It seems Tommy is an early riser, although he claims this is due to chanting that takes place at the Ethiopian Orthodox church nearby at around 4am. On the other hand, I try to get every last minute of sleep possible! Today is our second trip to the street children project and we are both full of excitement and nerves.
Last night we spent time with Sr Fisseha learning more about some of the beneficiaries (students). The first power cut since our arrival seemed to signal an early bedtime, but we found enough candles to get by enjoying tea and biscuits as we chatted. The sisters' English is good and they enjoy hearing about our families and lives back in the UK.
We were due to depart from St Vincent's at 9am, but our driver did not arrive so we spent some time with Samme, the trainee accountant. He was interested in whereabouts we lived and using Encarta maps we found both Greenock and Chelmsford. He also gave us a sample of Ethiopian pop music, which sounded very similar to Asian music. Samme is desperate to continue his studies in the UK and I hope I can help him investigate this possibility before I leave.
When we finally arrived at the project compound, all the beneficiaries and staff clapped energetically. It was quite over whelming and I felt like some kind of celebrity. I guess in the Mekele that's what we are- from a different, fascinating world. Special seats had been reserved for us at the front and we were about to take part in a traditional Ethiopia coffee ceremony and witness an entertainment show put on by the beneficiaries!
Two of the girl beneficiaries prepared the coffee for us as popcorn and biscuits were passed around. The coffee was rich tasting and quite strong. A good amount of sugar took away the natural bitterness and as each 'round' was finished, the girls prepared another! (We ended up having three cups which is traditional) Luckily Aluma and Daniel, a beneficiary with excellent English, were our translators as various 'games' and acts took to the stage. These included bobbing for bananas, a quiz show type game, an onion chopping contest and a race where contestants had a sweet attached to a long thread which they had to raise up to their mouth. It was hugely entertaining proving humour really is a universal language. Daniel and his friend Isaac were very keen to take photos for us, although some editing will need to be done due to their trigger-happy and slightly wonky camera work! It was good to see them wanting to be involved and help us, as well as gain confidence using technology. Hopefully over the next few weeks I can help them improve their camera work! Some of the younger beneficiaries performed a traditional dance for us which involved lots of shuffling and shoulder dropping. It was then our turn to take to the stage as Aluma introduced us and we had to share a few words with the expectant crowd of around a hundred.
After the celebrations, Tommy and I met with Aluma and Tedros to talk about our teaching schedule. Due to the number of students attending the project over the summer, each beneficiary is allocated either a morning or afternoon session. The project runs from 8am to 12 noon and then from 2pm to 5pm (2-6 and 7-11 Ethiopian time; the day begins at sunrise, 6am ), and we would be expected to provide tutorials, in English, from 9am until 10am and from 2pm until 3pm. We went through some of the topics that it would be useful to cover and I suddenly felt a lot more comfortable about what was ahead. Aluma further reassured me by telling me that, "No-one can be a bad teacher!"
To clarify a little more about the education system in Ethiopia, Government schools provide education up to 10 th grade (age 14-15). Students then must pass an exam to continue their study. If they do not, they leave with nothing. Traditionally most street children would fail this, if they got to the examination stage at all. The Daughters of Charity project exists to enhance the street children's education, to help them pass that exam to return to government schooling. This sounds simple enough, but the Daughters work is far from that.
Providing an education that is more suited to the street children, and one where there is more compassion is vital. A number of the street children have been removed from government schools, as the schools are unable or unwilling to provide for their more demanding needs. In fact, Sr Fisseha told us when the project started the children were totally wild and out of control, trying to break everything and fighting with each other. They now know the expectations of the project and how they must behave if they want to be a beneficiary. Over the past few days, I have learnt about the many other ways in which the street children benefit from the project. Firstly, Tedros and Sr Medhin are trained social workers (they trained in Uganda, as it is not possible to train in Ethiopia) and they council the children, many of whom come from varying degrees of broken homes or difficult situations. There are a number who have no home at all. Many home visits take place to help the students and their families.
The project also provides both breakfast and lunch to children who otherwise would not eat. Additionally beneficiaries are referred to medical centres when it is required, whilst they are taught basic hygiene and how to look after themselves too. Showers are provided at the project and they are given clothes twice a year. As well as their formal education, there is a large emphasis on developing leadership skills, celebrating Ethiopian and African culture, working on drama, art, embroidery and musical skills - and of course sport!
As we walked back through the compound, the beneficiaries were eating lunch. They kept offering us some of their lunch. At first I tried to politely decline, suggesting they should eat it themselves. They wouldn't give up though! I took just a few grains of rice from each which made them so happy, their smiles saying far more than words ever could. All of sudden, I was being mobbed; all the students were desperate to share their lunch with me!
I found this difficult to understand. I know it is part of Ethiopia culture to be very welcoming and share all you have with guests, but surely when you have nothing, you have nothing to share? It seems this is not the case, the beneficiaries are very grateful for what they are given, but equally they are keen to share with others. There is something truly amazing about these children and this one moment really touched me. I hope I can bring back even part of this example of generosity and selflessness on my return to the UK.
Tedros was very keen to hear about the songbook I had brought with me and said the students loved to learn English songs. Music is very important at the project and the school band have a good local reputation, in fact they had been booked to play outside of Mekele on Sunday, something they were very excited about. It is a means of them earning a small income, and self-sufficiency is encouraged by the project. The children must learn to live in a way not totally reliant on charity and handouts. Cahill, an Irish SVP volunteer has left his guitar here which will help me out looking at the state of some of the other guitars. Tedros wants me to start on Monday. Daniel has also got me lined up to play in the football team; he is very keen to show me their football ground.
The positive vibes in the project were impossible to ignore, Sr Fisseha told us last night that she went on retreat for two weeks and missed the street children so much and couldn't wait to get back. I was already feeling a bond to the project and can't wait for Monday!
As we were about to leave, some of the boys came up and asked, "Are you really a supporter of Southend United? I am a big Manchester United fan and I was very upset in the Carling Cup last year!". Brilliant! Our victory really was a global event, and the boys probably thought they would never get to meet a Shrimpers fan in the flesh. I've got a big Southend united flag that I am going to put up in my classroom.
We returned to St Vincent's to work out some lesson plans and have lunch. Saturday is only a half-day for all the sisters and so we had a very enjoyable extended lunch with Sr Fasa and Sr Nesta who are studying as nurses. Young Sr Medhin and a seminarian joined us too. He was interested in my study of theology and when I saw him again later at mass (in English at the Salesians school nearby) he took my email address for help when he is at theological college in Nairobi next year.
To give you some idea of why both me and Tommy will come back a few pounds heavier, the most commonly used phrase at dinner is, "Please - Have some more!". It is a relentless cry from the sisters and they are determined to fatten us up before our return to the UK. Cahill apparently went home nearly a stone lighter due him going running each morning; perhaps he had the right idea! However, the Daughters are now under strict instructions from their Mother Superior to feed all volunteers very well! Mealtimes are always a lot of fun and there is non-stop jokes and laughter. Tommy had expected a more formal and sober environment living in a religious community but there is so much joy and contentment found in the sisters that St Vincent's couldn't be anything but a relaxed and enjoyable place to stay. The sisters can only see positives in all they do and all they encounter. This is a tough call when you are working with the poorest of the poor.
We have witnessed some of the promised rain today; a brief but heavy shower. However, I have also sneaked enough time sat in the sun that I am beginning to pick up a little colour! Plenty of sun cream is being used, which is a novelty for me, but even just walking around when it is overcast you can feel the power of the sun. An interesting thing we found out today is that there are no street names in Mekele. Apparently some roads in Addis have names (but they often change). This makes the postal system rather interesting and it is common to simply arrange a post box somewhere. John, another SVP volunteer, is returning from Adigrat on Tuesday is going to help us sort out one of these.
In the evening, after dinner, we retire to the lounge with the sisters to watch TV and chat. I got out the school prospectuses that I had brought with me from St John Payne School where I work. I went through them with the sisters showing them the uniform, the main hall, all the facilities, the school trips and so on. They were in awe; totally amazed. Sr Nesta kept saying over and over, "Do your students know how lucky they are?"
I didn't have the heart to tell her the answer.
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