buses!) till I complete a task given to me directly from the State Minister. His office is lovely. Huge Jimmy Saville type chairs, only in leather and mahogany, with a large flat screen t.v. I have been given the job of writing up a 'profile' of all the qualities a primary and secondary teacher would have. Solomon and I are preparing to train 40,000 teachers to improve their English Language, both in proficiency and methodology. It is quite an ambitious task and the aim is to have assessed all English teachers' skills gaps and then devise modules which will address these skills gaps and then train teacher trainers to ensure all teachers have access to these modules and hey presto – all English teachers in Ethiopia will have improved English skills. It is hoped this will all be done in the next three years. If I get it right and do some of the training myself, maybe we can have Ethiopian teachers all speaking with a broad Glasgow accent! So I am pretty busy at the moment, especially as I get the odd editing task to do as well. Just finished editing the government's policy on HIV and AIDS. Very interesting. So I am pretty busy, but so far the work is interesting, though at times frustrating. It is a long day, 8.30am – 5.30pm with a one hour lunch. But two hours on a Friday. Thankfully I have my own room with internet access which is great and I have a lovely view of the hills surrounding Addis from my window. So it is pretty nice. I can wander off and visit other VSOs in the building who work close by. My friends David and Maureen, who are in charge of CPD nationwide, work on the same floor, which is nice and we go for lunch together.

I have loads more to share, and my next instalment will be The Walk to Work. Many interesting sites include, Chinese Road building, adopting cute small children and goats tied to roof racks. Take care everyone. You are all in my heart and thoughts and prayers. Have a great October week.

Love Joanne in Ethiopia.